Monterey, California: 7 Jun 2009 to 9 Jun 2009

Historic Monterey was founded in 1770 by Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá and Franciscan Father Junípero Serra. The small settlement around the mission would grow to become an important military base for the Spanish, Mexico and ultimately, the United States.

A prosperous whaling station in the 1800s, Monterey opened its first cannery in 1900, eventually becoming the largest supplier of sardines in the hemisphere. Most of the fishing industry has long since moved elsewhere, but small boats still bob at anchor in the sheltered harbour near the old Presidio. Cannery Row, so vividly portrayed in Steinbeck’s novel of the same name, now features seafood restaurants and souvenir shops. Visit the justly famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, with its three-story acrylic-walled tank filled with specimens swimming through the undulating kelp forest. The charming sea otters are among the other popular exhibits.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, with its mixture of art galleries and boutiques, is just a short drive away, the dramatic beauty of Big Sur a bit further south.