Why Here? As many of you
know, Tanya used to live in Monterey -- back when she was pursuing a career in
International Politics. Carl was living in Santa Cruz at the time -- in the infamous
Laurent Street house where they first met-- and he would visit Tanya on the weekends.
Together, the two of them would walk through the historic district and would stop
frequently in the gardens by the Old Whaling Station. It makes sense to have the
wedding and reception in this beautiful place which carries such romantic memories. Building's History: Long known as the Old
Whaling Station, this old adobe was built in 1854 by David Wright, a Scotsman, as a
private residence and modeled on the plan of his ancestral home. The exterior followed the
plan of two-story construction in Monterey of that day with the roof slanting to one-story
at the rear. The cantilevered balcony was added after 1900. The structure acquired
its unusual name when it became a boardinghouse and headquarters for Portuguese whalers in
the 1850s. On the nearby beach, alas, the whales were cut and oil rendered. A whalebone
walk in front is a reminder of this past era in California's economy. The building was
renovated by the Monterey County Junior League and State Parks Department. It is now a
unit of Monterey State Historic Park and is leased to the Junior League for their
headquarters. The building is bordered by a beautiful, landscaped garden and the
First Brick Building in California.
Directions:
The building is located in the historic district of downtown Monterey, which is bordered
by Alvarado Street (the main drag), Lighthouse Ave. (which heads to Cannery Row), and
Fisherman's Wharf. See the map for further details and parking.
OK -- So you've complained about my poor directions. Here are what I
hope will be clearer instructions.
From San Jose: Take 101 south and then 68 towards Salinas.
Continue through Salinas until you reach Hwy 1. Go south to Monterey and then
follow the Santa Cruz directions.
From Carmel/Big Sur: Take Hwy 1 north to the Aquarium/Acquajito
Rd. exit (NOT the Monterey one!) and turn left at the light (Acquajito). Turn left
at Fremont and follow the Santa Cruz directions.
From Santa Cruz: Take Hwy 1 south and get off at the Monterey
exit. You will see all sorts of signs for Fisherman's Wharf, etc. The Monterey
exit puts you on Fremont -- follow this as it curves right and becomes Munras for a 1/2
mile -- and then turn right on Alvarado. Follow Alvarado until it dead ends at the
Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center, and then turn left on Del Monte. Turn right
on Pacific and continue for less than two blocks and park. I suggest you turn left
at the first light and park in the garage at the corner of Scott and Pacific.
Finding the Whaling Station: If you park in the Scott garage --
it's easy. Just take the bridge across Pacific and it's the first building on the
right! There are other garages in the area (some free, some charge) and you can park
on the street for free on Sundays. To find the Whaling Station in this case, turn
right on Scott from Pacific, then left on Olivier. Continue about one block and you
will see the entrance to a courtyard of shops called Heritage Harbor on your left, with a
parking lot and the end of the street ahead of you. Turn into the courtyard and head
towards the fountain. The Whaling Station is on the left just after the fountain.
If you are anywhere in the historic district, you will see signs and maps which
detail the location of each building. These should help you.
