Monterey is a majestic California coastal city rich with beauty and history, including Colton Hall, where the state's first Constitution was written. The community is made up of a lot artists and health conscience residences who take advantage of and draw inspiration from the natural landscape of Monterey. Many celebrities and politicians have called Monterey home; including the renowned classic American novelist John Steinbeck. This city boasts strong sustainable practices, recognizing the importance of preserving this serene shoreline.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is set right on the Pacific Ocean coast and features over 35,000 plants and animals. Founded in 1984, this nationally recognized aquarium features an array of exhibits one of them being a 33ft high (1.3 million liter) tank, which holds a number or large aquatic animals including sharks (below middle photo).

Sharks are a popular exhibit that draws crowds all day long and can be found in a number of tanks. Many are smaller sharks but a couple of massive tanks showcase the power of larger ones, like the Hammerhead Shark in the "Outer Bay" exhibit that is a 4.5 million liter tank (above left photo).

The Jellyfish Exhibit is a firework display underwater. There are several kinds of Jellyfish that are different shapes, sizes, and colors but all are just as mesmerizing. The lighting for this exhibit makes it truly a piece of ever-changing art that makes you feel weightless.

The Secret Lives of Seahorses is the newest addition to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There are a number of different kinds of seahorses, like the classic pot belly (above right photo), dwarf seahorses that are circled in the above middle photo, and exotic ones like in the above left photo.

Of course, one can expect to see many displays of brightly colored coral, sea enemies, crustaceans, and fish.

Overall the Monterey Bay Aquarium was very wheelchair accessible. There are elevators and accessible restrooms all over the aquarium's two floors and are marked by clear signs. Even on the second floor patio there is a telescope at a level for a wheelchair user (above right photo). Monterey Bay Aquarium Exhibit Map.

Cannery Row is the historic street that the Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on. Most of the buildings were seafood cannery factories but have now been transformed into boutique shops and restaurants.

Art lovers will enjoy browsing the many galleries on Cannery Row, displaying the works of local artists and beyond, paintings using various media, blown glass sculptures and display pieces, and jewelry.

The aroma of sweet treats will entice you as you walk past many candy shops and ice cream parlors. There is even a cinnamon bun bakery and salt water taffy shop (below right photo). There is even a wax museum if you get really bored called Steinbeck's Spirit of Monterey (below middle photo). John Steinbeck drew inspiration from Monterey during the heyday of the sardine canning industry for his novels Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday.

The Fish Hopper is one of many seafood restaurants on Cannery Row. This is a particularly beautiful location because it sits on a dock right over the Monterey bay (below left photo). There is indoor seating with lots of window tables and a large outdoor patio, where most people choose to dine (below middle photo). Nonetheless, if you are not in a seafood there are many other restaurants, like this mexican restaurant in the above left photo that also sits right on the water.

Old Fisherman's Wharf

The Monterey Coastal Trail is an 18 mile long loop that takes you along the water's edge and through the town of Monterey. This is a fantastic trail for walking and biking.