Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Beauty of Monterey Bay (Premium)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more. And thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. The city is quiet for the moment. And the cool morning air feels fresh, scrubbed by the sea breeze. Mist swirls around you as you make your way towards the water. The marine layer is thick at this time of day, like a blanket of fog hanging over the coast.

Starting point is 00:01:11 This rich, bay ecosystem, teams with life, it's home to more than 300 species of fish, over 30 kinds of mammals, and nearly 100 types of birds. It's also the site of an underwater chasm, deeper than the Grand Canyon. The thought of viewing the natural beauty of the area and its creatures is what draws you towards the bay this morning. Today you have nothing to do but wander this spectacular waterfront. For thousands of years indigenous Americans have lived along the Monterey Bay. The abundance of fish and other wildlife in this aquatic paradise have made it a thriving place to live for generations. As a city, Monterey's history stretches back to colonial Spain's exploration of the land that would become California.

Starting point is 00:02:35 It began in 1542 when a Spanish explorer became the first European to see the Bay, long after the people who had been living here for generations. He named it the Bay of Pines, a fitting description for this part of the coastline, whose mouth is indeed lined with pine trees. The name stuck only briefly though. 60 years later, another Spaniard landed on the shores of the Bay. He renamed it in honor of the Count of Monterey, who was Viceroy of Spanish colonial America,

Starting point is 00:03:28 known as New Spain. As you walk towards the water, you pass through the historic Custom House Plaza, an irregularly shaped open area, where red bricks cover the ground. It's bordered on one side by the custom house itself, a 19th century building with a covered porch held up by pillars wrapped around it. As you walk through the plaza, you admire the fine old building that's been preserved at its head. And you ponder the sequence of events that would unfold over the centuries following the naming of Monterey, as European powers jokied for control of the new world. Similar to what is now the US state of California, the city of Monterey belonged to three different

Starting point is 00:04:41 countries during its recorded history. First, it was the capital of Spanish California, under the control of colonial Spain. Then, it passed to of the fledgling United States. On September 9th, 1850, while the new American nation was still in its infancy, California officially became the 31st state of the Union. Its constitutional convention was held in Monterey. The base of Monterey's importance was and always has been the Bay. This lush ecosystem and valuable port served throughout its history as the site's food basket and its doorway to international trade. It was once a major fishing and waving port before the preservation of its waters towards

Starting point is 00:06:07 the end of the 20th century. Strolling at a comfortable pace, you soon reach the water. Here, you have a choice to make. You could turn right and follow the bay in land, or turn left and follow it out towards the Pacific Ocean. Instinctively, you head towards the ocean, into the wind.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Beauty of Monterey Bay (Premium)

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