Sardine City

Stefan had to stay home and study, so it was just family going to Monterey. And it made sense for us to stay overnight as it was a 3+ hour drive each way. Monique and Jon were still tired from their flight from Newark. Michael had just returned from Charlotte and his trip was even longer thanks to a connection in Chicago. (What, the reality of the commute doesn’t seem like so much fun after all?)

The drive down was long but lovely. As in the redwoods, I really got the sense of California as a vast and complex place. Truly inspiring – I’m so glad we chose this state to start Red House. It’s differently beautiful everywhere I have been. This trip, we saw farmlands showcasing the agricultural richness that makes this state’s economy more like a country’s. There’s Gilroy and its garlic. Watsonville produces most of America’s strawberries. And Salinas, the birthplace of John Steinbeck, is known as the Salad Bowl of America. Everywhere you look there’s spinach, cabbage, carrots, broccoli and artichokes. I just wanted to run out into the fields with a fork! They even grow watermelons here. Another treat was the incredibly fragrant eucalyptus trees lining the highway. They are so dramatic looking, with the wind whistling through their branches and papery bark. Also, apparently they can be a real fire hazard. When they burn they burn long and hard. Even so, I’ve got to have a small one for the yard.

I had been excited about seeing Steinbeck’s Cannery Row in downtown Monterey, but it was barely remembered, glimpsed behind endless tourist-y candy and souvenir shops. Still, seeing the wobbly shacks gave me a sense of what the life of a cannery worker must have been like here in Steinbeck’s day. A variety of the world’s people, lived like sardines and worked really awful hours canning actual sardines in cold, wet and stinky conditions. Makes my worst design jobs seem absolutely luxurious.

But here’s why we came - The Monterey Bay Aquarium. It has to be the best of its kind anywhere. (See www.mbayaq.org) We loved every exhibit - from the history of the fished-out Bay and how the canneries worked, to the dappled sunlight shining down on the towering Pacific kelp forest. It’s like the redwoods, only underwater! And, the aquarium provides little cards to keep in your wallet that tell you what fish you can eat without feeling guilty or filling up on mercury. Got to like that.

And speaking of food, only severe hunger made it possible to drag Andrew, Delia and Natalie from the aquarium. All of the adults were pretty worn out after a few hours dodging strollers and crowds. We had the family birthday feast at the Sardine Factory restaurant (www.sardinefactory.com.) Apparently, there are a few sardines left – or did we eat the last?! They were smoked and quite good. We loved the abalone chowder too, a favorite of President Reagan. And yes, it’s on the sustainable seafood list. Natalie had chosen the restaurant and there was a special cake for the birthday girl. Happy 20th, Natalie! You know what made us all happy? During dinner, Nat talked excitedly about the aquarium and nothing else. I wonder if there’s a spark of career interest… Could my niece be a future marine biologist?! I am going to encourage her!

We’re at the Hyatt, which has a nice lobby but felt dated everywhere else. I’ve seen this before – be wary of nice lobbies as the shag carpeting lurks just around the corner! Good night!