Everyone knows that California is a special place, a state of mind, almost. Who knew, however, that you could be fined $1000 or slapped in the hoosegow for six months if you harass a butterfly here? Sharp-eyed residents of lovely (and very down-to-earth) Pacific Grove will keep an eye on you when you visit this spot, an annual migration point for thousands of Monarchs each year, so be careful and don't touch, nudge or even puff around the gorgeous creatures!
Much of Monterey County, which is bigger than either the entire states of Rhode Island or Delaware, seems exotic, and perhaps it is the magnificent beauty of the place that makes it seem so. Encompassing five cities itself, the Monterey Peninsula (just a part of the county) is home to the history and glamour of Monterey (California's first capital city) and the snobbishness of Pebble Beach, as well as the coziness of Pacific Grove, the oh-so-chic trendiness of Carmel, and the sheer rusticity and drama of Big Sur.
Though the Monterey Peninsula is considered one of the most expensive parts of the nation, you can drive along here, staying and eating on weekdays (Sunday through Thursday) for as little as $50 a day, up to a minimum of $65, depending on the season. Weekends run higher, up to a minimum of $90 in high season.
Getting There
Drive down from San Francisco on US 1 rather than on the faster and newer US 101. If you are in a hurry to get to the Monterey Peninsula, however, take Interstate 280, then US 101 as far as Prunedale, where you turn west on State 156 for five miles until you reach Castroville, picking up State 1 there. Speed devils have made this trip in just two hours but schedule three for the 120-mile-jaunt. You'll enjoy the weather regardless of the sun (or lack of it); as in summer, the average high temperature is just 68 degrees, in winter 61. Even so, dress in layers, as the peninsula has several micro climates, and it can go from hot to cold when the fog comes in, and vice versa.
Film fans will enjoy looking at the locations for East of Eden, From Here to Eternity, Lassie Come Home, Rebecca, Star Trek: The Voyage Home and Treasure Island. Celebrity chasers and lovers of art and literature should note that Carmel is famed not only for former mayor Clint Eastwood, but for others who called it home, including Doris Day, John Denver (who died flying an experimental plane just offshore), Ansel Adams, Jack London, Robinson Jeffers, Sinclair Lewis, and Upton Sinclair, to mention only a few names.
Highlights
Surrounding you in the Monterey-Carmel area is the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which runs, actually, all the way from San Francisco down to Cambria. Here, even as you drive, you can glimpse sea otters, seals, and sea lions. If you stop and get out of your car, you can spot birds galore and monarch butterflies in season. There are five tidepool locations, 15 scenic or vista points, at least a dozen coastal walks, five wharves, ten estuaries and sloughs to explore, four harbors and recreation areas, and five lighthouses and light stations. Pick up a copy of the sanctuary's free guide (in tabloid form) at a visitor center or at most hotels en route. On the sandy beaches around the Monterey Bay or the rocky shores further south, you can take long walks, windsurf, or swim, though high waves and sharp rocks preclude the latter in many locations.
Forget about the famous "17-Mile Drive" in Pebble Beach, where the company that owns the road charges $7.75 for the privilege of entering it. "The Poor Man's 17-Mile Drive" is what locals call the Ocean View Boulevard route from Lover's Point to Asilomar in Pacific Grove, along the shoreline all the way.
Perhaps America's most amazing aquarium is that in Monterey, featuring a literal hands-on approach, along with the world's largest jellyfish gallery and biggest living deep sea exhibits. Open in 1984, it's the only large aquarium concentrating almost exclusively (except for special temporary shows) on the creatures of the sea in the neighborhood in some 200 galleries and exhibits. The otters are darling, the penguins enchanting. Innovative three-foot-deep bubble windows allow you to lean inside the tank, looking up and down and feeling as though you are part of the marine world yourself. Note also that a special seahorse exhibit opened on May 19 for a two- or three-year run. There are a cafe and restaurant here, prices for the former starting at $4.75 for a sandwich or $5.15 for a burger. In the restaurant, salads start at $4.95, sandwiches at $8.95. Each lunch place has a spectacular view of the sea. Admission to the aquarium is high at $15.95 (18 and over), but students and seniors get in for $2 less, and children 3 to 12 pay only $7.95, as do disabled persons. (School kids in groups, by the way, get in for nothing.) You can buy tickets in advance or on-line: 800/756-3737 or 831/648-4888, Web site www.montereybayaquarium.org.
