Kerry392

We arrived late in Monterey and were exhausted. Neverlost told us there was a Marie Callender's in the area but we could not find it; we wound up eating in a diner.

We stayed at the Monterey Marriott in a BEAUTIFUL suite. It had a bedroom area with a door and a nice sitting area. I wish we would have had more time to enjoy it!

Our first stop of the day was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had heard many positive things but we were somewhat disappointed. As recommended, we got there when it opened but we had to wait in line. It was MOBBED 30 minutes after it opened. We were very entertained by watching the sea otters play. They were hilarious! Some were very laid back while others were very active. We watched a feeding and heard all sorts of interesting information. Outside the aquarium, there was a marine biologist who was exteremly knowledgable about the local birds and animals. Inside the aqaurium, there were many exihibits about jelly fish. Even though they really freak me out, I was fascinated to see them BEHIND thick glass. Another interesting part of the aquarium was the feeding of large fish. It was amazing to see them all converging on the food; surprisingly, the sharks in the tank ran away. There was a sea turtle who was supposedly a vegetarian who was eating lots of squid; she was not at all intimidated by the very large fish!
Overall, the aquarium was ok but I have seen some equally good aquariums in other places; it was not worth a stop on this trip.
After the aquarium, we tried to find something to eat. For the first time, we were surprised by the prices of food. Since we are from the east coast and missing our local food, we decided to stop at a restaurant called Jersey's in Monterey which advertised the best cheesesteaks in California (can you tell where we are from??). The restaurant was SLOW even though it was empty; it must have taken 30 minutes for a cheesesteak and an order of fish and chips. The cheesesteak was ok, but not as good as home. On the bright side, my DH's fish and chips were very good. I thought it was kind of mean eating fish after visiting the aquarium...
Next, we headed to 17 Mile Drive. The views of the ocean were amazing. The Lone Cypress was very pretty; I was amazed to find out that it was 250 years old but felt sad when they hoped it lives 50 more years. At one point, we saw an otter playing in the ocean. There were many golf courses along the drive; some were right on the cliffs!
Then, we made a quick stop in Carmel. It looked like a beautiful, charming town. I got to look in a few shops but we had to keep moving to get to San Francisco.
We drove the PCH to SF. There were some beautiful sights along the way. We were able to find a Marie Callender's and ate dinner there. When we got to Half Moon Bay, we expected to find a detour but we were pleasantly surprised to find no detour. I am glad we got to see the area.
Thanks to Never Lost (Always Lost), we got lost getting into San Francisco. Somehow, we wound up on Treasure Island; thankfully, we were able to turn around and did not have to pay a toll.
We drove into the city through the Tenderloin district. I was a little disturbed since I was expecting more from San Francisco. BUt, when we got closer to Union Square, I was relieved.
We returned the car to Hertz with 1,300 miles on it (over 8 days).
We stayed a the Renaissance PARC 55 which was beautiful. Our room was very nice; the view from one window included the Bay.
We decided to take a quick walk through Union Square; as soon as I saw my first cable car, I knew I was going to love this city! I could not wait to explore more the next day.

schnauzer

Hi Kerry, Interested to read your detailed report. We are headed the same way early next year. Have taken note of some of your comments. Coming from Aus I don't know what Marie Callender's is, obviously a restaurant of some description, why is it so special? Is this something we should be looking out for? I hope the aquarium is not so crowded in January.
Schnauzer

denice7

Marie Calendar's is a chain restaurant in the U.S. I wouldn't waste my time. San Fran and the area have some of the best restaurants in the U.S. I would spend my time eating at them vs. a chain.

sharondi

Schnauzer,
Don't miss the aquarium. It is a remarkable place - take your time to see it thoroughly and understand why it is so unique. You won't be disappointed. And don't eat at a chain restaurant - California is a food paradise. Most everything is so fresh and delicious. I'll never understand why people are so compelled to seek out what is so familiar. You'll have a great time.

peterboy

Something to remember about the Monterey Bay Aquarium is that it focuses exclusively on sea life in that area. It doesn't try to be all things to all people. It is a great place to learn about the coastline before you head out to the local seashore.

Yes, it can be crowded during the tourist season but, be patient and take your time. So much to see that you'll never see anywhere else.

Kerry392

Hi Schnauzer! Marie Callender's is a chain restaurant with home-cooked food; the pies are especially good. It is not really anything special but we enjoyed it!
For the most part, we ate at local restuarants; however, if you are arriving some place late, it is nice to go somewhere that you know. You don't want to have to look around!
We did take our time in the aquarium but just did not find it spectacular. We realized that it featured sealife from the area, but I guess we expected a little more. We really enjoyed the otters!

SAB

kerry--what exactly was disappointing about the Acquarium; what was the more that you were expecting? I always recommend a visit to friends and I have never heard any criticisms (other than crowds), so I would be interested in knowing why you were disappointed.

b_in_d

I'd like to know too. I've been to Monterey twice in the last 18 months, both time stopping at the aquarium. Couldn't imagine not going. My only complaint would be the crowds. But if it were quiet and I could sit, I'd stay in the jellyfish area for hours. And the otters!

Kerry392

I did not hate the aquarium! There were parts I really enjoyed like the otters and the big fish feeding. THe jellyfish were also interesting. I also enjoyed the man outside talking about the sealife.
I think part of the problem is that I had extremely high expectations- I had heard that it was the best aquarium in the country.
Another problem was the crowds- it was hard to really observe and enjoy the exihibits. We got there when it opened hoping to avoid this but I guess everybody had the same idea.
In addition, I thought it was kind of expensive.

SAB

Thanks Kerry--I don't think anyone implied that you hated the Acquarium. It's just that many of us locals recommend it to visitors and we are interested in why you were disappointed. I am usually careful to tell people that it is not a "performing whale" type acquarium so they don't expect Sea World. In terms of its reputation as being a great acquarium I believe that is because of its research and educational activities and its concentration on local sealife.

FainaAgain

Kerry, when we went south from San Francisco earlier this year, the kids spotted Marie Callender from the highway and exited. They've circled the place twice, but finally found it! Ha ha, I was luckier