A little piece of California paradise, Monterey is famous as the locale of John Steinbeck's novel Cannery Row. Located on the site of the major seafood harvesting and canning operations shut down in 1973, Cannery Row today offers numerous tourist attractions, shops, family entertainment venues and fine restaurants. Found just next to this district is the Monterey Aquarium. Visitors should allow time to experience all of the live exhibits of various species of marine life displayed in their natural habitat. One of the best places to purchase fresh fish is at the working pier named Fisherman's Wharf, originally built in 1846 to accommodate fishing vessels. Both the Monterey State Beach and Zmudowski State Beach offer such marine-based leisure opportunities as boating, surfing and ocean fishing. Commonly used as an excursion route by the elite in the 1880s, the 17-Mile Drive is a private toll road offering coastal scenery and access to both Carmel and the Pebble Beach Golf Links.