Cannery Row
Cannery Row in Monterey likes to call itself "America's most famous street," and it is fascinating to see the place made so famous by author John Steinbeck (who also wrote The Grapes of Wrath, among many other novels). But it is depressing to see so many of the old buildings totally demolished, to be replaced by a kind of Disneyesque double rank of "smart" looking boutiques and shops. Only a few authentic spots remain, including the Doc Ricketts Lab at Number 800 and La Ida's Cafe (a former bordello), now a cozy restaurant with sandwiches from only $5.95. In the center of the row sits the newly designed Steinbeck Plaza, honoring the man whom the town officials and bigwigs tried to run out of town when he wrote his first famous book, titled, appropriately enough, Cannery Row.
Other things to do in Monterey include walking The Path of History (get your free map at the Visitors Center), seeing much of "the most historic city in California." Phone 831/649-7118 for more information and tour schedules. If you want to enter the many buildings along the route, an all-day ticket will cost you $5, $3 for youths, $2 for children. Phone the Monterey State Historic Park at 831/649-7118.
Or you can go sea kayaking at $25 through AB Seas at 32 Cannery Row, phone 831/647-0191, Web site www.montereykayak.com. Whale watching can be affordable in winter and spring (mid-December through April), a three-hour trip costing $25 ($18 for children 12 and under), but prices rise considerably in summer and fall. Weekday salmon fishing trips cost $45, weekends $48, equipment and license extra, at Sam's, 84 Old Fisherman's Wharf, phone 831/372-0577 or 800/427-2675. Cod fishing costs $10 less, for some reason. Monterey Sportfishing offers the same whale watching rates at Number 96 on the same wharf, phone 831/832-2203 or 800/200-2203, Web site www.montereybaywhalecruise.com.
Coming Events
Each May, Carmel-by-the-Sea has its annual arts festival (phone 831/642-2503), and in June, each Friday sees noontime free community concerts there in Devendorf Park (phone 831/626-1255).
In June, there's the Great Cannery Row Sardine Festival in Monterey (phone 831/649-6690) and the California Cowboy Show in Carmel Valley (phone 831/624-9611).
On July 4th, there are fireworks displays over Monterey Bay and a community parade, as well as the Feast of Lanterns in Pacific Grove from the 24th until August 5 (phone 831/373-3304). The Carmel Shakespeare Festival runs from August 20 through October 23 (phone 831/522-0100) and the annual Scottish Games take place on August 4 and 5 (phone 831/633-4444). In August also is the famous Annual Monterey Jazz Festival (phone 800/307-3378 or 831/373-3366).
September in Monterey sees also the annual Festa Italia and the Laguna Seca Raceway Events. (Actually, the Toyota Grand Prix is in that month, the Historic Automobile Races in August.) For more information, phone the Monterey County Visitors Bureau at 831/649-1770.
Hotels
The prices mentioned are per person and are based on two people sharing a room at one of the spots listed below.
This part of California is ultra expensive, so finding cheaper places to stay wasn't easy. Among the cheapest are cookie-cutter hotels, the chains, but if you don't plan on spending much time in your rooms, who cares? In this category, try the Vagabond Motel at 2120 North Fremont Street, Monterey 93940, across from the fairgrounds. If you pick up a coupon at the Visitors Center in town, you can get a weekday (Sunday through Thursday) room in winter (November through March) for only $29, rising gradually through spring to the summer rates of $69. Each room features a phone and cable TV plus a kitchenette. Prices include free coffee.
