Archive for April, 2009
Cannery Row Keeps Comeing 2 Monterey
Attention all tourism promoters: If you want your destination put “on the map” for all future generations just go out and hire an author with the talent let’s say of John Steinbeck and have that writer publish a piece of literary art that just happens to have your location as a backdrop.
One doubts whether tourism was on anyone’s mind when Steinbeck came out in the mid1940′s with his famous fictional classic “Cannery Row” but that novel ultimately had the effect of turning the Monterey Peninsula into one of California’s most visited destinations.
It’s a good thing too. The seasonal catch for local fishermen dropped from 250000 tons of sardines during World War Ii down to just a thousand tons in the early 1950′s. Folks in Monterey figured out pretty quickly that it was time to rename one of their waterfront streets Cannery Row and cast a net for visitors rather than those smelly fish.
Today millions of visitors come each year to satisfy their curiosity about Steinbeck’s novel and to enjoy the numerous visitor attractions that have grown up not only in the Cannery Row area but also along the entire Monterey Peninsula. If you enjoy the sea anything from viewing fish to eating them from spectacular coastline views to handson kayak adventures on Monterey Bay you’ll find the peninsula a destination with far more choices that you probably have time.
During our brief visit we luxuriated at waterfront accommodations on Cannery Row shopped and dined both there and in the seaside village of Carmel and took a scenic sidetrip out to famous Pebble Beach to enjoy a country clubstyle lunch. Oh and did we mention that we also spent a few hours in one of the best aquariums in the world?
Cannery Row to be honest still has a bit of that fish factory feel to it after all it’s this history and all those historical buildings that are bringing people here in the first place. This is not someplace where developers have come in and bought up waterfront property and replaced all of the old buildings with modern new resorts. There are still a few rundown or torndown buildings that mar what otherwise might be pictureperfect views.
But the city has made a lot of effort to create bike paths and walking areas to accommodate the legions of visitors. And there are plenty of reasons to take a walk the area now is home to more than 200 galleries in addition to a streetfull of specialty shops restaurants hotels and inns.
Our headquarters for this trip was an amazing waterfront hotel the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa. The hotel is perched on pilings over the coastline and beach and is ideally located for walks along Cannery Row. This is one of those places where you can step out on your lanai and take in sweeping views of not only the Cannery Row coastline but of the shoreline northeast of the peninsula where you find the sand and rolling hills near the cities of Seaside and Marina.
It became obvious very quickly that the Cannery Row coastline is also a natural habitat for many other sea creatures that kayakers paddle out to see upclose and personal. From our hotel balcony we could see a steady stream of kayakers headed out to survey a small fraction of what is called the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary a 5300 squaremile area that protects species such as seals sea otters shorebirds and many others that are endangered.
Our balcony offered quite a panorama of the waterfront the sights the smells the salt air and we enjoyed just relaxing with this great view. Inside our guestroom we found complete luxury. The rooms and suites are furnished with Biedermeierstyle furniture with obvious attention paid to decorator fabrics and stylish colors. There also were the usual amenities of such a luxury hotel a stocked minibar coffeemaker three phones 27inch color TV well you get the idea. The Monterey Plaza is a destination unto itself.
Just a couple of blocks down the street from our hotel was one of the biggest reasons people visit Monterey the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. You can easily spend many hours in this firstclass facility housing more than 6500 fascinating sea creatures.
Housed in one of the former cannery buildings the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a fascinating exploration of the undersea life found near Monterey. The aquarium covers everything from tide pool creatures to sharks and even features a 31foot high kelp forest that is visible in one of the aquarium’s huge tanks. Twostory viewing windows give visitors the feeling they are truly 20000 leagues under the sea.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has taken the unusual approach of combining these living creatures with art displays and one of our first impressions was how unique and artistic many of the exhibits are.
There were many other parts of the aquarium we enjoyed including the sharks and schools of fish in the area devoted to Monterey Bay Habitats. We highly recommend the aquarium to anyone but especially those traveling with young children.
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Camping Made Safer – Essential Supplies To Keep In Mind
So you are getting ready for an upcoming camping trip and are thinking about the essentials for your weekend in the woods. You probably have all of your gear for setting up a camp site including a tent sleeping bag and other equipment. You are also probably thinking about cooking bathing and even some luxuries like communication and any emergency needs.
This is a wise approach to an enjoyable weekend or camping trip because many people forget about some of the more difficult realities while they prepare for a vacation. For example what will you do in the event of a medical emergency? While you may know that a hospital is about twenty miles from the camp site the problem may be that you have no idea how to find the hospital! What kind of facilities are at the location? Will there be hot water? What kind of lighting will be available?
Luckily modern technology can provide solutions and answers to all of these questions through solar powered products and a frequent camper would be wise to invest in some of the best solar powered camping essentials.
