Monterey Peninsula

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A visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

Coming Soon



Driving and hiking Big Sur.

The Hearst Castle: A magnificent obsession.



For more information on the Monterey Peninsula, click here.

California coast holds
a dreamlike charm 
     “I like the pace here.”

      So said the woman working at the little museum that details the history of the Presidio of Monterey.  

      She was a widow, a retiree, who had lived in San Diego and could have gone back. But she summed up what makes Monterey and the surrounding area so appealing.  It has that California charm, but the speed is dialed down several notches. 

      Part of that is thanks to Highway 1 and the necessity to slow down.  Sure, it’s a freeway as it runs through Monterey, but just south of there it
turns into a two-lane road that winds along the Big Sur coastline.  Go too fast and you run the risk of leaving the road and winding up on the rocky shoreline hundreds of feet below.  That wouldn’t be good.

       Follow it south and you can visit several state parks with coastal mountains more than 3,000 feet high, drive within inches of giant Redwoods and wind up about 99 miles (or two hours) later at the bizarre Hearst Castle, a mind bending state park.

      On the Monterey Peninsula you can visit Cannery Row, made famous in John Steinbeck’s novel.  He described it as “a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light... a nostalgia, a dream." Well, the stink is definitely gone but thanks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and millions spent to redevelop the area, it does have a dream quality.

      Neighboring Pacific Grove is a winter home to Monarch butterflies west of the Rocky Mountains, and nearby Carmel is noted for its wonderful beach, its very upscale shopping and as the place where Clint Eastwood was once mayor.  A drive through Carmel Valley wine country is a low-key experience, with small wineries featuring their products in small tasting rooms where on a slow day the stewards can give you their undivided attention.
                                                                                         -- Posted 3/29/10