I love Monterey. The whole peninsula feels magical to me, being the Steinbeck fanatic that I am, and each time I drive down through the thumbprint of the Salinas Valley and hear words like the Gabilan Range, I feel transported. I’m truly not fanatical about personalities these days—I think I fizzled out on Duran Duran—but Steinbeck just does something to me.
Although I’ve been to Carmel Valley several times and even Big Sur in the past few years, I haven’t been back to Monterey, the town of Monterey that is, since I first visited California nearly 20 years ago. It was in between my sophomore and junior year of college and I was visiting a friend of mine who had moved out to San Francisco. I’d rented a car and take a road trip down to San Luis Obispo and decided to stop in Monterey overnight. It was my first ever solo road trip, and the first time I’d ever stayed in a hotel or even eaten in a restaurant alone.
I still remember the awe of pulling into Monterey Bay, its wide, welcoming crescent almost too much to take in. I remember feeling like such an adult observer at dinner by myself, being able to simply watch for the first time instead of being compelled to engage. I also remember feeling oddly powerful and at peace at the same time. When I took a walk on the beach that night it was the first time I ever touched the Pacific Ocean. Yes, Monterey is part of my history.
Now, I’m here making another kind of history. I’m at Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Cooking For Solutions Symposium, surrounded by a who’s who of scientists and strategists and suppliers and policy makers who are sharing ideas in hopes of creating a more sustainable food supply. Companies like Bon Appetit Management Company, and Wild Idea Buffalo Company, and the Marine Stewardship Council.
And while I adore being in a place that is so rich in history (there are ghosts of the real Cannery Row still very much alive), I’m also learning that its history includes the annihilation of species after species of aquatic life. There’s hope in the history of this place too, though, in that a few outspoken people—women, ironically, in an age ruled by men—put an end to the destructive practices and turned the fate of the bay around. Who knows, maybe we can affect a similar fate on a larger scale?
My head is spinning with so many swirling notions late at night after a day of heavy information overload. But I promise to bring you more—much more—of what I’m learning about it all.
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We’ve been planning a trip to Monterey that keeps getting put off! Besides being huge food and drink lovers, both my hubby and son are divers and crazy about everything to do with aquaculture so the allure of Big Sur and the Aquarium are huge for us.
I had been toying with the idea of Atlantis in the Bahamas for a long weekend this fall (our airmiles points are mounting up) but now you’ve convinced me to reconsider Monterey. Thanks for that!
Don’t make the mistake that my hubby and I did and eat at the Fisherman’s Wharf sushi restaurant, Sapporo. I will put a post up warning against it, but I digress. Anyway, I just had to comment because we stopped here on our drive back to LA from your neck of the woods. We went to the aquarium, which was amazing. I definitely want to go back, and eat some good food this time!
Also, I just read that Robert Mondavi passed away - I bet this is big news in Wine Country. I went on the Robert Mondavi wine tour, and it was amazing.
Cheers
Monterey is one of favorite places to take a quick weekend getaway. It’s beautiful and the kids love the aquarium!
Dana . . . I highly recommend Monterey for a trip! And fall is the perfect time to visit, weather-wise. In fact, I’m really looking forward to going back with C&N on vacation. The symposium was wonderful, but I had about 20 minutes outside the whole time.
foodette . . . I’m so glad you had a chance to stop in Monterey! Although I’m sorry you had a bum meal. And what an added insult that it was a bad sushi restaurant right on the water. That’s the worst, isn’t it?
I was standing under a pier holding an abalone when I got my hub’s e-mail that Robert Mondavi had passed. The news was a bit jarring, although aparently not entirely unexpected. It is the end of an era though.
I’d love to hear how your time in Sonoma was!
Noble Pig . . . I’d imagine kids go wild in the aquarium. Conveniently, Noe JUST learned to say “fish” last week, so we’ll shoot for adding “octopus,” “squid” and “jellyfish” by the time we get her to the aquarium ;-).
hi stranger! it’s been too long.
i’m trying to get into sustainable foods too and have been meaning to get more involved here in ATL. There’s so much about it. I missed it, but did you actually make it to Carmel? I love that place. It’s simplicity makes me happy.
Glad to have stopped by.
Bren . . . You read my mind! I’m just catching up on blog browsing and was about to stop and see you. I did get to Carmel Valley–we had a wonderful lunch at Earthbound Farm–but no further south on the coast than Monterey. It, though, was stunning. Good for you for learning more about sustainable foods!
When you post more about this I hope to hear you say that what you heard at the symposium was truly hopeful. But sad sad to say I’ll bet it wasn’t. Thank you for doing this, and writing about it.
I remember the aquarium from long ago, announcing to parents and big brother that it was “better than the zoo”. I hope Noe was impressed too!
Rosemary . . . My head is still swirling, but there is much more to come. And I’m happy to report that there was much to be hopeful about (if you don’t include global warming ;-)). Much work to do too.
Noe wasn’t with me on this trip, since it was a super-packed schedule. But I’m SOOO eager to make another trip down there ‘en famille’. I think she’s going to LOVE it!
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