Beginning with communications; like millions of other consumers you probably have a cell phone mobile device or GPS. Each of these remarkable gadgets can function in a wide number of ways but each of them also requires a fully charged battery. The problem then is just how to charge a battery in the middle of the woods? The answer is a portable solar charger. These are lightweight and completely portable solar panels that are constructed of durable and flexible materials that will provide a small personal electronic device with a full charge. Some backpackers will even drape the waterproof units over the exterior of their pack and use it to feed their GPS with a constant charge throughout the day! This is also great for emergency situations where a cellular phone or other device may be required to call for help. Often times a good solar charger may be your only life line when out in the wilderness.
The next area where solar equipment can help out on a camping trip is lighting. There are an enormous range of solar powered lamps and lights that can provide up to twelve hours of service on a single charge. This saves campers from lugging the significantly heavier battery powered units traditionally used in the woods and it also eliminates any concerns about running out of light when batteries die.
Finally one of the most enjoyable experiences provided by solar power on a camping trip is a hot shower. Specially treated bags can be filled with ice cold stream water and left in the sun for a few hours where the bag superheats the water and provides a steaming hot shower for a lucky camper!
About the writer: Jonathan Gal is a solar lighting expert and owner of YCA Solar Lights an organization dedicated to promoting clean energy efficient solar lighting technology. To find out more about how solar technology is changing the way we live especially with respect to lighting you are invited to visit Jonathan’s Solar Lights site.
Campfire Safety Tips
Camping and campfires go hand in hand. It is difficult to imagine going camping without building a fire to roast marshmallows over and to tell ghost stories around. Without proper safety etiquette your campfire could turn your camping trip into a disaster.
Choosing a Safe Location For Your Campfire
Most commercial campgrounds already have preexisting fire rings to use. Unless the fire ring is in a dangerous spot you should build your fire there. The campground owners have likely already deemed this as a safe location to build a fire. The fire ring will help contain sparks and prevent your fire from spreading.
If your campsite does not have a fire ring you will need to create one. First find a spot that meets these criteria:
downwind at least 5 feet away from your tent and firewood
away from trees bushes logs stumps and overhanging branches
away from dry grass and forest debris
away from any other flammable items
If your campsite does have a fire ring already check if it meets the above criteria too. The landscape around your campsite could have changed since the fire ring was initially built. There might now be a branch that overhangs the current fire ring.
Preparing Your Campfire Area
Once you have chosen where to build your campfire you need to ensure that the area is completely clear of anything that could ignite. It is best to clear the ground right down to the soil within about 5 feet of your fire pit. Surrounding twigs and dry leaves could easily catch fire from a wayward spark.
Next dig a shallow pit about 2 feet across and encircle this pit with a ring of medium sized rocks. These rocks should be placed snuggly together without any gaps where sparks could fly through. Remove any small loose stones from the pit that could potentially explode from the fire’s heat.
Before you begin building your campfire make sure you have equipment on hand to extinguish your fire. You will need a large bucket of water and a shovel. Keep these things close enough to your fire pit that they are quickly accessible in an emergency. If the ground around your campsite is too hard to shovel also keep a bucket of sand or dirt nearby.
Safely Igniting Your Campfire
Avoid using lighter fluid or other chemicals to start your fire. These fuels are dangerous to use in the wilderness. They can unexpectedly flare up and catch your clothing on fire. Instead just use a lighter or match to ignite your kindling. Do not discard any used matches until they are cool to the touch.
It can be tempting to build a large bonfire instead of a reasonably sized campfire. Resist the temptation and put safety first. A large fire will emit more potentially hazardous sparks. These sparks from a large fire are capable to drifting further away than sparks from a small fire. Also it can be much more difficult to extinguish a large fire.
Maintaining a Safe Campfire
While your campfire is burning never leave it unattended! Despite other safety precautions your campfire could spread from your fire pit. You need to be around to ensure your campfire doesn’t spread.
Be careful of what you burn in your campfire. Try to stick to manageable pieces of firewood that easily fit within your fire pit. It is not a good idea to burn large logs that stick out past your fire pit. Also avoid burning fresh branches that give off excess sparks.
Properly Extinguishing Your Campfire
Before you go to sleep or when you leave the campsite you must fully extinguish your campfire. First douse the flames by pouring water on the fire. You are not done yet though. Just because you can’t see flames it does not mean the fire cannot reignite itself. There are usually still hot embers that will continue smoldering for hours. To deal with the embers stir the coals and add more water. Then cover the coals with dirt or sand.
Conclusion
It is far too easy for a campfire to spread becoming a forest fire. When you are camping it is your responsibility to protect the forest from your campfire. Follow these simple campfire safety rules and use your common sense. Sometimes it simply is not safe to have a campfire at all. If the forest is too dry and forest fire danger is high there is often a ban on campfires. Respect these bans as they are for your own safety. Strong winds make for dangerous campfire conditions too. So use your own judgment if necessary. Do what you can to protect our forests.
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