Travel Tips For Monterey Bay!
Guide to Monterey and Carmel and Beyond
The bay in Monterey
is beautiful and inviting to visitors.
This is one of the most beautiful
places in California. It's right along the coast with crashing waves,
deep-blue water and enough scenic spots to keep the senses buzzing for
hours. Pebble Beach, with its famous golf courses, is located
here as is legendary Laguna Seca Raceway with its annual car
and motorcycle events and historic races featuring expensive
classics.
The scenery is unstoppable. Just pause anywhere along the Highway 1 coast
and admire the view – water lapping up against the rocks, fishing
boats in Monterey Harbor, sea otters within few yards of shore and rolling
hills just minutes from the sea. And loud, barking California sea lions.
Boats and small, old buildings take up the waterfront in Monterey.
Monterey, of course, is home to Cannery Row, the one-time canning area made famous by John Steinbeck's novel of the same name. Nick Nolte and Debra Winger later starred in a movie of the same name. Today, the canneries are all gone but their buildings have been turned into shops and restaurants.
Several more restaurants are found along Fisherman's Wharf, which is along the marina with views of Monterey Bay. Details about restaurants, along with Monterey's bars and nighlife, can be found here. There is a running and bike path along the water and kayaks for rent, as well.
Learn all about the aquatic region at the spectacular Monterey
Bay Aquarium. It features creatures indigineous to the Pacific Ocean in the Monterey Bay area; the sea otters are by far the most popular exhibit.
Next to Monterey is Pacific Grove and also Carmel. The latter is a high-end community where art galleries and jewelry shops make up much of the small downtown area.
The the 17-mile drive is about the most
scenic 17 miles one can drive anywhere in the world. Continue past the
guard gate to the golf club at Pebble Beach, where Tom Watson chipped
in on 17 to win the '82 U.S. Open, Tiger Woods dominated in '00 and
Bill Murray creates havoc and laughs at the annual AT&T Pebble Beach PGA Pro-Am. Pebble Beach is also hosting the 2010 US Open, June 17-20.
Laguna Seca Raceway (about 30 minutes from Monterey on Highway 68 East), is one of the world's most famous race tracks. It is known throughout the racing community for its up-and-down landscape but primarily for a twisting series of turns from the top of the hill to the bottom. It's also a state campsite, and people enjoy spending a weekend here during one of its many events. Here is the track's website.
It's known as The Corkscrew, and many races have been won or lost here. Most famously was one known as "The Pass" when Alex Zanardi went off course, and back on it again, to pass Bryan Herta on the last lap to take a CART race in 1996.
Past Laguna Seca in Sallinas, is the National Steinbeck Center , a museum dedicated to Steinbeck.
Nightlife includes places like the cool Cibo, with live music.
At night, Monterey has subtle but also somewhat lively nightlife with a few English pubs (Mucky Duck, London Bridge), a good restaurant/bar called Lallapalooza and live music at the restaurant/martini bar Cibo.
It does gets chilly in Monterey and Carmel at night, so always take
a jacket or sweatshirt.
Can you tell Surfside Sam likse this place!?
Bay views are everwhere in Monterey.
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