Old Monterey District Blog

On May 12, 2017, the World’s first Virtual Reality (VR) Museum will launch, a collaboration between Dali17 and Greenfield Workshop. The app is called “Dali17 – VR Museum Tours” and will be available to download via Steam.

The VR Museum is based on Dali17 at the Museum of Monterey, the country’s largest private collection of Salvador Dali artwork. Greenfield Workshop is a creative agency that produces unique Virtual Reality Museum tours. The Virtual Reality Museum showcases over 280 pieces of original Salvador Dali art from the Dali17 museum.

“The experience of stepping into a Virtual Reality world is surreal within itself. I am sure that Salvador Dali, a pioneer of surrealism, would have wanted to create his own virtual reality world,” said Dmitry Piterman, owner of Dali17.

Some unique features include the animated “Space Elephant” as your private tour guide, as well as an audio guide that shares the description of each work. The virtual art pieces are fully interactive and unlike real museums, touching is permitted and encouraged. Another feature enables the viewer to transport into one of Salvador Dali's most famous masterpiece, the “Persistence of Memory.” For an even more realistic effect, the VR Museum incorporated the Monterey region into its environment. “I wanted anyone anywhere to be able to visit Dali17 without having to get on a plane,” said Peter Kaiser, CEO of Greenfield Workshop.

Registration is now open for Los Niños de Monterey, the summer day camp that California State Parks runs for kids entering grades 3 through 6. Dates for this year’s two Monday-through-Friday sessions are June 12-16 and June 19-23.

The program will be held at the Pacific House and the Memory Garden and led by State Parks Guide Callista Turner, who also manages the educational programs during the regular school year. Activities include hands-on period crafts, games, and toys, plus tours of other historic sites in Monterey. The children are transported back to the early 1800s, dressing in period attire, enjoying songs and dances of early California, preparing and eating special foods, and even learning some Spanish vocabulary. Each session, which is limited to just 16 boys and girls, concludes with a “fandango” where day campers get to showcase what they’ve learned and share the keepsakes they’ve made with family and friends.

Cost per child for the entire week is $145, payable by check, and is due at least two weeks in advance. Scholarships are available for families that demonstrate need. Applications are available online (click on School Programs - Los Niños) or at the Custom House Store. Applications can be mailed in or dropped off in person to the Custom House Store or the MSHP office next to Pacific House.

In appreciation of mothers, Om Studios in Monterey is offering 60 minute massages for only $70 the entire month of May. Schedule a massage for the mom in your life, or treat yourself (we won't tell). Please visit our website for more information and to book an appointment.

Om Studios Massage Therapists

Jacquelyn Kolbe
Jacquelyn Kolbe is a Yoga Teacher and Massage Therapist. She earned both certifications in Austin, TX. Her massage experience has occurred predominantly in clinical settings working alongside Chiropractors and MD's. Ashiatsu and Thai training have heavily saturated her Deep Tissue Massage abilities with steady, slow, methodical techniques.

Ashley Dahlem
Ashley has been a massage therapist since 2000. Through compassion and careful listening she provides a touch that allows guests to release and let go. She bring knowledge and experience to her clients for both massage and skin care and has worked within athletic and relaxing settings. Pre and Postnatal Massage hold a deep and meaningful space in Ashley’s life.

Danielle Mallet
The combined study of Yoga, Personal Training, Thai Massage, and Cranial Sacral Therapy give Danielle the tools necessary to adapt holistic programs for each client she works with. Danielle studied massage at McKinnon Institute for Massage in Oakland. She uses the combination of Thai massage, assisted stretching, and Foundation Training to alleviate years of chronic pain in a few sessions.

Justice Michael
Growing up, Michael was a 4-sports athlete which brought him into the massage world and the healing arts at an early age. After high school, he joined the US Army where he was an Airborne Paratrooper. After his time in the service, he studied massage therapy in Vancouver, Washington, completing school in 2013. He is also a high school football coach and has studied martial arts for more than 20 years.

Portola Hotel & Spa is pleased to introduce its new restaurant and bar, Jacks Monterey, welcoming patrons for lunch and dinner. Specializing in California Cultural Cuisine, Chef Danny Abbruzzese and his culinary team work closely with local purveyors to serve the freshest local produce grown throughout the Tri-County region as well as beef from California's famed Harris Ranch, sustainable seafood from Monterey Bay, and locally-sourced artisan cheese, all served in a lively, stylish setting that is neither pretentious nor pricey.

The lunch menu is moderately priced and features salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and more, including Chef Danny’s mama’s secret recipe for Eggplant Parmesan. The dinner menu includes solo plates and sharing plates to provide patrons with a chance to sample a variety of menu items and engage in a shared dining experience with their family, friends, or colleagues.

The bar menu also has a hyper-local focus, offering numerous Monterey County wines served by the glass or full bottle as well as award-winning craft beer made onsite at the Portola's own Peter B’s Brewpub. Fans of premium mixology will find a wealth of unique libations created by onsite mixologist Tuyet, who uses local ingredients in her crowd-pleasing concoctions.

Jacks Monterey is open seven days a week, serving lighter fare at lunch, 11:30am-4pm, and sharing and solo plates at dinner, 4pm-11pm.

This is a very exciting time of year for tea lovers. Shincha is made from tea picked during the first harvest in the spring, usually from April to May, which produces the highest quality tea in Japan. As we have done in previous years, Cha-ya Japanese Tea & Things is offering a 10% discount for those of you who wish to pre-order Shincha until April 30, 2017. Please call today to place your order, 831-646-5486.

Hashiri Shincha: Hashiri means “first harvest of the season.” It is made from very young leaves and buds of the tea plant. This Hashiri Shincha was grown exclusively on the Moriuchi Tea Farm where it was picked by hand. Tea grown at this farm has received many awards and has been selected as a tea supplier for the Emperor’s palace. 2 oz. for $26 (after May 1, $30)

Shincha Kunpu: Kunpu means “aromatic wind” and comes form the Honyama region of Shizuoka. It is lightly steamed with a woodsy aroma and a natural sweetness similar to fresh green vegetables. 2 oz. for $21 (after May 1, $24)

Shincha Houryoku: Houryoku, meaning “sprouting green,” is from the Makinohara region of Shizuoka. It is a Fukumushi Sencha steamed longer than Kunpu. It produces an emerald liquid full of herbaceous flavor. 2 oz. for $21 (after May 1, $24)