by Don Weberg

While Francisco's will offer you a very unique experience, Rosine's provides a more French-American atmosphere with highly decorated walls, painted pink and white, art and flowers everywhere and a feeling of being surrounded. Like Cheers, everybody knows your name. Above, ceiling fans lightly swirl the air keeping a fresh feeling, and friendly staff members keep drinks full and even share a joke or two with the guests. The menu is nearly as broad as Francisco's but a touch more California cuisine with a heavier influence in the salad department. But their real specialty is the dessert case. Just looking at their massive glass display of cakes, éclairs, mousses, and pies is enough to swear off weight loss plans for life.

Either one will satisfy, and both are highly recommended. When you're done with your eats, a stroll through town will work off the food, stretch the muscles, and allow for some coffee at one of the many java huts.

One of the highlights of the trip was a wrong turn that led us to the little neighboring town of Pacific Grove. Complete with a main street fit for a parade or casting in the Andy Griffith Show, PG is as historical as Monterey but not quite as well publicized. In the shadow of its popular neighboring town, Pacific Grove enjoys a clock that seems to run behind everyone else, and no on in town minds. The people are as friendly as the town looks, and the shops and restaurants as plentiful. PG is more of a proper beach town, whereas Monterey is a fishing village, giving a distinction between the two, but they offer a charm unmatched by most towns.

One certain highlight was discovering Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast. It first began operating February 1, 1855, piercing the thick coastal fog with a beam of light helping ships find their way. Today, of course, technology has all but eclipsed lighthouses, but the romance of their history is stunning. While visiting the lighthouse, one of the original keepers from the 1950's was on hand to tell stories and explain how things used to be. In the claustrophobic basement of the house, an original Fresnel Lens on display gave a close up of how beautiful the light source actually is. A mathematical wonder by design, and an amazing piece of functional art engineered to literally thrust light hundreds of yards from shore, the Lens looks more like a massive crystal than anything else. While easy to stare at, it's technology from the past, rarely used anymore, replaced by less amazing advances that do the same job for less money. (CONTINUED...)