Sign in with Facebook"City by the Sea" Top 5 Page for this destination Monterey by Lhenne1
Monterey Travel Guide: 909 reviews and 2,715 photos
“So my job is sending me to a new office,” my boyfriend told me one evening over dinner in his Delaware home.
“Where to? Philly? New Jersey? DC?”
“Not quite,” he replied.
“Where?”
“Monterey, California,” he said.
“Half of the Parent Trap takes place there,” I’m a Haley Mills fan, “Where is it?”
It turned out neither of us had an answer for that so off the Mapquest we went. A year later I was packing up my little apartment in northern Delaware, my two cats and my car and getting ready to leave the east coast for a life in “Sunny California.” Little did I know that Monterey is actually “Foggy California.”
Located 5 hours north of Los Angeles (when I’m driving, at least) and 2 hours south of San Francisco, Monterey is a world all it’s own. It’s not the California you see in the movies…it’s about 1,000 times better. Well, that’s just my opinion.
Being an east-coast girl, I’m used to seeing plenty of squirrels and sparrows hanging around heavily populated areas. I'm used to the occasional deer sighting when out of those heavily populated areas...but I was not ready for the animals I encountered in Monterey.
Sea lions fill the water and bark at each other loudly. Raccoons are as plentiful as squirrels (I had never seen a raccoon outside of a game preserve before). The trees are huge and twisted in odd contortions. Deer relax on golf courses as cars whiz by. The water is blue and clear.
I never expected to associate so much wildlife and nature with Monterey. From the creatures in the bay to the random and plentiful gardens downtown, Monterey is an interesting blend of natural and manmade that will keep you as entertained as the town's attractions.
The city is not large and you can walk from the wharfs to the aquarium to downtown easily. Since the area tends to be expensive, a drive down the coast is a nice way to spend a pretty Saturday afternoon. Big Sur and Carmel aren't far from Monterey and offer great sights.
Walk around the town and you'll find little gardens and plenty of historic buildings, from California's first theater to John Steinbeck's home. There are plenty of bars and restaurants, though the fare can be a bit pricey.
- Pros:Fun people, pretty views, great food.
- Cons:Sea Lions: cute for a day, then you realize they like to yell at each other at 3am.
- In a nutshell:Eclectic blend of a city, an historical society and a wilderness preserve.
Reviews (72)
Day Trip: Hike in Big Sur
Things to Do
(20)
Hiking in Big Sur is a lot of fun and there are trails of varying diffculty and length depending on your fitness level.... more travel advice
Monterey Bay Strawberry Festival
Things to Do
(20)
Monterey County is a large producer of a very wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Not to be left out of this list of... more travel advice
Cactus Garden
Off The Beaten Path
(10)
Across the parking lot from the Del Monte Hotel is the Arizona Cactus Garden. The garden was created 1881-1882, fell... more travel advice
More Antiques - Moss Landing
Shopping
(3)
For even more antiques, head north to Moss Landing (about 15 minutes up Rt 1 N). There are a variety of stores. Names... more travel advice
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Transportation (3)
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Warnings and Dangers (3)
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Hotels (1)
New, Fancy Hotel -
Restaurants (25)
See All Afghan Food
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Nightlife (4)
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Local Customs (2)
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Tourist Traps (1)
Cannery Row and Fishermans Wharf -
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Monterey Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
- "Watching the Sunset in Monterey..."
- "City by the Sea"
- "Monterey - Beginning of the U.S. tour"
- "Monterey and Its Beautiful Big Sur Country"
- "Life's a Kelp Forest..."
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Comments (12)
Nice pages, eminently readable, thank you for sharing.
I have been there 4 times but never saw the jail to tour, or to stay. You show the nice sites of this special town, and glad to see the sea lions still hang out.
Interesting tips on your former home town. I like the sound of that 29 mile coastal Bike Trail. I never knew the sea lions like to yell at each other in the middle of the night.
Great page that reminds me of my short passages in Monterey when I lived a year in Davis! You show much more than I did, thanks for sharing!
One of my favorite areas, Monterey Bay. I'll have to try some of your restaurant tips. Did you see my Carmel-by-the-sea restaurant Mission Ranch photo of you know who.
thanks for stopping by! ;) Love your pages and your tips. keep them coming! hopefully i'll visit canada one of these days ;)
I missed all these wonderful restaurants before. The fried olives sounds interesting. Thanks for the detailed tips!
Stopped in Monterey and went to the aquarium en route from San Francisco to Carmel. Lovely place. You're lucky to live there!
I've read only a few of your tips, but they sound great. I will return to your page to read more.
Nice updates