California – Monterey Bay
I had bought the San Francisco City pass that includes the 7 day Muni pass. I really shouldn’t have, since I had a car and parking wasn’t an issue for me. I wrote a post about parking in SF.
The City Pass included the option to visit the Aquarium at Monterey Bay. On the third day of my trip it was raining, so I decided to drive to Monterey Bay from San Jose. That drive took about an hour and half and it was a beautiful drive through stunning mountain scenery. I was too lazy to get out and take photos, but it was so beautiful. I have driven through many beautiful places around the world, but I absolutely loved driving through California. The combination of mountain views and the ocean views were breath taking. The weather in January was also a bit chilly and foggy, and I believe that added to the beauty of the scenery.
Monterey Bay has a small town right beside the Aquarium.This is a beautiful seaside town. Charming houses with small yards. I had to park by the street, meter parking. It was about $6 for 4 hours.
The aquarium was a former Sardine Cannery. It was interesting to learn about the Sardine/Anchovies industry, and how the town evolved over time. My favorite part about the aquarium was how it connected to the ocean. See photos below. I spend about 2 hours in here, and then walked around town going to souvenir shops and taking in the view.
I had my lunch at a restaurant on the bay called “Fish Hopper”. The view and the service was nice, the fish and chips not very flavorful. I wandered around the souvenir shops some more and started my drive back to San Francisco along the coast line. Initially it went along the coast, and then the GPS routed me through some very curvy and interesting mountain roads.
See below for some photos from my day in Monterey Bay :
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| Monterey Aquarium |
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| Town of Monterey |
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| Town of Monterey |
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| Town of Monterey |
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| Town of Monterey |
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| Town of Monterey |
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| Town of Monterey |