Travellers often associate the Golden State with road trips rather than walkable city breaks. However, delve a little deeper and you will discover hidden gems for the discerning sightseer. Baldwin Ho explores this beautiful region.
A twin city break to consider is Monterey and Carmel-By-The-Sea, both just south of San Francisco on the Californian coastline. With one flight change from the UK, you can arrive relatively effortlessly at Monterey Regional Airport. Downtown Monterey is a mere 7-minute drive from the airport.
Monterey
The sardine industry
It might come as a surprise to even youngsters in California that Monterey wasn’t always a tourism magnet. In the early to mid-20th century, it was an industrial powerhouse for sardine production. The city experienced two boom periods coinciding with the two World Wars.
The tins of sardines sent to the front lines have been credited with helping to win those wars. The Californian coastline had one of the most productive fishing industries in the world at the time. This is due to the existence of the Monterey Submarine Canyon, which funnels nutrient-rich cold water from the bottom of the Pacific to the surface of the bay. Unfortunately, overfishing led to the collapse of the industry after World War II.
Nowadays, part of the enjoyment of walking along Cannery Row is spotting the symbols of the city’s colourful past. You will spot wall murals depicting the bustling fishing industry in its heyday.
You will spot numerous crossovers that connect the bay side street to the inland area, where the sardine cans used to be transported along conveyor belts. There are numerous self-guided audio tours of historic Cannery Row.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
The jewel in the crown for Cannery Row is undoubtedly Monterey Bay Aquarium. Established in 1984, they are the grande dame of aquariums not just along the Californian coastline but worldwide. Where they set the standards, others will follow.
For example, the seafood watch programme they launched in 1999 on eating sustainable seafood was well ahead of its time and is the gold standard followed by top restaurants across the world today.
Catching their animal feeding times is the highlight of the visit, in particular the open sea feeding. Knowledgeable naturalists narrate the fascinating facts behind what’s happening in the mesmerising million-gallon tank.
The presence of the shimmering sardines is a gentle nod to the area’s history, however you will also observe nimble hammerhead sharks and stealthy tunas hunt down their prepared squid feast. Don’t forget to check out their boiler room, which has a moving exhibition of the building’s previous incarnation as the Hovden sardine cannery.
Seafaring adventures
Monterey Bay has the nickname “Serengeti of the Sea” and is a national marine sanctuary, hence it is one of the best places along the Californian coastline to spot marine wildlife. This is also due to the existence of the Monterey Submarine Canyon mentioned previously.
For those seeking an active experience, a guided tour with Monterey Bay Kayaks is the best way to spot sea otters, harbour seals, sea lions, shorebirds, and marine invertebrates. Their knowledgeable guides will lead you on a harbourside tour, which isn’t available if you just rented a kayak with them, as you need extra guidance to navigate the potentially active shipping lanes.
If you want to spot majestic beasts like humpback and killer whales, you will need to head further out from the Californian coastline with the likes of Princess Monterey Whale Watch.
You’ll travel on spacious vessels starting from 100 ft in length. They have upper deck seating for an additional fee or the indoor cabin below, which has large picture windows and heating. You are almost guaranteed to spot some whales. The tour is narrated by marine biologists/naturalists, so it becomes an educational as well as entertaining experience.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Whereas Monterey was formerly an industrial town, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a quaint, idyllic beach town by the Californian Coastline. Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood was famously mayor of the town in the 1980s. There is a distinct village feel to Carmel, being only 1.1 square miles and yet, in this space, there are almost 100 art galleries. Carmel houses boast an embarrassment of riches in terms of eclectic architectural styles. It could be anything from Spanish Colonial Revival to Storybook. No two houses are remotely similar.
Apart from checking out their numerous boutique shops, Carmel is all about dining and imbibing and they champion the best of local produce.
Wine-tasting rooms
The two tasting rooms to order your wine-tasting flights are Talbott Winery and Caraccioli Cellars. Their success is having their vineyards in the Salinas Valley (Saint Lucia Highlands AVA), which has been known as the “Salad Bowl of the World”. The cooling Pacific mist and wind along the corridor keep the crops fresh and moist.
At Talbott Winery, the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are grown in small lot vineyards. There is much more of a personal touch to the viticulture, leading to elegant, refined wines like the 2023 Rosé of Pinot Noir, which is bursting with summer notes of strawberries and watermelon.
Caraccioli Cellars is a family-run winery. They too respect the terroir of the land and along with the popular Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties, they also produce Gamay and Syrah. Their sparkling wines are all made in the traditional method. In particular, try their 2018 Brut Rosé which has beautiful floral notes along with fruitful red berry aromas.
Eclectic dining scene
The dining scene is governed by the experimental Californian mentality. You will spot plenty of coastal cuisine with Asian influences. The newly opened fine-dining restaurant, Foray serves up a Monterey Bay abalone risotto with abalone liver sauce.
Traditionally, this shellfish has predominantly been a delicacy for the Asian market, but you see more chefs experimenting with it since the opening of the in-ocean abalone farm in Monterey. The black cod main is also sourced from Monterey Bay and served with an Asian-influenced sea urchin-yuzu emulsion.
The Pocket is another restaurant worth visiting, especially as it is right next to Talbott Winery tasting rooms. The cooking style is more global but has a strong focus on seafood.
The spicy crab noodles use Dungeness crab and the execution reminds you of the delights of those exceptional hawker food stall creations from Singapore. Grilled shrimps have the perfect citrus accompaniments with blood orange, mandarin orange, cara cara orange and grapefruit.
Finally, for something more casual after some retail therapy at Carmel Plaza, check out Jeju Kitchen. They have the perfect balance of the traditional and the contemporary on their menu.
For comfort food, you can’t beat their heartwarming Korean glass noodles. If you want to try something innovative, they have their popular kimchi mac ‘n’ cheese and creamy miso cacio e pepe.
Looking for more US content? Why not check out my articles on the ultimate California road trip and why Hollywood is flocking to the American Riviera.
