After the Christmas holidays and several days of exploring the Santa Cruz, Calif. area in 2017, it was time to move to our next stop on our west coast holiday journey. However, we didn’t move far. We went from the northern coast of Monterey Bay around to the southern side of the bay to Monterey, Calif.

There is so much to see and do around Monterey and Monterey Peninsula that numerous books have been written to cover this small area along the Central California coast line. We spent three days in the area and I am still wrestling with how to cover our stops around the peninsula.

The rugged central California coast is one of the most scenic areas of the U.S. and Monterey Peninsula is the heart of this beauty.

We began our tour of Monterey at the Old Fisherman’s Wharf, which was established in 1845 when agriculture and the sea were the basis of the economy in Monterey County. One pier is dedicated to commercial fishing companies as there are still seafood and fish companies which operate from the area.

The wharf has other piers which have largely been converted into shops and restaurants which cater to the large number of tourist in the Monterey area. Visitors can choose from a variety of seafood restaurants and shops selling almost any type of nautical related clothing or gift items on Old Fisherman’s Wharf.

The Monterey Harbor is located near Fisherman’s Wharf where hundreds of boats and yachts are anchored. You can see anything from fishing boats, sail boats, ski boats to million dollar yachts docked in the harbor.

Just down the road from the Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the harbor is Cannery Row. This former industrial area housed canning companies beginning in 1908. Varieties of fish were canned but sardines harvested in the area was the product canned in Monterrey. Sardines were in high demand around World War I and the Monterey canning industry grew rapidly and remained profitable until the Great Depression in the 1930s when business dropped. Business rebounded in the 1940s during World War II until the sardine supply began to disappear in the area in the 1950s and the canneries began to close.

In 1968, some renovation of Cannery Row began and by the mid 1970s Cannery Row was again thriving but not as canneries. The old warehouse buildings were converted to hotels, shops, and restaurants which brought new life to the area. Many new structures have expanded Cannery Row and this picturesque area in Monterey is now one of the top vacation spots along the Central California coast.

After spending time browsing Cannery Row, our next destination on Monterey Peninsula was the village of Pacific Grove. This quaint area sits at the northwestern end of the peninsula bordering the south side of Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Grove is more residential and less commercial than Monterey but its coast line is some of the most unique and scenic of the area.

Many parks and other parking areas allow visitors ample opportunity to stop and enjoy the rocky coast of Pacific Grove. We enjoyed exploring the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area. The conservation area boasts fantastic ocean views, coastal flowers as well as many tide pools and a beautiful but very rugged and rocky coast line.

To complete our very quick tour of Monterey Peninsula, we went to the southern portion of the peninsula to Carmel-By-the-Sea, Calif. and the nearby 17 Mile Drive. The 17 Mile Drive is a tour of the southern portion of Monterey Peninsula which includes the resort and golf course of Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Cypress Point Golf Club. These three internationally known golf courses are all just a few miles apart along the 17 Mile Drive roadway.

Much of the 17 mile drive hugs the coast line of the Pacific Ocean giving visitors some of the most beautiful ocean views anywhere in the world.

Besides the ocean views, another landmark on the drive is the Lone Cypress, an iconic overlook known for the lone cypress tree which sits in the midst of a rocky point overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The tree is said to be more than 250 years old and is probably the most photographed tree in America. It has survived many storms and wind events while standing alone on the rocky ledge of the Pacific Ocean.

Another feature of 17 Mile Drive is viewing some of the multi-million dollar mansions in the area. Many of Hollywood’s greatest stars also call this area home.

Carmel-By-the-Sea, Calif. is small, quaint community on the southeast portion of Monterey Peninsula. The town is home to an enclave of artists and is home to numerous shops, restaurants and lodging. At the end of the town’s main street, Ocean Drive, is the entrance to Carmel Beach. The beach is a popular attraction during the summer but the cooler temperatures in early January left a lot of space for everyone during our visit.

Famous photographer Ansel Adams called Carmel his home for many years and in the mid 1980s residents elected Clint Eastwood as mayor of the small community.

There is a reason that books have been written about the Monterey Peninsula and the communities that are located in the area. We didn’t even explore the bountiful agriculture crops in Monterey County or the numerous wineries located within the county. It’s time for another visit to Monterey, hopefully a longer visit allowing more time to explore on our next trip!

It is difficult to summarize a three day visit to Monterey Peninsula in a single Post From the Road but hopefully readers get a snap shot of this beautiful area on the Central California coast. The final Post From the Road from our 2017 holiday trip to the west coast will be next week when we drive Highway One down the coast to Big Sur country.

Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.

Monterey Harbor: The Monterey Harbor sits near Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey Bay. Fishing boats, sail boats, ski boats and million dollar yachts can be seen docked in the harbor. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com