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Monterey Itineraries
- With One Day to Play
- With Two Days to Play
- With Three Days to Play
Now you’re really ready to combine sightseeing with relaxation and recreation. (But remember, there’s so much more, you’ll still have to make some hard decisions — or just come back another time!)
Day 1
Again, start your stay by learning more about our wonderful bay at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row, then follow it up with an afternoon in Old Monterey (the Maritime Museum is a fascinating place to start), or out whalewatching.
Day 2
The next morning, take the coast road through Pacific Grove (known as ‘America’s Last Hometown’) and Pebble Beach, passing Seal Rock, Pebble Beach Lodge and immaculately kept golf courses on 17-Mile Drive. Explore Carmel, taking time before lunch for its art galleries, antique shops and boutiques.
Leave Carmel by way of Mission San Carlos Borromeo; third of the chain of missions founded in the 1770s, it houses a magnificent bronze sarcophagus honoring Father Junipero Serra, sculpted by artist Jo Mora.
Spend the afternoon roaming Big Sur on and off Highway One, perhaps America’s most scenic auto route, with high windswept hills perfect for hiking or horseback riding to one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.
Day 3
Prime-time for relaxation and refreshment! You might start the day with a round of golf: some of the best — and sunniest are located in Carmel Valley. Not a golfer? How about a body-wrap or massage at one of the many elegant spas in the area? Spend the afternoon in Carmel Valley Village doing some wine-tasting and antiquing.
Traveling with the family? Choose the Salinas Valley instead. You can begin with the National Steinbeck Center’s educational (but so much fun!) galleries, including its new Agriculture Wing, and stroll Salinas Oldtown’s mellow Main Street. Then head for The Farm to learn about organic veggies and strawberries or Wild Things animal training center, to meet Josef, the model for The Lion King. Bring a picnic along, and everyone can enjoy a visit to one of the many wineries lining the Salinas Valley, a great way to toast to your Monterey County vacation.
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