{"id":16755,"date":"2023-05-19T04:45:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-19T11:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/?p=16755"},"modified":"2024-03-09T13:37:29","modified_gmt":"2024-03-09T21:37:29","slug":"ep-4-monterey-bay-aquarium-guide-for-first-time-visitors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/ep-4-monterey-bay-aquarium-guide-for-first-time-visitors\/","title":{"rendered":"Ep. 4  &#8211; Monterey Bay Aquarium Guide for First-Time Visitors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-12868416\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2120324\/12868416-monterey-bay-aquarium-guide-for-first-time-visitors.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-12868416&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:31px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Today we&#8217;re taking a deep dive into the Monterey Bay Aquarium.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll highlight some of the most exciting and memorable experiences that you can have, along with the practicalities of visiting the aquarium.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:21px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Worth a Stop &#8211; Lovers Point Park<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, I&#8217;ll start the show with a hidden gem near the aquarium, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofpacificgrove.org\/our_city\/departments\/recreation\/parks_directory\/lovers_point_park.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lovers Point Park. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine that Monterey Bay is a letter &#8216;J.&#8217; Monterey is tucked into the curve of the J, and as you travel up the hook, you meander into the town of Pacific Grove; you can&#8217;t really tell that you left Monterey and entered Pacific Grove.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But all along the shoreline of Pacific Grove, on Ocean View Boulevard, there are marine parks, viewpoints, and even a lighthouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, I&#8217;m shining a light specifically on Lovers Point Park.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an ideal spot for families and, as the name implies, romantic sunsets.&nbsp; A small protected beach is tucked into the cove, which is perfect for younger kids to splash around in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rocky outcroppings will make older kids and some husbands very happy with the bouldering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are benches, viewing spots, picnic tables, and even a beachside snack bar. It&#8217;s also a great spot to take a stroll with a good friend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofpacificgrove.org\/our_city\/departments\/recreation\/parks_directory\/lovers_point_park.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lovers Point Park<\/a> is definitely worth a stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:24px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why go to Monterey Bay Aquarium?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Monterey Bay Aquarium is located in the heart of Monterey at one end of the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/canneryrow.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cannery Row<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have kids, I probably don&#8217;t have to try very hard to convince you that an aquarium is a good idea, but Jody and I travel as empty nesters. I feel like adults have no obligation to hit an aquarium or zoo on vacation. No one&#8217;s going to give you side-eye for missing that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when two adults show up when the doors of the aquarium open and leave 7 hours later as they lock them up, there&#8217;s something to that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/hours-schedule\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hours and schedule<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this is not cheap. You may think twice about paying $60 each for adult admission. And forking over $45 for a five to twelve-year-old child will make some parents, let&#8217;s say, get overly invested in How. Much. Fun. everyone is having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a pro tip: If you think that you might visit the aquarium more than once in a year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/join-give\/become-a-member\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spring for a membership<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, if you have small children and you want to split up the visit into two or more days instead of that one meltdown-causing day, membership will allow you to come and go.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:26px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center> <blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/montereybayaquarium\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/montereybayaquarium\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this profile on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/montereybayaquarium\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Monterey Bay Aquarium<\/a> (@<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/montereybayaquarium\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">montereybayaquarium<\/a>) \u2022 Instagram photos and videos<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script> <\/center>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exhibits and features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me try to convince you that the price of the aquarium is worth it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/aquarium-maps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aquarium Map<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/into-the-deep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Into the Deep<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m not going to bury the lede here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new &#8216;Into the Deep&#8217; exhibit is absolutely our favorite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We went back to see the jellyfish three times, and I have a funny story about that in the travel tip section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The glow-in-the-dark, science fiction-like creatures that live deep, deep in the ocean, are featured in this exhibit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a companion 15-minute film about how they made the &#8216;Into the Deep&#8217; exhibit. I highly recommend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this was the only exhibit, we would have gone home happy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:21px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/sea-otters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sea Otters<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sea otters are our next favorite at any aquarium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, how can you not love sea otters? