Monterey Bay, California

[fatboy b]

We're there in a few weeks (BA permitting ) staying at The Sanctuary. Anyone been?

[furtive]

Have been to Monterey as part of an LA to SFA roadtrip but can't remember where we stayed. Lovely part of the world though. Carmel is very nice (Clint Eastwood used to be the mayor IIRC). Pebble Beach golf course is there too - it has one of the most famous 18th holes anywhere

[poprock]

Same here, stopped over between LA and SF.

Monterey has the finest aquarium in the world. If you have the time you really, really should pay it a visit. Mindblowing place.

Aquarium website

Monterey Bay is also famous for it’s seafood restaurants. You’ll get amazing crab, for example.

One of the other tourist attractions there is J.D. Salinger’s old house. Could be a bit busy following his death this week.

[marctwo]

poprock said:

Monterey has the finest aquarium in the world. If you have the time you really, really should pay it a visit. Mindblowing place.

Aquarium website

Seconded, brilliant place to visit.

Also go to Big Sur and stop for a drink at Nepenthe:

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com

[shoebag]

Monterey is a wonderful part of the world. I would recommend looking out for the wild sea otters.
Also the Baja Cantina at Carmel has a Classic Car Night on Thursdays. When I was there a couple of years ago they also had a band playing outside the same night and a party atmosphere.

[Deva Link]

I've been a few times.

Apart from the aquarium, not sure there's much specific to do there - it's a chillin' kind of place. (Quite literally, actually - the hotel laughed when I asked about a/c when booking for a July trip a few years ago, it's not needed in Monterey!).

First time I went was to a conference and they'd hired the whole aquarium for an evening event and laid on various kinds of food and music at different places as we walked around. Spoilt it a bit for future visits!

[Roo]

I agree with the others about the aquarium.

shoebag said:

I would recommend looking out for the wild sea otters.

Little buggers are everywhere.

Personally I prefer Carmel over Monterey, but that's just my opinion.
When we went to Big Sur National Park they had let so many people in there was nowhere to park so a whole load of us just turned round and got our money back on the way out.

[fatboy b]

Cheers guys. Aquarium on the list then.

[anonymous-user]

Laguna Seca isn't too far away

[SeeFive]

Roo said:

I agree with the others about the aquarium.

shoebag said:

I would recommend looking out for the wild sea otters.

Little buggers are everywhere.

Personally I prefer Carmel over Monterey, but that's just my opinion.
When we went to Big Sur National Park they had let so many people in there was nowhere to park so a whole load of us just turned round and got our money back on the way out.

Have to agree about the sea otters and the aquarium. Sea otters are great. I was staying at the Monterey Bay hotel on Del Monte Avenue - the restaurant is on stilts out into the sea. As the diners were eating breakfast, the otters were floating on their backs in the kelp having theirs off their chests.

The aquarium is great, but it is a bit of a cheat! We were having a gala dinner in there one evening, and the guy showed me the plant. The reason that they can grow kelp and keep some major sea life inside is that they simply pump the ocean in through the building and back out the other side. Well worth the visit though.

As a petrolhead you must go to Laguna Seca. Visit the little shop in the pits and get yourself some memorabilia - I still have most of my pint (smaller US pint) glasses from there. Not sure if it is still the same, but when I was there, the driving school cars were Vipers!

Ignore highway 101 down from SF - use highway 1 along the coast. It takes a little longer but is a really great drive for the scenery. Look out for the massive dead trees on the beaches. I was confused how they got there, the locals reckon that they blew in on a storm.

Also the seals out on the pier on Fisherman's Wharf are worth a look... and the really brightly lit squid fishing boats at night.

You'll really enjoy it even before you venture outside Monterey to some of the other great attractions in the area - I am not at all jealous!

[fatboy b]

SeeFive said:

Roo said:

I agree with the others about the aquarium.

shoebag said:

I would recommend looking out for the wild sea otters.

Little buggers are everywhere.

Personally I prefer Carmel over Monterey, but that's just my opinion.
When we went to Big Sur National Park they had let so many people in there was nowhere to park so a whole load of us just turned round and got our money back on the way out.

Have to agree about the sea otters and the aquarium. Sea otters are great. I was staying at the Monterey Bay hotel on Del Monte Avenue - the restaurant is on stilts out into the sea. As the diners were eating breakfast, the otters were floating on their backs in the kelp having theirs off their chests.

The aquarium is great, but it is a bit of a cheat! We were having a gala dinner in there one evening, and the guy showed me the plant. The reason that they can grow kelp and keep some major sea life inside is that they simply pump the ocean in through the building and back out the other side. Well worth the visit though.

As a petrolhead you must go to Laguna Seca. Visit the little shop in the pits and get yourself some memorabilia - I still have most of my pint (smaller US pint) glasses from there. Not sure if it is still the same, but when I was there, the driving school cars were Vipers!

Ignore highway 101 down from SF - use highway 1 along the coast. It takes a little longer but is a really great drive for the scenery. Look out for the massive dead trees on the beaches. I was confused how they got there, the locals reckon that they blew in on a storm.

Also the seals out on the pier on Fisherman's Wharf are worth a look... and the really brightly lit squid fishing boats at night.

You'll really enjoy it even before you venture outside Monterey to some of the other great attractions in the area - I am not at all jealous!

Cheers - can't wait!

[Nat_H]

My partner and I stayed here last March.

We had a room over the sea, with a balcony to sit and watch the sea life.

Possibly one of my favourite places ever.

As said above, the aquarium is very good.

Edited by Nat_H on Friday 5th February 13:26

[AndrewD]

furtive said:

Carmel is very nice

I found it all a bit twee and false.

As others have said, the acquarium is brilliant