Top Things to Do Near Our Monterey Bay Hotel

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

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

People seem to think whales migrate South in the winter, but the truth is that whales migrate all year long, different types migrating at different times and, don’t forget, that they have to do a trip back up to the North also, which happens in late spring and summer. So, any time is a good time to go whale watching from Monterey. To celebrate whale and its impact on Old Monterey, every third Saturday in January ( this year Jan 21, 2012), is devoted to the Monterey WhaleFest, a celebration of the whale and its migration. As such, it is also a celebration of Old Monterey, with entertainment, food stalls, art and music all coming together to make for one nice afternoon and evening. For me, this is a nice break from the daily drudgery of winter. Definitely a top 10 things to do in Monterey. Whale watching packages available: http://www.stayatmonterey.com/special-pkg/monterey-whale-watching-pkg.aspx

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/

Top things to do in Monterey include the Monterey Aquarium, Fisherman’s Wharf and world famous Pebble Beach golf course among many other Monterey attractions.