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The five resident otters rotate. Basically, they have work shifts. This prevents them from getting stressed out from performing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s not politically correct &#8211; it&#8217;s called &#8220;animal enrichment&#8221; these days. When the otters come out for feeding and enrichment, a museum docent will explain everything that&#8217;s happening and why.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve been to a lot of sea otter shows in my day, and this was at the top of the list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the website, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/sea-otters\/meet-our-otters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">each otter has a profile.<\/a> They have names, history, and personality notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:24px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center> <blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cs6_0KvhKT_\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cs6_0KvhKT_\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/Cs6_0KvhKT_\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Monterey Bay Aquarium (@montereybayaquarium)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script> <\/center>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/splash-zone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Penguins<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like otters, penguins are very personable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monterey Bay Aquarium is home to a flock &#8211; a family &#8211; a group &#8211; of African penguins. Again, if you can get to a feeding, it will be worth your time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And again, check out the website penguin page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/splash-zone\/meet-our-penguins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">penguin has a name and a profile<\/a>. This would make a great scavenger hunt to see if you can identify them by name. I&#8217;m adding that idea to my list for my next visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you enjoy penguin gossip, their profiles also tell you which penguins are dating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:24px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Family-friendly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Right near the penguin exhibit, you&#8217;ll find the kelp forest, the splash zone, touch pools, the Monterey Bay habitat exhibit, and a children&#8217;s play area.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/kelp-forest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kelp Forest<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/splash-zone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Splash Zone<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Touch Pools<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/monterey-bay-habitats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Monterey Bay Habitat<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, this area of the aquarium is well-loved by families. That&#8217;s not secret code for anything\ud83d\ude09. I just mean that penguins and bright tropical fish, a walkthrough wave tunnel, the splash zone, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/giant-pacific-octopus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a giant Pacific octopus,<\/a> and sharks are hard to beat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/open-sea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Open sea exhibit<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The open sea exhibit is the aquarium&#8217;s largest and most expansive display. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Somehow, an incredible array of creatures coexist, including hammerhead sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, and a shimmering school of anchovies, among others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:21px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Feedings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To enhance your experience, I recommend scheduling one of the feedings at the &#8216;Open Sea&#8217; exhibit into your day. The feeding show includes narration, which really makes the exhibit come to life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s plenty of seating in front of the 90-foot viewing window, giving you a chance to take a load off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:21px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/exhibits\/life-on-the-bay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Observation deck<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>And finally, step out on the deck and take a seat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monterey Bay is part of the National Marine Sanctuary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re patient, and it&#8217;s your lucky day, you might see a humpback whale or dolphin going about its business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than likely, you will see a few sea otters or sea lions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make the most of your visit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you&#8217;re convinced to put Monterey Bay Aquarium on your bucket list, how can you make the most of your visit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aquarium &#8216;Plan Your Visit&#8217; page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to go?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Summer tourism is pretty insane in California, in general. If you can avoid summer, go any other time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a very flexible schedule, I suggest winter, or my favorite months, October and November. The weather is probably going to be beautiful in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if summer is all you have, then my best advice is to get there before the doors open &#8211; well before the doors open.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Avoiding crowds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do go on a busy day, I have a trick that we always use at busy attractions &#8211; head to the back of the building and work your way out. You&#8217;ll have the place to yourself for the first hour, and as you move to the front, the late-sleeping crowd will be heading to the back.