Scenic Highway 1 & Big Sur

Did you wonder why there is an overwhelming interest on the Bay in Monterey? Well, it’s because our spectacular coastline is highly accessible.

People who have been to Monterey seem to naturally gravitate to the Recreation Trail, a walking and cycling path that takes one from Fisherman’s Wharf all the way to Asilomar State Beach, where the bay meets the Pacific Ocean. If you walk, or prefer to rent a bike, you can start on the Recreation Trail by visiting the many shops and restaurants at Fisherman’s Wharf, then stroll or bike for a few blocks along the trail to Cannery Row and more shops and outdoor restaurants.

After Cannery Row, it is about a mile along the untamed coastline to get to Lovers Point Cove and take in the view of the entire bay. A small hamburger stand at the Cove makes for a picnic lunch by the sand. Photo-ops abound along the trail plus many tide pools. From the Wharf to the Cove, sea otters frolic and sometimes whales can be seen, but if going to the Cove is far enough for one day, the free Monterey Trolley stops every 45-minutes at the Cove for the trip back to Cannery Row. At Cannery Row you can take the Trolley and travel back to Old Downtown Monterey. If you don’t want to walk the trail, there are several places along the Recreation Trail that rent bicycles or pedal-surreys for up to four people. Also, there are many places to stop and eat a picnic lunch purchased from one of the fine vendors along the trail. Enjoy our coastline, it’s one of the best features of the Monterey Peninsula and it’s free!

Feeling Blue or Jazzy? Take your pick, Blues Festival in June or jazz Festival in September at Monterey Fairgrounds, Monterey CA.

Today, President Obama designated Fort Ord Military Base (along Monterey Bay) as a national monument. This is the second national monument designation created under his presidency. Now known as Fort Ord Soldiers National Monument, sits on 15,000 acres. It is a rare coastal California Wilderness that will protect Central Coast Maritime chaparral ecosystem, a habitat unique to California. Mountain lions, deer, eagles and the protected California black legless lizard all make their homes at Fort Ord. The first national monument is the site of Fort Monroe in Virginia where Dutch traders first brought enslaved Africans in 1619.

It’s nice to be able to get away from pressures and demands and simply go on a road-trip whenever we can make a little time. Value is the byword today in travel, how do you get the biggest bang for your buck? At the Comfort Inn Monterey by the Sea, there are real cost-saving values. There’s the substantial discount for booking early, a free hot breakfast with waffles, eggs and sausages pastries and much more. a free fitness room if you feel like a workout, free parking and wireless internet, restaurant coupons at the front desk and a free second day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium if you buy tickets at the front desk. The free second day is available only at hotels, not at the Monterey Aquarium. There is enough savings here to satisfy any need for solid value, enough so that you might even think about making another trip later in the year and book it now to lock in the discount!

There is something deliciously decadent and sinful about rolling around in the mud. To this day, I still can’t resist stomping on the occasional rain puddle and getting dirty for the fun of it is no different. One can indulge in muddy urges and not be ridiculed for it at the same time by joining the Big Sur Mud Run. The Big Sur Mud Run is a chance to be adultly serious with child-like overtones of playing with abandon in wet, sticky, mud while doing it for fun (to assuage any feelings of guilt). Presented by the Big Sur International Marathon, this 5-mile course set on the CSUMB campus on Old Fort Ord is fraught with obstacles and, of course, mud pits. It’s a great event for a group of friends to spend a different kind of Saturday morning. March 24th, 2112. Registration fills up early. Sign up soon if interested http://www.bigsurmudrun.org/

Hyperion is the name of the tallest redwood tree located in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, measuring a staggering 378 feet. Ever wonder why redwoods are so special? The coast redwood, or California redwood grows only in northern California and the southwestern most part of Oregon. Groves of coast redwoods dot the landscape from Big Sur California to the Oregon border, from the coast to as far as fifty miles inland. These trees depend on the moisture in the sea air and dense coastal fogs to thrive and reproduce. A victim of heavy logging, the number and acerage of these trees has shrunk dramatically since the 1800′s. These trees are a wonder to see, their diameter can be as large as 26 feet and they live 1200 to 1800 years. They are also the tallest trees in the world reaching up to 378 feet high. A few groves of these redwoods can be seen in Big Sur, just south of Monterey and they are definitly worth a day-trip.

Ever wonder what it is like at the end of the rainbow? You need look no further…just head down to Monterey via Scenic Highway 1. Noted as one of the most breathtaking drives in the world.

Hike California forests, coastal trails, meadows and mountain trails complete with dramatic waterfalls in the plethora of hiking available in Monterey Bay, Carmel and beyond.

Big Sur is to the California coast, what the Cliffs of Moher and its surrounding area are to Ireland. No trip to California would be complete without a drive through this Monterey coast scenic region.