Faded Glory: Monterey

Once the glorious capital of California, Monterey was built on the dreams of two men and one king. In 1770, both Father Junipero Serra and Gaspar de Portola were given joint control of the California territory in the name of the Spanish crown. Although the Spanish had established a network of missions, stretching from San Diego to San Francisco, it would be Monterey that would receive the lion's share of Serra and Portola's wealth and attention. Not surprisingly, it would come to be the territorial capital and remained so until the Americans seized it in 1849.

Fearful of a surprise Mexican naval attack, the Californians moved the capital to the better-protected city of San Jose. While it may have been prudent to avoid a possible naval attack, it was precise that kind of exposure to the sea that allowed Monterey to flourished. The sea and Monterey have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. Once the city was hailed as the "Sardine Capital of the World" and was the veritable center of California's fishing industry.

Today, fishing is recreational and the main attraction in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A quick stroll down Cannery Row brings you to the stunning edifice of the Aquarium, where individuals and families alike can experience marine life up close and personal. If you plan on visiting the Aquarium and the Row be sure to give yourself a full day to enjoy it. When you're done, there plenty of world class cafes and restaurants just waiting to be enjoyed.

Given its scenic beauty and bohemian atmosphere, Monterey has been home to a number of significant American and international artists. The list of current and former resident painters includes Percy Gray, Rowena Meeks, and Xavier Martinez. The list of writers is equally impressive: Henry Miller, Robert Heinlein, and John Steinbeck all once lived in or around the city.

To exhaust a tired cliche, Monterey is a place like no other. Indeed, the entire peninsula is a bewildering collision of sea, mountains, and foliage. Not surprisingly, is seems like the obvious location from which to govern the region, which is what the Spanish did. They constructed the first theater, school, and trading post the region had ever seen. Consequently, the city has become a living, breathing repository of Californian history.

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The California Monterey Hotels collective includes the likes of the Casa Munras Hotel and Hotel Monterey. If you are looking for affordable luxury, book your room now.