Terry Ambrose

Home of Mysteries with Character

Visiting Old Monterey — the walking tour

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When you think of Monterey, you probably think of the Monterey Bay Aquarium or Cannery Row or Fisherman’s Wharf. Monterey is all those things, but Monterey’s real charm is in its historic district.

Old Monterey done the old-fashioned way

We’re not big on doing the typical touristy things when we visit a place. Basically, if there’s a big crowd or a long line, we probably won’t go there. Instead, we look for the forgotten places and try to do the things that leave the hustle and bustle behind in favor of a slower pace. We weren’t sure how to accomplish this in Monterey until Kathy found information about a walking tour of Old Monterey.

Our tour began in utter chaos. We didn’t have a good map (you can find a good one on the Monterey State Park website) and the sometimes inconsistent naming of streets confused us. That’s why I included the picture of the compass embedded in the sidewalk. It seemed ironic that we felt so lost while standing over a giant compass. But soon, we found the Rodriguez-Osio Adobe, the first of many examples of old architecture enshrined in this historic district. 

This building was finished in 1849 by Jacinto Rodriguez, who wa a member of California's First Constitutional Convention. It later became the home of Antonio Osio, Collector of the Port of Monterey under Governor Alvarado.
This building was finished in 1849 by Jacinto Rodriguez, who wa a member of California’s First Constitutional Convention. It later became the home of Antonio Osio, Collector of the Port of Monterey under Governor Alvarado.
Which way to go? At this moment, we felt a bit lost.
Which way to go? At this moment, we felt a bit lost.
The first floors have been renovated. It looks like the upper floors may be a work in progress.
The first floors have been renovated. It looks like the upper floors may be a work in progress.

Old Monterey Hotel and more

Rumored to be home to three ghosts, the hotel has quite the history.
Rumored to be home to three ghosts, the hotel has quite the history.

One of the iconic buildings in downtown Monterey is the Monterey Hotel. Built in 1904, this Victorian styled building is rumored to be home to three different ghosts. One is a teenage girl. The odd thing is that nobody knows who she is. A second is Fred, who may be a former hotel caregiver. And the third is the architect himself. We didn’t stay at the hotel, but if you’re into woo-woo ghost stories and want to spot an apparition for yourself, you might want to book a room. The hotel is easy walking distance to Fisherman’s Wharf and is in the historic downtown district.

Just across the street from the Monterey Hotel is the Golden State Theatre. The theater was built in 1926 and recently restored according to OldMonterey.org. We were there near the end of October, so those acts listed on the marquee were the ones coming up in November.

Did you see last week’s entry? You can find it at Visiting with the Piedras Blancas elephant seals. Click here to view more Friday Morning Post entries, or you can follow me on Twitter.

About Terry

I started out as a skip tracer. Just in case you don’t know, that’s the guy who finds the people who don’t want to be found. It was the little things—getting paid to lie—that made skip tracing the fun part of the job.

Those years of chasing deadbeats taught me many valuable life lessons, such as liars come from all walks of life, and always keep your car in the garage.

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Comments

  1. Kay Garrett says

    My father was stationed at Fort Ord, CA for 9 years in the late 50’s and most of the 60’s. I would love to visit and see how it’s changed in all these years.

    • Terry says

      That would be a great experience, Kay. And if Fort Ord is overwhelming, there’s plenty more to do in the area!