Driving from San Francisco to Monterey reminded us that we were living in a densely inhabited part of the world. We were used to empty roads in Australia, New Zealand and, even, Hawaii. But the coastal bit of California is full of people and cars.
Eventually we got to Monterey which seems a remarkably well heeled town. It has, for California, a long history, and is the place where the flag of the USA first flew in what had been part of Mexico. That was 1846, which is a very long time ago for California.
Monterey Customs House where the US flag first flew in California
Monterey is on the coast and just offshore is a whale highway with lots of different kinds of whales heading north in spring time and south in autumn. So we decided to go on a whale watching trip. As far as whales were concerned it was a dismal failure. We saw the breath of what we were told was a Grey Whale, and glimpsed the back of another but nothing that could be photographed. But we did see a pod of Risso’s Dolphins which have a very shark-like fin.
Risso's Dolphin
And some Sea Otters.
Sea Otters
They get shellfish from the sea bed then lie on their backs using a pebble to extract the food from its shell.
But the stars of our trip were the Californian Sea Lions which have taken over Monterey harbour. They are all over the place- on buoys,
Sea lion on buoy
on the breakwater, in vast numbers,
Sea lions on Monterey breakwater
Sea lions on Monterey breakwater
and on any convenient surface,
Sea lions take over a rather nice yacht
convenient for the sea lions, that is.
Sea Lions and Sea Otters were in danger of extinction not so long ago; obviously their numbers have increased enormously.
Harbour Seals have also recovered their numbers and we saw some just along the shore from the harbour – I don’t think the sea lions would let them into the harbour!
Harbour Seals - they don't have external ears
Monterey is a big fishing port, but it was even bigger in the first half of the last century. Cannery Row, John Steinbecks novel, is set in Monterey, and the street with all the fish canneries has been renamed after the novel. And at the end of this street is the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
This puts on a marvellous show with all sorts of marine creatures on display. Their specialities however, seem to be jellyfish and sea horses.
Jelly fish on display in Monterey Bay Aquarium
Jelly fish
There are several sorts on display.
Egg-yolk jelly fish
Sea Nettle Jelly Fish
Sea horses are, in general, less spectacular than the jelly fish, but there are exceptions.
Leafy Sea Dragon
Weedy Sea Dragon
Weedy Sea Dragon
There are lots of other fish on display but those from the nearby kelp forests caught my eye.
Fish from the kelp forest
And, having come from various coral reefs, I was impressed with their reef displays.
Coral reef display at Monterey Bay Aquarium
There is a lot more to Monterey than just whale watching and aquariums – there are some rather good restaurants and Pebble Beach golf course is just along the coast, but we eventually set off further south to Xanadu. Well actually not there but the place which inspired it in the movie “Citizen Kane” – Hearst Castle.
Hearst Castle from the coastal highway
To get to the castle you have to park at the visitor centre and catch a bus up a very winding road to the “Castle”. William Randolph Hearst, who built the place stayed there as often as he could and invited guests to stay, and to keep him entertained. So there is Hearst’s “house” modelled on a Spanish cathedral, and several guest houses. He bought works of art from all over Europe to furnish the place and had others made to order.
A copy of Donatello's David at Hearst Castle
His inspiration was eclectic and Greece inspired his outdoor swimming pool.
The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle
The Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle
The front of Hearst’s house is rather grandiose.
Hearst's House
And this is continued into the living room.
The Living Room, Hearst Castle
And the dining room.
The Dining Room, Hearst Castle
Chris and I got some interesting ideas for decoration when we find a place to stay.
Hearst had a strong sense of taste and some of it was good, some less so. And he had the money to indulge it
We left the castle and went a couple of miles up the coast to see another conservation victory. This is the survival and spread of Elephant Seals. These were almost extinct a few years ago but a ban on hunting has seen their survival and multiplication.
Elephant Seals near Hearst Castle
Their numbers are now considerable.
Elephant Seals near Hearst Castle
But they are still ugly beasts. No doubt their mothers love them.
Elephant Seal
Then we headed south to Santa Barbara and, the next day, San Diego, of which more in the next post.
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