The swarms of tourists that clog Highway 1 every weekend to soak up the beauty of Point Lobos might believe that social media made them privy to a long-held Monterey Peninsula secret. Little do they know that Hollywood moviemakers discovered this gem and have been using it as a backdrop for more than a century. At last count, around 50 films have been shot on or around Point … [Read more...] about Scenery with a Cinematic Past
Travel
A Wild Adventure
One Man's Vision to Create the Monterey Zoo
Butch the elephant stands 10 feet tall and his long trunk—with its astounding dexterity—makes his height seem almost insignificant. His eyelashes are the length of an adult's hand, his demeanor that of a cat lounging in the sun. He eagerly, yet gently, shovels carrots into his impressive mouth while his best pal, Jasmine the zebra, watches. Butch is one of two elephants that … [Read more...] about A Wild Adventure
Artichokes by the Ocean
The Legacy of the Odello Ranch
While heading south on Highway 1 toward Big Sur, the iconic road sweeps past a vast expanse of fallow land straddling Highway 1 just beyond the Carmel River. To the east, contented black cows graze the grasses under the gaze of the Santa Lucia foothills. A handful of small, bright red cabins stand sentinel on the southern edge; a strange, flat truck-like vehicle sits idly … [Read more...] about Artichokes by the Ocean
Restoring Nature Piece by Piece
Local Woman Volunteers at Midway Atoll
A spit of sunbaked sand far out in the Pacific Ocean reveals much of what is wrong about the world. But heartbreak and hope keep close company on Midway Atoll. Some see this remote, tiny chain of volcanic islands as godforsaken, haunted by the specter of war, a vivid case study in mankind's destruction of the planet. Pacific Grove's Jan Loomis prefers a more determined … [Read more...] about Restoring Nature Piece by Piece
Sixty Years of Cannery Row’s Developing Renaissance
Monterey Transformed from Sardines to Civility
Sitting at a polished boardroom table next to Ted Balestreri, chairman and CEO of Monterey's Cannery Row Company, it's easy to picture the popular waterfront area that he was instrumental in developing which is now bustling with shops, restaurants, hotels and the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. What is harder to imagine is the rundown state of Cannery Row 60 years ago, with … [Read more...] about Sixty Years of Cannery Row’s Developing Renaissance