Cannery Row
Cannery Row, made famous by prize-
winning author John Steinbeck, is
located in the heart of downtown
Monterey and attracts visitors from
around the world with its picturesque
charm and colorful history, not to
mention the natural beauty of the
Monterey Bay coastline.
Cannery Row is a popular, walk-
able historic district with a wealth
of excellent restaurants and quality
hotels, several of which are located
in renovated cannery buildings, in
addition to a number of historic
attractions. For more information
go to: canneryrow.com/.
Cannery Row
Seventeen Mile Drive
The 17-Mile Drive winds grace-
fully through Pebble Beach and Pacifi c
Grove, past multi-million-dollar estates,
world championship golf courses,
luxury hotels, and some of the world’s
most eye-catching coastlines. The road
is open to visitors traveling by car, for a
fee, but motorcycles are not permitted.
Signs and road markings guide
motorists along the route. You’ll want
to go even slower than the speed limit
though. It’s hard or impossible not to
pull over and pause to take in the
scenery.
The 17-Mile Drive takes you
through stretches of redwood,
eucalyptus and cypress trees and along
rocky, expansive ocean-swept beaches.
Don’t miss the Lone Cypress tree,
which you’ll recognize from Hollywood
movies, coffee table books and post-
cards. For information: visitcalifornia.
com/attraction/17-mile-drive.
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve,
located at 62 California Highway 1,
Carmel by-the-Sea, is an outstanding
location for sightseeing, photography,
painting, nature study, picnicking,
scuba diving, and jogging.
Point Lobos gets its name from the
66
offshore rocks at Punta de los Lobos
Marinos, (Point of the Sea Wolves), a
favorite sunbathing spot for sea lions.
The Reserve is sometimes referred to
as the crown jewel of the State Park
System.
The marine habitat off the coast
of Point Lobos makes it a popular
destination for scuba divers. When
it comes to wildlife watching, your
chances of seeing pelicans, cormorants,
sea otters, seals, sea lions and migrat-
ing gray whales (December to May),
are good.
Hiking trails hug the shoreline and
some lead to hidden coves. The pres-
ence of Rumsien Indians in this area
dates back 2,500 years. An interna-
tional whaling and abalone industry
reached its peak between 1850-1900.
A small cabin built by the Chinese
fisherman from that era still remains at
Whalers Cove, now a cultural history
museum.
A schedule of guided walks is post-
ed at the entrance station each month.
The Whaler’s Cabin museum is open
as staffing permits, generally from 9am
to 5pm. For information call 831-624-
4909 or visit pointlobos.org.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
june/july 2019
Pacifi c Grove
Point Pinos Lighthouse
The city owned lighthouse is located at
80 Asilomar Avenue in Pacifi c Grove.
It is the oldest existing lighthouse on
the West Coast and listed with the
U.S. National Register of Historic
Places. Point Pinos Lighthouse is a
fascinating part of California’s history,
providing a unique perspective into life
on the Monterey Peninsula over 160
years ago.
The lighthouse was built in 1853-
54 and its Fresnel lens was first
illuminated by the light of an oil lamp
in 1855. From that point forward, a
procession of lighthouse keepers kept
the lens clean and the lamp glowing
for over a century, providing a guid-
ing beacon for ships navigating along
the rocky Pacific coast of California.
Point Pinos continues to be used by
the United States Coast Guard and the
Department of Homeland Security.
The lighthouse is open year-round,
Thursdays through Mondays from 1pm
to 4pm. Reservations are not required.
For information call 831-648-3176 or
visit pointpinoslighthouse.org/
gmhtoday.com