The Super 8 at 2050 N. Fremont Street, Monterey, phone 831/373-3081, is in the same category and neighborhood, offering weekday prices for a room as low as $39 in the November-March period, up then through gradations of $10 increments in the spring to $79 in summer. Included in the rates are complimentary continental breakfast, and use of whirlpool spa and sauna. Their Web site is www.super8.com.
The Travelodge, also on North Fremont (at number 2030) is a good bet because all its rooms have been recently renovated and are larger than most hotels'. In the nicely landscaped grounds is a large heated swimming pool, with palm trees and the patios and balconies of the rooms surrounding it. Free continental breakfast is included in the price, which can go as low as $39 for weekdays in winter (through March), then rises gradually to $99 in summer. Each room has color TV with HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, A&E, and many other channels, as well as in-room coffee and tea. Their phone number is 831/373-3381, their Web site is www.the.travelodge.com/Monterey07084.
At the high end of our budget scale is the Bay Park Hotel in Monterey, where double doubles (sleeping four persons) go for just $99 for weekdays throughout the summer, $149 weekends (avoid the weekends, obviously). The 80 rooms are spacious and attractive, with big screen TV, refrigerators ($10 extra), data ports and voice mail. Facilities include full size pool, spa, and a restaurant (though the latter is too pricey). They're at 1425 Munras Avenue, Monterey 93940, phone 800/338-3564 or 831/649-1020, Web site www.bayparkhotel.com.
You won't find a lovelier spot than the rustic, but comfortable, Asilomar Conference Grounds bedrooms down in Pacific Grove. Stretched out along the shoreline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the state-owned center features 314 secluded guestrooms with private bath and scenic or marine views. No TV or phone will disturb you here, but you will find plenty to do in this naturally beautiful setting, from bird watching and strolling along the beach to bicycling, swimming in the heated pool, taking walking tours, or playing ping pong. The rates run from $87.40 for a double until June 30, then from $92.40 for the rest of the year. Price includes full "homestyle" breakfast. Family lunches for residents cost $8.30 and dinners $13.31, by advance reservation only. Contact them at 831/642-4242 or visit their Web site, www.visitasilomar.com. The address is 800 Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove 93950.
Note that you can always try the pricier places in the off-season. Last winter (through March, 2001), the Hyatt Regency Monterey had rooms for $92 instead of their usual $285, the Monterey Marriott offered units for $99 instead of $245 and the romantic La Playa in Carmel also asked $99 instead of $265. They couldn't tell me this far in advance whether they will repeat this kind of discount next winter, however.
Restaurants
For breakfast, if you aren't lucky enough to have that meal included in your hotel price, check out the following:
The Cafe Monterey offers breakfast and lunch anytime from 7 to 2:30. Hot, "creamy" oatmeal or crunchy granola costs $4.95, but with it you get milk, brown sugar, raisins, and your choice of toast or a fresh fruit cup. A whole grapefruit runs $1.95. They're at 489 Alvarado Street in downtown Monterey, phone 831/646-1021 or see their skimpy Web site at www.cafemonterey.com.
Breakfasts elsewhere are rather costly, starting at $5.75 for a Kansas City Station omelet at the Del Monte Express, or pancakes at $4.75 or $5.75 at The Cottage (see lunch listings below for both establishments). The Santa Lucia Market at 484A Washington Street in Monterey (phone 831/333-1111) will sell you a German apple pancake breakfast, Eggs Benedict or Huevos Rancheros for $7.95.
Noontime Eating
Probably the cheapest lunch can be had at Allegro, which has two branches (see dinner listing below for addresses and phone numbers) and full lunches starting at only $3.75, going up to $5.95. You get a pasta of your choice, salad, and foccaccia. Pastas include lasagna, pasta Bolognese and spaghetti with Italian sausage. If you pick up their brochure along the route (at the Visitors Bureau, for instance), you'll find a $3 coupon off large pizzas or 10% off pasta entrees. Open daily.
