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122 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 Photo: Shutterstock LOVERS POINT BEACH McAbee Beach/ San Carlos Beach Access: at Cannery Row and the Coast Guard Pier, Monterey Those who've earned an open water diver certification in the chilly, turbulent and turbid waters surrounding the Monterey Peninsula find the calm conditions at tame tropical dive desti- nations such as Cozumel and the Caribbean to be a piece of cake. And chances are, if those divers are from Northern California, they expe- rienced their first dives in the ocean—as versus a swimming pool—at San Carlos Beach. Access is easy: the huge parking lot and ex- pansive grass lawn are perfect places to suit up before and relax after dives. The beach itself is flat and mostly rock-free and the sandy sea bot- tom gently slopes to deeper waters. Its location in the Monterey Bay means the waters are gen- erally calm, making it easier for novice divers to concentrate on their skills. McAbee Beach offers a more interesting land- scape, due to its location amid the ruined build- ings of the sardine cannery industry. Old con- crete foundations flank the water's entrance and the seafloor is crisscrossed with the pipes once used to offload fish from boats to the canneries. Del Monte Beach Access: Wharf #2, Park Avenue and Tide Avenue, Monterey This stretch of coastline from Monterey's Wharf #2 to the Monterey Beach Hotel offers miles of uninterrupted, sand-between-the toes walking. Dolphins can often be seen frolicking in the waves, along with the occasional paddle- boarder and scores of skim-boarding children. Scuba divers find fun here: there are a couple of underwater wrecks close to the Wharf, including one of an Army half-track that foundered while refloating fishing boats grounded by an epic storm. A jaw-dropping vista of the Monterey Peninsula stretching to Pacific Grove's Point Pinos serves as backdrop to all activities. Del Monte Beach is a great place to find sand dollars, those fragile, five-pointed-star adorned sea urchin exoskeletons that adorn many shell collections. Boardwalk paths have been erected through the dunes, offering a glimpse into the varied shore side ecosystems of Monterey Bay. Fort Ord Beach Access: Fremont Boulevard at Highway 1, Seaside Beneath the dangling toes of the paragliders hanging above the dunes that separate the beach from the rifle ranges of the former Fort Ord lie some of the hidden gems of the California coast. Literally. Decades ago, getting rid of society's trash was strictly an "out of sight, out of mind" affair. Hence, trucks simply backed up to the cliffs and dropped the detritus into the ocean. Among that garbage was glass in the form of jars, bot- tles and other items. When that glass broke into pieces and was partially dissolved by seawater, it takes on a silky, matte texture and appearance. It's then called "sea glass" (more poetically, "mer- maid's tears") and this stretch of beach is among the best places to find it on the West Coast. Among the most sought after are cobalt blue pieces from Milk of Magnesia or Vick's VapoRub bottles. The most prized are the red "rubies of the sea" from automobile taillights or perfume bottles.