We have been to Monterey several times over the past 20 years, it is a quiet lovely town. You can stay at expensive hotels ($200/night) or more affordable smaller motels ($100/night). We have stayed at the Mariposa Inn a couple of times and it is perfect for a family vacation on the thrifty side. It is rated #10 Best Value on Trip Advisor. They have a pool, hot tub, fireplace in every unit (which you will need, it gets chilly in the evenings), and a complimentary breakfast. It sits more inland so you will have to drive down to Cannery Row unless you are in for a long walk.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is at one end of Cannery Row and is the number one must see! I took so many cool pictures the last time we were there. It is the best aquarium my family has ever been to. The admission is steep at almost $50 for adults, but it is so worth it, especially if you love the ocean. There are some hands-on exhibits where you can touch small manta rays and starfish. This place makes everyone feel like a little kid again. They have added a restaurant in the past few years, but I haven’t tried it.
Cannery Row is home to a lot of great restaurants. We ate at the Fish Hopper overlooking the bay and enjoyed our lunch after the aquarium. The view was amazing and if you are lucky you might spot a couple of otters floating in the water. I had the Sanddabs with a light basil sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables. My husband had the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna served with rice and Ponzu sauce. The service was great and the atmosphere relaxed.
We stopped in one afternoon for a drink and to play pool at Blue Fin Café and Billiards on the 3rd floor of a brick building on Cannery Row not far from the aquarium. It has 14 pool tables at $15 an hour and a giant Jenga set. It is a good place to just chill and have a drink. We had the sampler platter of nachos, chicken tenders, cheese sticks and potato skins and were set for the evening.
You have to drive down to the shore to explore the shelly beach and watch the sun go down. Find a place to park along Ocean View Boulevard in front of the Point Pinos Lighthouse or Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove. It is just beautiful. You can sometimes spot small deer on the golf course. You can tour the lighthouse during the day. It is fun to go to the top floor and look at the fantastic view of the Pacific.
Not far from the lighthouse is the Beach House Restaurant at Lovers Point, they have a sunset special that is too cheap to pass up. They have six entrees that start at $9.90 and you can get a glass of house wine for under $4! It starts at 4:00 and runs until 5:30 every day. The view is awesome, too, it overlooks the bay and Lovers Point Park.
The recreational walking trail is great for getting in your exercise right along the bay and ocean. This paved trail is perfect for long walks or bike rides and it is never crowded. You can get in all of the distance you want in a beautiful place. A special trail that you won’t forget. Keep an eye out on the water, you can usually spot otters or sea lions while walking along the trail.
Carmel-by-the-Sea is just a little over 4 miles from Monterey and is a fun little town to window shop and dine at. The city beach park is worth checking out, it is a wide sandy beach, with driftwood washed up on the shore. There are little orange poppies everywhere. We ate at Demetra Café, on the corner of Ocean and Lincoln. The whole family had Greek food and it was really good. They have a nice patio for warm sunny days.
We drove east to the Carmel Valley to visit Chateau Julien (which is now Folktale Winery and Vineyards). The estate is just gorgeous with wonderfully landscaped grounds. They will give you a tour of the 10,000 square foot barrel hall (that can hold up to 2000 barrels of wine) and vineyard. It is definitely something to see. They are committed to sustainable farming practices for all their wines. The 5-acre vineyard at the winery is 100% organically farmed. At the end of the tour, everyone gathered for a tasting out on the covered patio. It was a beautiful day to soak up the sun and gorgeous mountain scenery.
There is so much to see and do around Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel. It is a unique area and has such a calming effect. There are whale watching tours, bay cruises, 17-mile drive, Pebble Beach Golf Course and the drive along Highway 1 down to Big Sur is breathtaking. The colors of the water change at every turn. It is gorgeous along the coast.
We have found that flying into San Jose and driving to Monterey is the easiest and cheapest way to go via Southwest Airlines. The airport is super easy to get in and out of, and car rental is right in the terminal, you just cross the street to pick up your car. It takes just a little over an hour and a half to drive through rolling farmland to get there, and you can stop at little farmers markets along the way.
Janie Koehler 