StantonHyde

DH and I are going to Carmel/Monterey at the end of October for a getaway. We fly into Monterey on a Monday and fly back out on Friday. We have lodging in Carmel. (The name escapes me at the moment--the reservation is on DH's computer) We like to see museums and different shops but we are not big shoppers. We are fairly outdoorsy so hiking etc is fun for us. On the flip side, we get to do lots of hiking at home so if we only did one hike (or even none) that is fine. We do love wine and love tasting it but don't want to spend more than a day or even half day doing that. Here is what I have for a "first draft"
Monday: Get in around noonish, pick up car, check in at hotel. Walk around Carmel--window shopping etc

Tuesday: Carmel Mission, 17 mile drive, Monarch Grove Sanctuary, Light house. I am thinking that will take us a good morning to do all that. With the rest of the day, we could go to Chateau Julien for a tour or hike in the Point Lobos State Reserve

Wednesday: Monterey: Aquarium (2 hours), Walk around Cannery Row and Fishermans Warf (1 hour), As time allows: Monterey Museum of Art, Presidio, Wine tastings.

Thursday: Not sure. Could do: whale watch tour in Monterey Bay (are there any/many whales this time of year?); Kayak tour of Monterey Bay; Tour Carmel Valley wineries.

We eat minimal breakfast and will take lunch where we find it--not big lunch eaters. We do look forward to great dinners. We do not have access to great sea food in Salt Lake City so good seafood is a must for us. We also like the "farm to table/local cuisine" restaurants. We don't really like French food (I know we should be banned from being foodies )Here are some I am considering:
Monday night--Flying Fish Grill
Tuesday night: Passion Fish
Wednesday: Montrio Bistro
Thursday: Fishwife or Monterey Fish house or something else not seafood

Ok, I think that's it. Critique away please--any and all ideas are appreciated. TIA!!

Tomsd

Think you have planned pretty well, but one of the days - I would suggest you drive down toward very scenic Big Sur - and maybe have coffee or a snack at Nepenthene - overlooking the beautiful blue Pacific.

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

Patty

I would prioritize Point Lobos over 17 Mile Drive if you only have time for one.

There are over a dozen tasting rooms right in Carmel now. Some of our favorites are Figge (inside Winfield gallery), Wrath, Scheid and Caraccioli for their sparkling.

Most restaurants have seafood on the menu so you don't necessarily have to go to seafood restaurants. In Carmel, I like Mundaka which uses a lot of local ingredients (however it's tapas so may not be what you're looking for) http://www.mundakacarmel.com/ Another one we really like is Basil http://www.basilcarmel.com/

I have a food report with pics on CH if you're interested http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/851540

montereybob

Your itinerary is excellent. I agree with the previous poster about the drive to Big Sur. It is a "must do". It has some of the most spectacular coastal scenery you will ever see. I would also not miss a walk or bike ride on the scenic coastal recreation trail in Pacific Grove. Have fun.

basingstoke2

The end of October is a few weeks early to see the butterflies. There will be some, but not many. Pt. Lobos has some great hiking. As far as whale watching, you may or may not luck out, but even if you don't see any whales, you will see lots of dolphins and porpoises - the latter like to ride the pressure wave at the bow.

Surfergirl

If the weather is with you, you might even consider renting a bike and riding the 17 mile drive -- so you won't have to pay the toll charge if you start from the Pacific Grove entrance.

And yes to Big Sur!

youngtom2910

carmel beach is beautiful at any time. you can walk onto the pebble beach golf course if that would be of interest. later in the afternoon many people come to the beach with their dogs to watch the sunset, which i enjoy.

mission ranch has a nice patio where you can watch the sheep, have a drink and see the sunset.

highlands inn has a great casual restaurant with a patio with a wonderful view. (It's called California Market, i think.)

in big sur there are some nice hikes--if you go there you can go to the ranger station in big sur.

asilomar beach is bit more homey, with nice hiking trails.

we had a great picnic last week at lovers point in pacific grove--where they have picnic tables right at the beach.

november_moon

I agree - prioritize Point Lobos over 17 Mile drive unless you guys are big fans of golf if you have to choose one or the other.

