Monterey (population 32,000) is located about 2.5 hours south of San
Francisco. It is truly the last large town as you drive south on Highway One. This
beautiful town lies right next to the ocean south of Santa Cruz. There are more
attractions in the entire Monterey Bay area then just those in the town of Monterey. Some
that come to mind are the scenic 17 mile drive, the town of Carmel, the California Mission
near Carmel, and the Point Lobos State Reserve. In addition to the attractions located in
the town of Monterey, these others will also be covered in this travel article.
The first explorer to discover the Monterey area was a Spaniard, Juan Rodriguez. He first
sailed into the bay in 1542 but he failed to land due to very stormy weather. Another 60
years would pass before Sebastian Vizcaino actually explored the bay and named several
locations. The initial economic mainstay in this area was the fishing industry. This
industry alternated with tourism as the main economic industries in the area. Tourism
gained precedence in the 1880's and then again in the 1930's after the collapse of the
sardine industry.
Tourism is one of the primary industries in Monterey and you will see this if you walk
along Fisherman's Wharf. There you will find art galleries, cute craft shops, and little
eateries. Cannery Row was made famous by John Steinbeck's novels but now galleries and
shops have replaced the sardine factories. As you walk along the Wharf and Cannery Row you
can almost smell the sweet salt air mixed in with the odors of the sardines which used to
emanate from the many canneries.
