The city of Monterey is located on the Monterey Bay, along the Pacific Coast of Central California.  As of 2005, Monterey had 30,641 residents.  The city is noted for its historically significant collection of Early California architecture featuring authentic adobe and colonial dwellings, a rich tradition of resident artists and authors and its colorful and famous fishing industry.  Monterey offers a balmy Mediterranean climate with day time temperatures averaging from 60 degrees in the winter months to 72 degrees in the summer months. First established in 1770 by Father Junipero Sera and Gaspar de Portola, Monterey served as the capital of California from 1777 to 1849.  Monterey was also the site of the 1846 Battle of Monterey during the Mexican - American War.  It was on this date that John D. Sloat, Commodore in the U.S. Navy, raised the first U.S. flag over the Monterey Custom house and claimed California for the United States.