Monterey - Part 2

Spring comes to Cannery
Row

I hadn’t been to Monterey probably for at least 30 years and my memories of that trip are only that I had a good time. A friend suggested to prepare for the trip I read Steinbeck’s Cannery Row (which I hadn’t picked up since I was in high school). I didn’t get a chance to do that before I departed, but I guess in the back of my mind I had Steinbeck’s classic novel tucked away and had formed a picture of a quaint little fishing town, filled with lovely old buildings, probably some artsy stuff, lots of history, and maybe one or two town characters. I think I expected an area that paid homage to the sardine factories of yesteryear, preserving the old factory buildings but repurposed with a modern life. I was a little off in the vision, at least when it came to Cannery Row, which Tina and I decided to explore first.

Cannery Row

I knew that Cannery Row was a tourist area and as such, I shouldn’t expect a whole heck of a lot. What I didn’t know was just how much of a tourist area it would be. When Tina asked the folks in a local antique store where a good place in Cannery Row would be for lunch, we were met with blank stares and comments of, “I’m not sure, none of us ever go there.” I confess I was a little astonished. How could one work 1 block from a place and know nothing about it? After walking down the street and crossing that 1 block I could see why we got the tepid response.


I have to own up that since I really don’t know what kind of shape the original buildings of Cannery Row were in after the decline of the sardine fishing back in the 1950’s, forming an opinion on what the area should look like now is a little presumptuous. Nonetheless I gotta say, I was really disappointed in Cannery Row. It was a typical, junky, touristy, seaside place, and for me, a complete waste of time. While there were still a few historic buildings, it seemed that most of the area had been torn down and rebuilt and filled with high-priced-junk-filled, “My parents went to Cannery Row and all I got was this fishy t-shirt” kind of stores all squeezed in-between restaurants competing for the tourist dollar.

Canadian geese enjoying Cannery Row

Where was the history? That’s what I wanted to see. What were the canneries really like in their heyday? I certainly don’t think places should be frozen in time, but I also don’t think the heritage of a place should be wiped out. To me, it’s pathetic that there is more Cannery Row heritage to be seen in the wharf area at Disney’s California Adventure than there is at the real deal. I guess though, if it wasn’t for tourism, there wouldn’t be anything in Cannery Row so I need to be thankful for the small things.

Leaving Cannery Row, I took some of my favorite photographs of the entire trip. At the opposite end of town from the Monterey Bay Aquarium (which I am told is fabulous but sadly, I did not have time to visit), the skeletons of canneries past still sit clinging to the shore for dear life. It’s just a matter of time and they too will be gone. I’m glad I got to see them even if they are defunct because these buildings, these skeletons of the past once filled with so much life canning fish for the entire world’s consumption, are still glorious even in their decrepitness. I didn’t need to buy the tacky t-shirt, bag of taffy, or sea shell (imported from the Philippines) to remember Cannery Row. The photos of these old buildings make a far better souvenir. It was kind of poignant though to snap a photo of Cannery Row’s dying past and look up to see a banner on a light post with John Steinbeck’s face and words proclaiming the “heritage” of Cannery Row.

Old cannery building

There was one bright spot though to report about. Not all has been destroyed and built anew on Cannery Row. One building a block up from that street has nicely survived the wrecking ball and given a new life while still preserving its heritage. When the present owners purchased the Carmel Canning Company warehouse #2 in 1994, they appealed to the city of Monterey and shortly thereafter the building was the first in the city to be named a Historic Structure. In 1995 fresh with new life in its old skin, the Carmel Canning Company warehouse #2 reopened as the Cannery Row Antique Mall. As one of the few Cannery Row structures to remain unchanged since the Steinbeck era, the building’s past is celebrated and yet still manages to function nicely as an antique store. Built sometime in the 1920’s for the Carmel Canning Company, the 21,000 square foot building was used to house canning supplies and store the finished product produced by the nearby cannery (which sadly was demolished and replaced by an El Torito Restaurant). I had a grand time exploring this building and all the goodies it holds. The outside looks just like a big old warehouse should and as I walked in and spotted the old conveyor belt that once moved crates from one floor to the next, I really got a sense of what the cannery area must have looked like.

Cannery Row Antique Mall
471 Wave Street
Monterey, CA 93940-1424
831-655-0264

The entire staff at Cannery Row Antiques was so welcoming and friendly that I felt as though I’d run into old friends. And truly, with two floors brimming with antiques (and some collectibles) it takes a long time to see it all. If you get tuckered out, there’s a nice area upstairs to sit and relax a bit and the staff makes sure you know there’s free coffee, hot tea, and hot chocolate for a bit of refreshment; and there's free parking for the store's shoppers (which on Cannery Row ... is a very good thing). As for the store’s antique selection, you name it, you can probably find it in. There was everything from vintage Christmas items, to Limoges china, lots of all kinds of smalls, old books and paper ephemera, and fabulous old furniture both primitive and formal. It was really fun going through it all.

A peek inside Cannery Row Antique Mall

Tucked away in the corner of Cannery Row Antique Mall I found an antique book dealer who was stocking his space. We had a nice chat about the area, old books and John Steinbeck. Every time I travel, I like to try to buy a book that pertains to that little part of the world. In Philadelphia last summer, I bought a copy of Poor Richard’s Almanac from the souvenir stand at Christ Church Burial Grounds where Benjamin Franklin is buried. The last time I went to Paris I prowled the bookiniste’s stands and found a lovely tattered and yellowing copy of The Last Time I Saw Paris, which I treasure. Though I could buy Steinbeck’s Cannery Row anywhere, I really wanted a copy of Cannery Row from Cannery Row. Soon I was looking at everything from a first edition to a beat-up old paperback and we were discussing how copies of Cannery Row just fly out of the store. I chose a slightly less beat-up paperback, left the first edition for a real collector, and departed the store happy with my book (and quite a few other finds) in hand.

A few of my finds from the trip

Check back for Part 3 of my Monterey experience. It’s coming soon!

-Sue