Top Things to Do Near Our Monterey Bay Hotel

A weekend getaway on the Monterey Peninsula often involves kids and keeping them occupied.  A great getaway doesn’t always mean big or expensive events, a getaway can be as simple as getting out of the city for awhile and visiting Monterey.  Obvious choices are a day on the beach at Del Monte Beach or Lover’s Point Cove in Pacific Grove.  However, there are alternatives a-plenty.  Ask our Front Desk Associates about places to purchase a sumptuous picnic lunch and make a day of it at Lake El Estero right by Old Monterey.  There, you can rent paddle boats or kayaks and spend the day on the lake.  Another use for that picnic lunch would be to visit the playground at Dennis-the-Menace Park—also by Lake El Estero—where there are picnic benches, grills and a large play area for the younger set complete with swings, jungle gym and other play-inspiring toys.  Afterward, finish off the day with dinner at the kid-friendly Bubba-Gump seafood restaurant in Cannery Row.  Return that night to a comfortable room at our hotel with accommodations for the whole family. Maybe just relax and watch a movie on our new Flat Screen TVs, or relax at the Poolside or if you want to get some exercise use our fitness room.  In the morning, enjoy our complimentary  hot served daily 7am to 10am.

Ever wonder where great novels come from?  Think community.  Monterey and its surrounding environs, especially Big Sur, are well known as a highly literary, audacious community of productive writers.  Not just novelists reside here, but poets and columnists too.  The Monterey Peninsula’s history is well populated with writers as well.  Ever wonder where Robert Lewis Stevenson got his idea for Treasure Island?  It was the time he spent sitting and writing at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove.  Of course, there is John Steinbeck (“Cannery Row”), probably the most well-known writer this area has produced.  Visit the John Steinbeck Center in Salinas to learn about his history and have dinner at the house he was born in, now a museum and restaurant.  Touring through Carmel and its wealth of restaurants, there are many writers’ hangouts to be found, such as the Hogs Breath Inn, a classic example of a place where writers used to congregate.  Next time you plan a getaway, make a little time to pursue the environs of writers and don’t forget to book a room at our hotel early, the weather is warming up and walking tours are a must, or take a driving tour of Hunter Thompson’s (“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”) Big Sur.

The Steinbeck House:  http://www.steinbeckhouse.com/

National Steinbeck Center:  http://www.steinbeck.org/

More about Historic Monterey:  http://www.historicmonterey.org/literature.html

March brings thoughts of pots of gold, green beer and how lucky the Irish might be.  After doing a little research, I discovered that the phrase “Luck of the Irish” is actually a misnomer.  Throughout their history, the Irish have had spectacularly bad luck, in terms of famine, wars and misunderstandings between Catholics and Protestants.  Some trace the origin of the phrase to the US where, during the exploration for gold in the West, there were a high number of Irish people who got lucky, and found their “pot o’ gold” in the gold fields of California, or were equally prosperous in silver mining.

Luck of the Irish does owe its origin to the U.S.A.  When they arrived, they were very disliked, treated badly, despised and hated.  When the Irish had any kind of success, most Americans at the time didn’t believe that the Irish were capable of such successes, so they called it luck.  Hence the term “Luck of the Irish.”  Once a year, we can consider ourselves lucky too, lucky to not get pinched, lucky to have green beer and lucky that there are a multitude of Irish and British bars in Monterey in Monterey where we can celebrate this day with the Irish.

Favorite Local Pubs include, Crown and Anchor (ps love the British version of Chicken Curry!), Britannia Arms, London Bridge Pub (Decent Fish and Chips too).

There is nothing like getting a free ride, no parking hassles and stress free sightseeing. So, make a day of it, start in Old Downtown Monterey, lunch in Cannery Row and catch the Pacific Grove trolley for a view of the ocean and the bay, taking the FREE Monterey trolley back from the aquarium into Downtown Old Monterey. Spend an innovative day visiting the places the locals visit.

Catch the free trolley-buses between the hours of 10 AM and 6 PM daily. Visitors can enjoy Monterey Peninsula and have a chance to see things that they might miss when driving or don’t know the area. This year, there are two trolley lines running that will take you all over the Peninsula. Park at the downtown parking lot and catch the main trolley line that runs from Downtown Old Monterey to Old Fisherman’s wharf, through Cannery Row and stops at the Monterey Bay Aquarium before returning to Monterey. Second, for those that want to see more of the Pacific Ocean and visit Old Pacific Grove and take a drive along the bay, there is the trolley-bus for Pacific Grove. Both trolley-busses intersect at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, making it convenient to transfer from one bus to the other. Remember, these trolleys are FREE and you can get on and get off the stops at your leisure.

http://www.monterey.org/Portals/1/parking/pdfs/trolley_map_color.pdf

http://www.monterey.org/en-us/departments/parking/thewavefreeshuttle.aspx

Take in Broadway quality shows such as Evita in Carmel’s unique outdoor theater, attend the 70-year old Bach festival and more in the thriving cultural and theater scene in Carmel CA.

Take home unique Monterey coast souvenirs found in Carmel shops and boutiques and the memory of outstanding meals experienced in creative Carmel restaurants.

There are a number of interesting ways to tour Monterey and visit top Carmel attractions.