A Little Piece of Heaven

I already know the one place I am looking forward to going after I graduate this semester: Monterey Bay.

With its beautiful Pacific Coast views and wide range of attractions, it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy life again. Apparently this belief is expressed by other people as well, because Monterey came in third place in Yahoo’s survey of prettiest towns .

Arguably the most famous part of Monterey is Cannery Row, which contains restaurants, hotels and miscellaneous shops. Cannery Row has a little bit of everything including a Mexican restaurant, a couple of art galleries, a Ghirardelli shop, a wax museum and an As Seen on TV Infomercial Products store. The street is so popular that it is mentioned in Bob Dylan’s song Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (“With your sheet-metal memory of Cannery Row/ And your magazine-husband who one day just had to go…”) and it served as the setting for John Steinbeck’s books Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. The movie titled Cannery Row, which was released in 1982, was based off of the two books by Steinbeck.

What really draws in the crowds is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is located on the north end of Cannery Row. The aquarium houses a diverse range of sea creatures and is one of the largest aquariums in North America. Out of all the exhibits, the ones that I make sure never to miss are the giant kelp forest and the penguin exhibit, which opened in 2008.

Of course, there are many other reasons to visit the city. Monterey has several historic sites that might be of interest to visitors including the Cooper-Molera complex, which once belonged to a wealthy merchant and today shows the difference between the Mexican natives and the wealthy class and Colton Hall, which is where the 1849 constitutional convention took place.

Monterey is also the perfect playground for people who enjoy outdoor activities. Being so close to the ocean allows gives people the perfect chance to go out on a boat, go kayaking and scuba diving. There are also extensive trails that visitors can use including one that I have walked on several times called the Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail. The 18-mile trail extends from Pacific Grove, goes through Monterey and eventually ends in Castroville and it provides an amazing view of the ocean from start to finish.

Another interesting fact about Monterey is that it has been and currently is home to an extensive list of artists. Among the most famous are musician Frank Zappa, author Josh Billings who is credited as being the second most famous humorist after Mark Twain and who died in Monterey, author Robert Louis Stevenson, who is the author of The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde and who stayed in Monterey in 1879.

If you are looking for a calm place that has abundant natural beauty, a wide variety of attractions and has an extensive history, then Monterey Bay is the place for you.