@skinnylatte hahaha that gift shop is out of control. The big otter was really rotting and falling apart for a few years but I think they either repaired it or replaced it because it doesn't look as ratty now.

The Ed Ricketts lab next door is worth a visit when they open it for tours once a month.

@skinnylatte are you going to be physically in the Monterey area because if so then we're going to be neighbors and we'll probably bump into each other at one of the aquarium-social-sphere parties

@skinnylatte the https://www.pgmuseum.org/exhibits has an exhibit on the fishing village and if I'm remembering right also some coverage of the feast of lanterns. If you've got the time while you're in town, it's worth a quick stop. Although fair warning: there is a lot of taxidermy in one wing of the museum.

@skinnylatte here's another component to the whole situation on the Monterey peninsula: https://www.montereycountynow.com/blogs/news_blog/breaking-the-feast-of-lanterns-board-votes-to-end-the-pacific-grove-tradition-forever/article_9438180e-912e-11ec-be17-1bd1fb211bba.html

The one time we went (not really knowing anything about it ahead of time), it made us really uncomfortable.

At least they finally cancelled it.