It’s like stepping into an abstract masterpiece. Being part of a scene with swaying trees, and ever changing scarlets sunsets, that bring you to another scene. The trail meanders through shades of teal and turquoise, shimmering in the beach and adorned with shiny stones that resemble jade. The enchanting setting emits a sense of tranquility.
Standing there, you feel like an integral part of the seascape, performing on stage. Point Lobos State Reserve inspires in a new way of creating from within. The beaches are filled with intriguing patterns that showcase their dynamic and rocky nature in every turn, reflecting the constant changes in life.
There’s a museum within the reserve that showcases artifacts. It brings us back to the historical significance of Point Lobos, stimulating our senses.
Here, there’s a cabin built by early Chinese fishermen in the 1850s. The Whaler’s Cabin at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, one of the last remaining wood-frame buildings of its kind on the Monterey Coast in a humble pine cabin with a massive history.
The Whalers Cabin at Point Lobos has been a home to Portuguese whalers, Japanese abalone harvesters, and WWII soldiers. Now, it operates as a museum preserving the region’s rich maritime history.
Inside the Museum: Cultural Artifacts Revealed
When state archaeologists excavated beneath the cabin’s sub-flooring in 1986, they unlocked treasures of multicultural domestic and industrial items. Visitors can explore these key historical displays at the Whalers Cabin Museum:
- Whale Vertebrae Foundations: Six massive gray whale vertebrae were discovered under the floorboards, used by early residents as makeshift structural joist supports.
- Chinese Domestic Life: Displays feature authentic 19th-century chopsticks, bamboo skewer sticks, and intricately patterned Chinese ceramic and pottery shards.
- Abalone Button Workings: Pre-industrial tools and discarded shells highlighting how early Chinese and Japanese settlers manufactured decorative clothing buttons out of iridescent abalone.
- Whaling Tools: Harpoons, heavy blubber-cutting knives, and vintage photographs documenting the treacherous operations of the Carmel Whaling Company.
- The Outdoor “Try Pots”: Located just outside the cabin, these massive iron cauldrons were used to boil down whale blubber into oil.
