Monterey Bay Aquarium and other Monterey, CA Things to Do Tips

This aquarium is apparently one of the largest in the world.

It has a great variety of animals and makes for a very interesting day trip, although you need more than one to fully explore it.

I am not very good at identifying the species, but take a look at my travelogue to see what you can expect to see.

An adult ticket is $19.95, children (3 thru 12) pay $10.95. Other discounts apply, check website for more complete information.

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Phone: (831) 648-4800
Address: 886 Cannery Row,
Directions: Cannery Row area
Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/

We had the chance to go on a whale watching trip whilst in Monterey and it was a great experience.

Unfortunately, there were no dolphins to be seen and the whalewatching part did not start out very well.

We took the afternoon trip which lasts 3-4 hours and for the first 3 hours there was nothing to be seen. The sea was a bit rough and the boat was always changing direction to follow what seemed to be whales, but we couldn't see a single one of them.
At a certain point, the captain said we were heading home and, of course, I was a bit dissapointed.
However, at that moment, there were a couple of whales (humpback) appearing and we got a nice show.

By that time, I was already quite seasick (had never happened to me before, must have been the rough sea), so make sure you take the pill about 30 minutes before going aboard (you can get them when you buy the tickets).

We used Sam's fishing fleet, inc., but there was at least one more possibility.
There were two trips, one at 9 A.M. and another at 2 P.M., I am not sure, but there might have been a later one as well.
The morning trip lasts 4-5 hours and costs $41 and the afternoon one is $32 for 3-4 hours.

Make sure you make reservations, there was a line of at least 30 people waiting for "no-shows" and almost all of them were left behind.

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Phone: (831) 372-0599 and 1-800-427-267
Address: 84 Fisherman's wharf, Monterey
Directions: It's right at the end of Fisherman's wharf, on the right-hand side, you can't miss it.

The 17 Mile Drive, makes for an enjoyable day in a quite beautiful scenery.

However, and in my opinion, it has not much more to offer than the actual Higway 1 (Pacific coast Highway). The difference is that you have to pay to get in here and you get to drive by the "Pebble beach" golf course and see some luxury mansions. In any case, the scenery is very beautiful and if you're in the area you might as well come here.

If you are interested in photography, there are some nice photo opportunites as the coastline is very beautiful and there is also some wildlife (you can even spot some deer) that can be quite interesting. All the birds on the rock at sunset (see picture) are quite nice to see.

The drive is open from sunrise to sunset.

For cars, there is an entrance fee ($8 per vehicle or per person in a tour bus), but if you bike it is free and on a nice day, it is probably much nicer (you must enter at the Pacific Grove gate).

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Address: 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA 93953

The "Bird rock" was one of the more interesting things to see in the 17-Mile Drive. It is just a rock in the ocean, but still very close to the coast, that is completely covered with birds (I don't know if they are seagulls...).

The sight can be quite spectacular, specially at sunset.

Be sure to bring binocuolars or a good telephoto lens if you want to see it up close.

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Address: It's within the 17-Mile Drive

When I arrived in Monterey, the first thing my girlfriend said (she had already been there a week) was: I have to show you all the sea lions!

Unfortunately, it was late and it had gotten dark, so I did not see any that evening, however the next day there were plenty to bee seen. I had seen them before, but always in a zoo. This was the first time I sam them in the wild. They gather around the whalewatching boats at the pier or just lay on some rocks off the coast. In any case, they are nice to see and take pictures of (my girlfriend took 2 whole rolls of them).

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This building is dated 1847 and first served as a boarding house. A year later it was turned into a theater and I was told you can still attend performances of Victorian Melodramas.

Its architectural design and its history as a theater make it seeworthy.

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Address: Pacific Street near intersection with Scott Street

Built in 1849 as a public school and town meeting hall, this is the place where the first California State Constitution was signed, in 1849.

It is now a museum, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Closed New Years Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Admission is free.

You can read a bit more about the history of the Hall on the website.

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Address: Pacific Street, between Madison and Jefferson stre
Website: http://www.monterey.org/museum/

This old adobe-style house was built by David Wight in 1847 as a home for his family, the house was based on Wight's own Scottish home.
It was later used as a "headquarter" for shore whaling operations and as a residence for the workers of the Old Monterey Whaling company, in 1855.

What you can see are the large iron pots where the whale oil was stored and the whole paving in the front is made of whale bones, cut into diamond patterns!

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Address: Scott and Pacific

The "Path of History" is a walk you can take around the city and duting which you will see some of the historical buildings around Fisherman's Wharf and the town center.
This tour gives you an insight on 1800s architecture and lifestyle.

You can take the tour on your own, all you have to do is pick up a tour booklet at Monterey Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau or several other locations (your Hotel should have it or be able to point you to where to get it). Otherwise, you can take one of the (free) guided tours. There are several daily tours, you can visit the State Park Visitor Center, located at 5 Custom House Plaza (or call 831/649-7118) for more information.

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