Old Monterey
While seeking a convenient stopover for Spanish galleons returning
from Manila to Acapulco, Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino
"discovered" the bay and peninsula he named Monterey,
after the viceroy of New Spain, in 1602. It was more than 160 years
before Gaspar de Portola reached Monterey to assess Vizcaino's
recommendation, and by then Father Junipero Serra's overland party
had already begun the establishment of the California mission chains.
Indian populatins were diverse and plentiful through the early
1800s.
The Chinese settled in the area during the Gold Rush and they
originated the local commercial fishing industry. In the 1870s, the
Italian and Portuguese broke the Chinese fishing monopoly by
developing the fresh fish industry. John
Steinbeck immortalized Monterey in his novel Cannery
Row.
New Monterey
Until the Gold Rush turned San Francisco into a boomtown, Monterey
was the center of activity in Northern California. Today, most of the
action is around the Fisherman's Wharf
area and Cannery
Row. Both places are collections of touristy shops and
attractions, similar to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. Monterey
State Historic Park, near the downtown area, features a Path of
History, a walking tour of 37 historic adobe buildings. Robert
Louis Stevenson was very active in this area.
Other famous sights include the Monterey Bay
Aquarium and the nearby towns of Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and
Carmel. For an unusual way to see the area, consider renting
a Model A Roadster. The largest upscale shopping center in the
area is the Del Monte
Center, at the intersection of Highway One and Munras Street.
Click here
for a photo tour of unusual sights in Monterey today, narrated by
Helmut Schonwalder.