Outdoor Activities

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.

Although I don’t run in marathons or otherwise, I have a couple of friends who run for fitness’ sake. One of these friends has run the Big Sur Half Marathon for the past few years and swears by its interesting sights and beautiful bay and ocean vistas. Out of curiosity, I took a look at the map of the race on the Big Sur Half Marathon website and discovered that not only is it not in Big Sur (as is the full Marathon), but the course runs through many of the prettiest bay and ocean areas of Monterey and Pacific Grove. To me, the course is very familiar, as it runs through areas I like to walk when I go for my daily stroll. I suppose you could say that I’ve “walked” the Big Sur Half Marathon several times since my arrival on the Monterey Peninsula eighteen years ago. I recommend to visitors to the Peninsula take a look at the race map on their website and do a little walking tour of their own when they are in town. http://www.bigsurhalfmarathon.org/

Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway will once again host high-performance, Daytona prototype car racing July 8-9. This event is one of the most competitive road races in North America that attracts well known superstar racers and world’s top automobile manufacturers. Great event for the whole family. Laguna Seca is located just minutes from the Comfort Inn.

Monterey offers amateur golfers more than 50 miles of fairway and 17 golf courses with challenging coastal terrain and cliffs.

Numerous sports offer unique ways to experience and tour Monterey California. Options might include sea kayaks, bike tours, deep sea diving and more.