A bike ride is a wonderful idea - there is a great bike and pedestrian path along the ocean through Pacific Grove and Monterey that is mentioned above - one of my favorite things to do in Monterey. Even if you don't bike, walk some of this. It connects Lovers Point, Canery Row, and Fisherman's Wharf (and beyond).

I don't think anybody mentioned the boat tours at Elkhorn Slough, just north of Monterey yet - another great thing to do.

StantonHyde

What about kayaking Monterey Bay vs. Elkhorn Slough??

StantonHyde

Also--we do a lot of biking--what are some good places to rent bikes? We can bring our own shoes/helmets etc--but I am not packing up the bikes!

spirobulldog

We loved Elkhorn. Didn't do the bay though-so don't know. Not that many people at Elkhorn, so quieter. Saw a ton of sealife and birds. I mean a ton. Best thing was watching/hearing the sea otters flip over and crack shells open using rocks/beating them on their bellies.

Sardine Factory and Dametra was probably our favorite restaurants. The dessert presentation was pretty cool at Sardine Factory. Mousaka was good at Dametra.

I don't like breakfast usually, but we did eat at First Awakenings(their crepeeggs are good. think of a crepe but made out of an egg)and The Tuck Box for a scone and tea(a bit different and you can eat light there).

I was disappointed in Nepenthe food, but the view is good. Super small portions. Big Basin Redwoods were decent, but better trees are found further north in CA.

McWay Falls, Hearst Castle, Point Lobos, Monterey Aquarium(best aquarium i've ever been to) were all good.

Here is a link to our photos
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...0IatW7FqybsWfR

Tomsd

We took out own bikes when we lived in SF but if you google - you can find some rental shops in the Carmel/Monterrey area. Love riding along the 17 mile drive - which IMO - has some of the most beautiful parts of the Coastline, as well as the world famous Pebble Beach Golf course.

If you scuba - also some great places to dive.

spirobulldog

We meant to eat at Flying Fish, but just didn't get to it for some reason.

StantonHyde

We don't dive or golf so not worried about those. Like the idea of going down to Big Sur. The Slough sounds more serene--I guess my biggest want to see are the sea otters. I assume dolphins don't get close to kayaks anyway. So maybe we could kayak the slough. And I will have to look at the various bike trails. We could easily bike for 25 miles round trip.

montereybob

The best place to rent bikes is Adventures by the Sea. They have several convenient rental stations long the coastal bike trail. The prettiest part of the trail goes along the shoreline in Pacific Grove, so I would use their closest location to Pacific Grove. When you arrive call them at (831) 372-1807 and they will tell you how to find it.

StantonHyde

Thanks monterey bob!!

montereybob

If you are choosing between the slough and the scenic drive to Big Sur, I would vote for the latter. IMHO, it's a hundred times better. Also, you will see otters in the ocean near the beach along the Pacific Grove coastline.

Patty

Otters can be anywhere. We've seen them offshore in Monterey, from different vantage points from Point Lobos, etc. Just keep an eye out. Sea lions and harbor seals are quite common in the area too.

easytraveler

If you want seafood, then try the sand dabs, a local fish and much sought after.

The hiking is good at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park which has a lot of good trails. The ranger's station is a big building almost as you drive into the park, lots of info and maps there.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570

Nepenthe is just a few miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur, so it wouldn't be much to go there. Right when you see the ocean, that's when to turn into Nepenthe. If you overshoot it, there aren't too many places nearby to turn around, so watch for Nepenthe. The view is phenomenal.

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/

Plan on going to Pt Lobos when the weather is clear. Great hiking trails there too. When you get to Pt Lobos, drive straight in, do not go to Whaler's Cove, but keep driving. There's a ranger station at the end and a fair amoumt of parking. You can get a map right when you enter or when you reach the ranger station. There's a lot of good hiking at Pt Lobos and it's really beautiful out there.

http://www.pointlobos.org/

easytraveler

Ih, forgot to add that if you're going to do any amount of hiking that you wear some typ3e of headgear to prevent things from falling on your head, like a banana slug:

http://tinyurl.com/9qsrpa8

http://tinyurl.com/8cqzxcp