Cannery Row: What to See & Do!
If you are visiting Monterey, Cannery Row is probably one of the top things on your bucket list. Full of colorful history and nestled next to the picturesque bay, it is a must see. To understand this area, first a little history. Monterey, California was once the sardine capital of the world. The first sardine cannery was built by Frank Booth at Fishermen’s Wharf in 1896, and was soon followed by a rival Japanese sardine plant at Cannery Row called the Pacific Fish Company. Fishing boats loaded sardines into floating wooden hoppers, and they were sucked ashore through massive pipes. At Cannery Row, once called Ocean View Avenue, more than eighteen canneries eventually worked around the clock to fill sardine tins. John Steinbeck described the scene in his book, Cannery Row: “The whole street rumbles and groans and screams and rattles while the silver rivers of fish pour in out of the boats and the boats rise higher and higher in the water until they are empty. Then from the town pour men and women in trousers and rubber coats and oilcloth aprons. They come running to clean and cut and pack and cook and can the fish.” The overhead bridges allowed fish to be moved from one side of the factory to the other, and remain a testament to Monterey’s history. Unfortunately, overfishing led to the collapse of the sardine industry, and by the mid-1950s, Monterey turned to tourism to replace the sardine industry.
What to See & Do
1. EXPERIENCE THE AQUARIUM
The #1 thing to see here is the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium. Because it is so magical and fantastic, I actually dedicated an entire blog post to it with tons of information, see Aquarium.
2. SEE STEINBECK’S OLD STOMPING GROUNDS
As you are strolling along, you may notice a dull and rather unassuming little building sandwiched in between the storefronts at 800 Cannery Row. This building was once home to the Pacific Biological Laboratories owned by marine biologist Ed Ricketts. Ricketts was a good friend of famous writer John Steinbeck. Together, Steinbeck and Ricketts spent much time together at “Doc’s Lab”, as it was known, preserving specimens and talking about philosophy. It has been said that Steinbeck’s biological and scientific training supported his notion of all humans as part of a greater ecosystem and his focus on the environment in his writing. Ricketts influenced several of his novels, including Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, In Dubious Battle, The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon is Down, and The Sea of Cortez. The city of Monterey schedules free public tours of the building throughout the year. For more information, call 831-646-5640 or see Free Tours.
3. EAT AND DRINK
Foodies will love the plethora of restaurants available, including fresh seafood at The Fish Hopper, The iconic Sardine Factory, Lalla Oceanside Grill, the Whaling Station, and the C Restaurant & Bar, along with many, many more. If you choose a waterfront restaurant, be sure to ask for a table with an ocean view. You may be able to see sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, dolphins, or even whales while you eat your meal! For more information see Restaurants.
If you are keen-o for some vino, check out A Taste of Monterey, which is located near McAbee Beach and offers more than 90 local wines. Other great wine tasting rooms include Carmel Ridge Winery, Bargetto Winery, Blue Fox Cellars, and The Wine Experience. Have a glass or flight of wine while overlooking beautiful Monterey Bay. For more information, see Wine Tasting.
For all you beer enthusiasts (I hope my three brothers are reading this!) there is the Cannery Row Brewing Company, which has a warm pub feeling and offers lots of goodies to eat as well, including their signature giant pretzels. Located at 95 Prescott Ave. just two blocks from McAbee Beach, the brewery website states it “offers the second largest number of beers available on tap in Northern California and is the largest single outlet beer account in Monterey County.” Cheers to those beers!
4. GO SHOPPING
Cannery Row is also home to over 85 shops within a four to five block area including boutiques, art galleries, jewelry and antique stores, candy shops, and gourmet food stores. My personal favorite is the Olive Bar. You can taste over 70 different varieties of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or peruse their gourmet food items and cute home and kitchen decor.
5. ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
If your little whippersnappers get tired and bored looking at all the aforementioned shops, there are a couple of places they may enjoy. For kids and kids at heart, there is a Mirror Maze and Lazer Challenge and a Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum, both located just down the street from the Aquarium.
6. BIKE, KAYAK & PADDLE BOARD
For those of you interested in more physical activities, there are bike, kayak and paddle board rentals available so you can explore the area by both land and sea. Adventures By The Sea is conveniently located right next to the Recreation Trail and across the street from the beach where the kayaks are launched. Here you can rent family four-wheel bikes (called surreys), electric bikes and more. They offer group and private kayak tours of Cannery Row, paddle board lessons, and also bike tours of 17-Mile Drive. For more information, see By The Sea. Big Sur Adventures, located at 125 Ocean View Blvd, near the Aquarium, also offers bike rentals and tours. For more information, see Big Sur.
I hope you enjoy visiting Cannery Row! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
