The Monterey Honeymoon

(Read about the wedding too.)

by Brother Bob and Sister Katie

Well Katie and I had a great weekend in Monterey. We drove up highway 1 Friday morning. It was a beautiful clear day. It was so nice of a morning that my left arm got sun burnt. We arrived in Monterey and found our way to the Merrit House Inn. If you know Monterey the Merrit house is on Pacific street behind the Marriott next to the Double Tree about 3 blocks from the Customs House Square and Fisherman's Wharf.

It is an adobe that was built in 1830. The adobe holds three rooms with an additional 20 or so rooms added to the property around the gardens. We had the honeymoon suite, top floor of the adobe. It was kind of strange as we walked up the stairs the ceiling seemed to come down. It turns out that the entire suite had about a seven foot ceiling. As we get to the front door I look at the door and the key hole is at about my knees. Very old door with the top half all window. Under the window is the old skeleton key type lock with a dead bolt under that and the key lock under that.

The suite had three rooms; front, bath and bed room. The front room had a 19" TV with cable, fire place with Dura Flame log, couch. It was a large room, about twelve by twenty-four. All the windows have shutters and windows seats (the exterior walls are about two feet thick). Next was a small but adequate bath with tub/shower and a small refrigerator. The bed room was as large as the front room. There is a king size bed with antiquated metal tube headboard and white wicker furniture (dresser, makeup table, a couple of corner chairs) and a small closet. Then off the bed room through a set of french doors was our private deck, about twenty-four by twenty-four. The place is very simple but very nice. Being a bed and breakfast they do not have many extras, no pool or spa, but we did have access to room service through the Marriott hotel accross the street.

After checking in and putting our bags in our room we headed out for an early dinner. We started the weekend food feast with a fresh steamed crab dinner on Fisherman's Wharf. We love fresh steamed crab! After dinner we went on the historic buildings walk around down town Monterey (old town). The walk takes you by 20 or so adobe buildings. Included in the tour is the Colton House Where the California constitution was written in 1849, John Stienbeck's old house (1940's), The first theater in California and many more. A number of the buildings have tours available and or museum exhibits (we are saving these for a future trip). Like good Americans we ended the day with a trip to the movies to see Addicted To Love.

The next morning we woke to clear warm skys. We started the day in the common room for our breakfast, a small bowl of fruit, a muffin, a croissant, orange juice and coffee or tea. Simple breakfast but it got us started. We then took a walk over to the aquarium. The aquarium is about one or two miles from our hotel so we are off for a morning walk to the aquarium.

As always we enjoyed the aquarium and saw all the fish and took in the display on over fishing. Being that Monterey was the thriving sardine capital of the world until the sardines were fished out it seemed like a very appropriate display. I also learned that a squid cannery in Monterey is going to try a sardine canning after the end of squid season this year. This will be the first canning of sardines in Monterey in about 50 years. After spending all morning in the aquarium and the first part of the after noon it was time to feed again.

On an earlier trip we had passed a new restaurant not open yet just down from the aquarium and had to try it out, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. We had to wait 45 minutes at two in the after noon to get a seat for lunch. As you might guess they have Forest Gump playing on TVs and a full spread of movie trivia and props on display. On every table is a holder with two license plates, one that says RUN FOREST RUN and the other that says STOP FOREST STOP. Well I started to play with the plates and learned too fast that you are to display the STOP FOREST STOP plate when you want service and the RUN FOREST RUN the rest of the time. So right after sitting down and before we could check the menu out I had switch plates and bang there was someone standing at our table to see what we needed. We switched to RUN FOREST RUN and check out the menu. Katie had a burger and I had pork chops in an orange marmalade type sauce, WONDERFUL! After dinner on the way out we stopped on the Forest Gump bus stop bench (complete with fiberglass Gump tennis shoes, suite case and chocolate box) for a quick picture.

We rounded out the afternoon with a walk through an antique barn. Over three hundred different venders with small booths. Every thing from watches to medical instruments to baseball cards. By this time our legs and feet were getting tired so it was back to the Merrit House to get off our feet. After a couple of hours of rest (now almost 8pm) we were that is now a restaurant, time to feed again. After a very good and enjoyable dinner it was time for lights out.

Sunday morning started with an overcast day. We did the fruit and juice thing in the common room before heading out. We packed the car and check out of the Merrit House but left the car there. We spent most of the morning in the Maritime Museum in the Customs Square area. It was then time to walk into town for our lunch time feeding. We found a little local Mexican food place. Large burritos and the like. Big food small money place. It was very good.

After feeding it was time to head out to the Point Pinos Light House in Pacific Grove. Very fun and very cool. The light house is the oldest longest working light house on the west coast. Alcatraz Island light house preceded it by eight months but was torn down and replaced when the prison was built. The light can be seen fifteen or twenty mile out to sea, not bad considering it is powered by a 1000 watt bulb! The fresnel lens concentrates the light to 50,000 candle power out put, WOW! I did not realize what the lens could do. I guess that is how they worked off of an oil lamp in the old days.

After the light house we started the trek home. This time down the 101 via Salinas.

We had a great trip and can not wait to go back and explore the adobes more. We want to take in the tours and see what kind of displays they have in them.

Love to one and all,
Bob and Katie

(Read about the wedding too.)