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We easily found parking in a lot about a block away, but it was November. Also, assume all parking is paid parking in Monterey. You can pay for parking at the kiosks with a credit card. Hoarding coins for meters is a thing of the past, thank goodness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/directions-and-parking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Directions and parking<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tickets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can&#8217;t buy tickets at the door<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me say it again&#8230; If you show up at the door without tickets, you&#8217;ll be huddling in a shady spot trying to download the app so that you can fill out what feels like a job application and then buy tickets on your phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I went through all that pain so that you don&#8217;t have to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get the tickets ahead of time, at least in the comfort of your hotel room.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/admission-tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy tickets<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you arrive, they&#8217;ll give you a schedule of all the feedings and the films. It&#8217;s worth it to plan your visit around these. We went to all four films that were on offer during our visit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/hours-schedule\/shows-feedings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See current show, film, and feeding schedule<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Films<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re short 15-minute documentaries, getting you behind the scenes of all the aquarium&#8217;s projects. We were very happy we took the time out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And honestly, those 15 minutes off your feet really help you keep going all day long.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As I mentioned before, there are also feedings scheduled throughout the day at different exhibits. We went to a few of those. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sea otter feeding was a delight because how can you be crabby watching sea otters? That was a pun for otter fans\ud83e\udd41.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The open sea feeding was also amazing. The tank is home to a large school of sardines (or anchovies, I can&#8217;t remember). And watching them do their shimmer ballet was so mesmerizing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Touring plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you plug any scheduled events into your day, I suggest that you start with the exhibit that you&#8217;re most excited about. Get to that one while you&#8217;re fresh, then everything else is just gravy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you come and go to the feedings and films, you can tour other exhibits on your way. We marked our map as we went and then circled back to see anything that we missed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a large aquarium, but it&#8217;s not Disneyland. You won&#8217;t get worn to a pulp doing a little crisscrossing between lands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guided tours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I do want to mention that there are guided tours. They&#8217;re available for an added fee of $24. You get a tour of all the restricted areas and, let&#8217;s say, the back rooms of the aquarium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/visit\/hours-schedule\/tours\/behind-the-scenes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Guided tours page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/canneryrow.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cannery Row<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>And remember that the aquarium is at one end of the historic Cannery Row. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may want to save some time and energy to walk up and down &#8211; its about three blocks &#8211; and take in the historic buildings and read all the interpretive signs that explain the significance of this area.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many shops, luxury hotels, and eateries to choose from.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Travel tip of the week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My travel tip of the week is to take advantage of any live cams &#8211; as in live cameras.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I told you, we loved the jellyfish exhibit the most, and we wanted to take home some footage so that we could knit it together and make our own little Zen video of all of the different jellyfish.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We stood in the jellyfish exhibit for probably an hour and waited until there was a moment where there were no people standing in front of the tanks, and we would shoot some video and then wait and shoot some more video and wait and shoot some more video.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t know how, but YouTube caught wind when we got home that we were obsessed with jellyfish. And Jellyfish live cams at the aquarium started popping up in our YouTube feed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It turns out that they videotape the jellyfish 24 hours a day, and the cams are available for anybody to watch, with nice soothing music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When other people had their TV fireplace going, we had the jellyfish cam going all of December. It was so relaxing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The aquarium hosts live cameras in many of the exhibits. You can watch the sharks, the sea otters, the penguins, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I suggest that you tune into the jellyfish cam. You can find it by searching for &#8216;Monterey Bay Aquarium jellyfish&#8217; &#8211; and have your stress melt away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking advantage of live cams applies to many places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many national parks, zoos, and nature preserves are offering live cameras. Generally, you can access these from the location&#8217;s website, or you can just search for what you want on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montereybayaquarium.org\/animals\/live-cams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">aquarium&#8217;s live cams are listed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today we&#8217;re taking a deep dive into the Monterey Bay Aquarium.&nbsp; I&#8217;ll highlight some of the most exciting and memorable experiences that you can have, along with the practicalities of visiting the aquarium.&nbsp; Worth a Stop &#8211; Lovers Point Park First, I&#8217;ll start the show with a hidden gem near the aquarium, Lovers Point Park. &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17450,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,419],"tags":[142],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16755"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18347,"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16755\/revisions\/18347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jauntyeverywhere.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}