Whether one takes Interstate 5 until the turn to the coast or Highway 1 along the ocean, there is plenty to see on the road from Orange County to Monterey.

The interstate is faster, cutting through mountainous ranches, irrigated valleys of fruit and nut trees, vineyards, and acres of vegetables. Alongside the rugged Pacific on Highway 1, the pace is slower, and one can see Santa Barbara, Morro Rock, lovely Cambria, Hearst Castle high on a hill and majestic redwoods growing along the road at Big Sur. Even more charming is Carmel-by-the-Sea, where Juniper Serra was buried in 1784 at Mission San Carlos Borromeo Del Rio Carmel, one of the 21 missions Serra was instrumental in establishing along the length of California.

My son Doug and his wife, Janette, drove me last summer to Monterey to see my granddaughter Sara’s presentation at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in nearby Moss Landing. The institute will hold its next open house June 25.

My granddaughter, Sara Thomas, who had recently graduated from the University of Hawaii with a major in global environmental science and a minor in meteorology, had a summer internship at MBARI, a nonprofit oceanographic research center. In addition to mapping the ocean floor with sophisticated rockets called autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the institute does important research in microscopic marine organisms known as microbes. These studies further our understanding of marine illnesses and the potential toxicity of shellfish in red-tide areas.

Sara gave us a tour of the elaborate MBARI facility, with its deep-water-sea testing tank and its information-gathering torpedo-like AUVs. Her summer project involved a study of microbes with this complex scientific equipment. Among other findings, she was able to determine the optimal magnesium chloride concentration for an assay (a set of reagents needed to amplify or copy a DNA sequence) to ensure the experiment’s success. Helping to develop standard curves for molecular assays is important because scientists can then determine the concentration of the gene of interest in environmental samples. This helps with the understanding of nutrient cycling in the open ocean.

Artichoke and lettuce fields and plenty of fishing vessels surround the small town of Moss Landing. We had lunch on different days at a couple of interesting restaurants in the town, one serving fresh seafood and the other Mexican mole, a dish that looks like hot fudge. I first ate mole in Mexico. The story goes that some nuns expecting the arrival of a bishop from Spain wanted to prepare something special with their limited ingredients. They decided to top their chicken tamales with a sauce made of locally ground cacao beans fired with peppers. The resulting mole has remained a favorite until this day. The mole I had at the Great Enchilada was much milder than the fiery entree in eastern Mexico.

We spent our nights in one of the many lovely motels overlooking the bay in Monterey, once the capital of California. The Presidio, built by the Spanish in 1770 and taken over by the Americans in 1848, stands near the pier. We walked the marked trail through the streets to see several historic sites, including the French Hotel and Garden where Robert Louis Stevenson began writing “Treasure Island.” The lovely San Carlos Cathedral, the smallest and oldest cathedral in the United States, is also along the historic walk. The golden adobe church has been in continuous use since 1795. John Steinbeck made the street along the beach famous in his book “Cannery Row.” Once lined with fish canneries, the street is now filled with interesting shops, restaurants and, of course, the magnificent Monterey Bay Aquarium.

We set aside one day to explore the huge aquarium, watching playful sea otters, pink flamingos, and undulating, transparent jellyfish. There was so much to see, from minuscule sea horses to ferocious sharks. The equipment from an old cannery was also on display along with its history. Canneries along Cannery Row churned out millions of cans of sardines until the fishing boats came back empty. Now, decades after the canneries closed, the sardines have returned.

We visited nearby Point Lobos State Reserve, 1,225 acres of land along rugged cliffs, which overlooked foamy, crashing waves. Among Monterey cypress and pine, seaside daisy, bluff lettuce and other interesting vegetation, I walked some of the 10 miles of nature trails and rested on benches facing the sea. Down below among the rocks with white caps flashing, I saw sea otters and harbor seals, cormorants and pelicans. Boats in the distance carried tourists to see gray whales migrating in deeper waters.

I had been to Monterey before, but I found this time was especially memorable because Sara introduced me to the complex science and technology involved in our understanding of the oceans, so important to our survival in this ever-shrinking world.

Checklist

GETTING THERE: The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is located in Moss Landing, halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey off Highway 1. The Moss Landing power plant is a visible landmark just inland of Moss Landing Harbor. From Highway 1, turn west onto Moss Landing Road. Turn on Sandholdt Road and cross the bridge. MBARI is on the west side of the road. Limited free parking is available.

OPEN HOUSE: The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute will hold an open house from noon to 5 p.m. June 25. Activities will include science and technology exhibits, deep-sea videos, research presentations, robotic submarines, children’s activities, and ocean career information. Staff will be on hand and several informational lectures will be given. Visitors can view a remotely operated vehicle and some autonomous underwater vehicles. Research vessels will also be on view at the dock with related displays. Visitors can also find out about the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program and a new marine environmental organization, the Center for Ocean Solutions.

The institute suggests bringing along a picnic lunch as there are several access points to the beachfront. There is no food at MBARI.

MORE INFO: For information about the research institute, go to mbari.org or call 831-775-1700

For tourism information, go to seemonterey.com or call 877-666-8373

Register reader Eileen Thomas is a registered nurse who lives in Garden Grove and loves to travel.

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