1994 Bay Area and Monterey Trip
Saturday, June 25
Day 2: Pacific Grove, Monterey Blues Festival
I got up early this morning and walked out to the ocean.
This is a nice walk past the golf course. There were deer walking out on
the green on the golf course. They are usually out early in the morning.
I walked past the Point
Pinos Lighthouse and out on to a rocky beach. There is a certain rock
that I always sit on in the mornings when we stay here. It is nice and quiet
in mornings with the seagulls flying by, boats going out in the morning
to fish and watching the dusk change to day. It was going to be a nice day
today as it was already getting warm. After an hour or so I walked back
to the Sea Breeze Motel. Cindy and I went out for breakfast in Pacific
Grove at the Victorian Corner Restaurant. I had their calamari and potatoes,
while Cindy had a more traditional breakfast of eggs and hashbrowns. This
restaurant has a laid back atmosphere where many of the local residents
eat. We were able to sit next to a open window today. The food and service
was good as usual.
We
now left to go to the Monterey Bay Blues Festival which would start about
11:00. The morning session would feature Roy Rogers, Otis Clay and Clarence
Carter on the main stage. The morning still seemed kind of slow as it was
hot and most people were still coming. The weather was great as it was in
the 80's today. Besides the music, there were lots of vendors selling everything
from ethnic food to t-shirts and crafts. The evening session was better
as Mitch Woods and Mark Hummell had their bands on one stage while Little
Milton and Lou Rawls were on the main stage. I liked Mitch Woods the most
today as he seemed fresh with new rhythm rather the same old R&B music.
My first impressions after today were that this was kind of a mix of old
R&B with modern Blues. I didn't hear much old Chicago blues. It was fun
just being here as the atmosphere and weather was great and could expect
more tomorrow.
We went to El Torito's for appetizers afterward on Cannery Row. This is a nice place to come late at night. The restaurant looks out over the bay. This Cannery Row area is starting to change as there is a new building that is going in right next to Mark Thomas Outrigger, where there used to be beach access. Monterey is not going to be the quiet little town anymore when they get done putting in new shopping malls and take away beach access. It was nice to come down here to a small little fishing community that will next be a tourist trap. It started changing when the aquarium was built in 1987. The American Tin Cannery Outlet Center, (a factory outlet mall) was built just a couple blocks away from the aquarium a couple years later and they have been expanding ever since.
Of course when I think of Cannery Row, I think of Doc Ricketts and Steinbeck's book. You realize how much things have changed from that time and era. It's sad to see how commercialized it is from the 40's. On the other hand, the sardines left the Montery Bay area and there was nothing to keep this area that way. They have at least been able to provide tourism and history to this location and make it a nice place to visit. We didn't get to bed until about 2:00 am that night.
We drove 50 miles today. 200 miles for two days.