The Crown & Anchor is a pseudo-English pub at 150 West Franklin Street in Monterey, but you can make a good lunch from their sandwiches, which start at $4.95 for a banger in a roll (British sausage grilled with onions) or a BLT. The price includes sliced onion, lettuce, tomatoes, pickle, mayonnaise, and fries. You have a choice of four kinds of breads. To wash it down, you can select from 20 British and international beers on tap. Phone them at 831/649-6496.
An "original Express Burger" costs only $5.50 at the Del Monte Express restaurant in Monterey, housed in the old Fremont Station at 2329 North Fremont, phone 831/655-1941. You can enjoy a large-scale model train of the famous DME running around inside the restaurant. They say they hand make their own lean beef burgers ground to their specifications, grill cooked and served with fries, side salad, or soup. Their motto is "home of the adult five napkin burger". Veggie burgers are also available from $5.95.
At The Cottage, in pricey Carmel-by-the-Sea, you can lunch from $5.95, their suggestions being ham & Jarlsberg Swiss sandwich or a "gourmet" hamburger. Their phone is 831/625-6260, their Web site www.cottagerestaurant.com. If you want to pay more, ask for "the best artichoke soup in the county," or so they advertise. The address is Lincoln Street between Ocean and 7th.
Evening
For dinner, you can't beat the $6.50 charged for many courses at Tsing Tao China restaurant at 429 Alvarado Street in Monterey, phone 831/375-3000. Examples at that price include garlic chicken, sweet sour pork, and several vegetarian dishes. Special lunches are available from $4.25, featuring soup, steamed rice, or fried wonton, tea, cookies, and a main dish, such as kung pao chicken.
At Allegro in Carmel, pasta dishes (with salad and foccaccia) run from $6.95 to $9.95, for items such as lasagna, chicken cacciatore, pasta puttanesca, and more. Pizzas come in four sizes from $4.65 and up. They're located in The Barnyard, at the mouth of the Valley, phone 831/626-5454. There's another, more convenient, branch, at Forest Hill Center (Forest off Prescott) in Pacific Grove, phone 831/373-5656.
At the strangely-named local pizza chain named Shnarley's, spaghetti or ravioli with homemade meatballs and garlic bread runs just $7.50. Their small pizzas start at $8.49. If you pick up a coupon at the Visitors Center, you get $3 off a large pizza, $2 off a medium and $1 off a small, plus free garlic bread with every pizza. I like their branch on Cannery Row, phone 831/373-8463, but you can also find them in Pacific Grove, Monterey, Carmel, Salinas and San Louis Obispo.
Many Mexican dishes costing just $8.95 can be had for dinner at the attractive Club Jalapeno in Carmel-by-the-Sea, on San Carlos between 5th and 6th, in the courtyard there. If you pick up their brochure at the Visitors Center, you can present the coupon on it for free nachos with the purchase of two lunch or dinner entrees. On the same brochure may be a card for a free house appetizer (chef's choice) under the same conditions. House specialties include quesadillas, fajitas, chicken chile relleno, enchiladas, and more. Phone them at 831/626-1997.
Sundays
An elegant Sunday brunch with all-you-can eat and a glass of champagne can be had for only $9.95 at the Blue Fin Cafe & Billiards, right above Steinbeck Plaza in Monterey, with ocean views included. If you hate views (or the fog is in), you could play at one of the 19 billiard tables here, listen to live music, or dance, for that matter. They are so politically incorrect that they allow smoking, but only on the terrace overlooking the bay. The address is 685 Cannery Row, phone 831/375-5000, Web site www.bluefin-billiards.com.
A great price for a "family-style" chicken dinner is $11.95, for parties of two or more, at The General Store in Carmel-by-the Sea. Kids aged 6 to 12 pay just $6.95, those 5 and under are free. You get platters of maple-fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, brown sugar carrots, and corn muffins. You'll find them at the corner of 5th and Junipero, phone 831/624-2233.
Summing Up
The fount of all tourism information is the Monterey County Visitors Bureau, with three locations at Lake El Estero, the Crossroads Shopping Center, 401 Alvarado Street and an Information Hotline at 831/649-1770, Web site www.monterey.com.