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

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

When travelling to the Monterey Peninsula, think about the “theme” of your getaway. Are you a foodie, into music, athletic or interested in family fun? Foodies will enjoy the elegance, wine parings and foods of the Pebble Beach Food and Wine festival taking place in Pebble Beach from the 12th to the 15th of April. There’s still time to get tickets to one of the Peninsula’s premiere local events. Looking for family fun? Take a step back in time and visit the Good Old Days in Pacific Grove on April 14th and 15th. Two days of fun for the entire family includes food stalls, art booths and face painting. There’s even a hayride for the whole family. If you are into athletic competitions, the Sea Otter Classic is the premiere bicycling event of the season happening April 19th to the 22nd at Laguna Seca Raceway (www.mazdaraceway.com). Rather be involved in your sport? Register or attend the Big Sur International Marathon (www.bsim.org) on April 29th. Craving a retro musical experience? Taj Mahal is giving a concert at Carmel’s Sunset Center (www.sunsetcenter.org/) on April 12th. No matter what your “theme,” there’s always something going on at the Monterey Peninsula.
JScott

Tiger Woods returns to AT&T Pebble Beach national Pro-Am which is scheduled for Feb 6-12. Tigers’s last appearance at AT&T was in 2002. Going to be a fun week at Pebble. Besides the professional golfers, the highlights are to see the turnout of the stars in the Celebrity Shootout, typically movie and industry notables, who are donators to the AT&T charities programs, paired with one of the professional golfers. My favorite is Bill Murray, a hoot on the golf course not forgetting Ray Romano, and George Lopez. So really you don’t even have to be an avid golfer to attend this fun event.

The AT&T was originally known as the Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur, or just the Crosby Clambake. In 1937, Bing Crosby hosted the first National Pro-Am Golf Championship at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, the event’s location prior to World War II. After the war, the event resumed play in 1947 on golf courses in Pebble Beach, where it has been played ever since. Book early and save up to 20% on hotel accommodations – www.stayatmonterey.com