Central Coast - Coastal California - page 631

depth exhibits covering the state's early Spanish, Mexican and American eras are on dis-
play.
Nearby are some of the state park's historical highlights, including an old whaling sta-
tion ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) and California's first theater ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) . A
10-minute walk south is the old Monterey jail ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) featured in John
Steinbeck's novel Tortilla Flat .

Custom House HISTORIC BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Custom House Plaza; admission incl Pacific House Museum $3, incl walking
tour $5; 10am-4pm Fri-Sun)
In 1822, a newly independent Mexico ended the Spanish trade monopoly and stipulated
that any traders bringing goods to Alta (Upper) California must first unload their cargoes
here for duty to be assessed. In 1846 when the US flag was raised over the Custom House,
voilà! California was formally annexed from Mexico. Restored to its 1840s appearance,
today this adobe building displays an exotic selection of goods that traders once brought to
exchange for California cowhides.

Stevenson House HISTORIC BUILDING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.parks.ca.gov ; 530 Houston St; 1-4pm Sat Apr-early Sep)
Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson came to Monterey in 1879 to court his wife-to-be,
Fanny Osbourne. This building, then the French Hotel, was where he stayed while re-
putedly devising his novel Treasure Island . The boarding-house rooms were primitive and
Stevenson was still a penniless unknown. Today the house displays a superb collection of
the writer's memorabilia.

Cooper-Molera Adobe HISTORIC BUILDING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; tour reservations 831-649-7172; 525 Polk St; shop 10am-4pm, gardens

from 9am, tours by appt only)
This stately early-19th-century adobe home was built by John Rogers Cooper, a New Eng-
land sea captain, and three generations of his family resided here. Over time, the original
adobe buildings were partitioned and expanded, gardens were added and later everything