Looking for some little known kid-friendly ideas...

Myself and my family (husband, 4 & 7 yr old boys) are making our first trip to CA (from Ohio). In part, to visit my mother (who lives in Half Moon Bay and whom we haven't seen in 3 years) and in part to vacation.

I got a little over excited and purchased via Ebay a timeshare week the the week following 4th of July at the Marina Dunes Resort in Marina, CA. My thinking was that this would be a good happy medium between where she lives and "things to do" Monterey/Big Sur, etc. I now know I way-overpaid, which sickens me as I tend to be overly thrifty, but not much I can do about it now. it seemed like a deal at the time but my brain must have been in backwards that day. my consoling thought was that it would at least be a nice place to stay for the week (2 bdr condo w/ kitchen, laundry etc). from reading the reviews here on Marina Dunes though, I now have serious doubts. in addition, I'm wandering if I really picked a decent area or not - the scenery sounds sublime but scenery only goes so far when it comes to 4 and 7 year old boys. and in addition, I booked/paid for our non-refundable flights using the San Jose airport only to find out 2 days later that flights about the same time and same money were available directly to the Monterey airport. but again, all I can do is move forward at this point. okay, enough lamenting. I AM going to enjoy this trip...

hence the purpose of this post. I am looking for things to do on our trip, in particular to make it memorable to my boys. here is what is on the agenda so far..

We will be landing in San Jose noon on Sat (7/3) and driving to Marina in the late afternoon after meeting up and having lunch with mom. We then have
Sun(7/4)/Mond/Tues/Wed/Thurs to fill. My mom will probably come down to join us for some activities and spend at least one night with us. Friday we leave the area and drive to her house in Half Moon Bay, visit and look around and at the end of the day drive to SJC and spend the sleeping hours at an on-site airport - as our plane leaves 6 am Sat 7/10 morning.

For the Sund-Thurd (5 days) part, I was thinking of the following:
1 day - Monterey Aquarium (prob Wed)
1 day - drive to Big Sur, explore, picnic or whatnot, drive back (what to do once we are there exactly, not sure)
1 day - visit Denise the Menace playground (this may end up occurring on more than day)
1 day - Pebble Beach drive? and general walking around the town areas?
1 day - ?? maybe a bike ride or walking a bike path I read about somewhere...

I expect "beachcombing" to probably be an almost daily activity to some extent - is there "stuff" (shells, crabs, whatnot) to lookfor in this area? is the water warm enough for wading/swimming? Supposedly they do have a heated pool as part of the resort which will be a daily staple too if it is decent.

I've asked my mom for other ideas but haven't received much response other than the don't miss scenic drive stuff. and we will certainly do some of that. I just don't want to miss something due to ignorance and later wonder why we didn't "do this" or "go there". any kid-friendly places/things to do/seasonal activities/events going on that anybody can clue me in on? I want to stay away from kid museums/amusement parks (unless they are unique) as we have plenty o' that kind back here.

We will probably visit a grocery store and obtain supplies to make good but cheap meals the majority of the time. but if we eat out a few times, what moderately priced but good restaurants are recommended in the area? looking for something unique for the area, a combination of not-to-miss & can-afford-it...

and, as if that isnt enough questions... as we will be there for 4th of July - does anybody know what fireworks are available in the Monterey area? what night and best place to view w/o messing with crowds if possible?

The SJC hotel room has yet to be booked - I was thinking I'd explore priceline for this need. any comments/advice appreciated on this as well.

Okay, this ended up being longer than intended, sorry to all! I hope my questions are apparent in my rambling. Any helpful responses truly appreciated!!!!!

I'm sorry I can't help with all of your questions, but I might add a few tips.

If you have time in San Jose, I would work in a trip (a few hours) to the Children's Museum downtown. It is fantastic and your kids would probably remember this stop as one of their favorites. Waterworks displays, very hands-on and first rate.

Kid-friendly restaurants in Monterey--Bubba Gumps often recommended. My husband likes the seafood and the prices are moderate.

Though the weather could be very pleasant, remember that Monterey is not really a "warm" So Cal or Hawaiian beach. The water will be fine for wading, but swimming.....? Building sandcastles, etc. might go over better.

Final point: with young children, you might consider two days at the Aquarium and move at a slower pace. Depends on how engaged you think they are likely to be.

Take your kids to Point Lobos near Carmel. The trails are easy enough for them and you can explore tidepools,wander along vistas that will allow them to see blue herons, sea lions and otters in the wild. Pack a picnic. It's a great spot with relatively cheap admission(per car).
I'd skip the Big Sur ride with the kids. It's winding and perhaps not such a good use of your time.
In Monterey you can rent pedal carts (you pedal) the kids ride. that look like surries(with fringe on top). You can ride along the shore path. Make sure you stop to see the monkey up near fishermen's wharf. The kids can also see sea lions lounging about on the end of the wharf.
I think your kids might love the aquarium. There are kid friendly exhibits (they can pet the rays) and certainly the feeding of the otters is a highlight. I'd suggest walking along the shorepath from the aquarium to Pacific Grove. You will see deer, otters in the water. probably some seals or sea lions. It's a nice flat walk. In Pacific Grove (not within walking distance from the aquarium) check out the Butterfly Grove. I'm not sure how long the monarchs are there. It's a short walk into the grove. There's a chance you might see some monarchs. Ask the locals if it's a good time. For great kid friendly breakfast or lunch try Toasties Cafe in Pacific Grove.

One more tip..on the way South from Half Moon Bay check out the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve. You do have a short hike(really a walk) in..but there are tide pools.

whoops also for great seafood in a kid friendly place..try the Monterey Fish House in Monterey. Do not be put off by the location(next to an automotive store)..it's great, loud enough your kids can loose it and you won't cringe and you'll have a taste of great West Coast fish. You will probably need reservations.

acrider, I am anxious to hear your report on Marina Dunes. We will also be staying there in early October for 2 nights that I got on Priceline. Looking forward to your trip report, and hope you all had a lot of fun.

Skip the 17-mile-drive. There's a charge to get through the gates, and I can't imagine that your boys are going to be very interested in looking at trophy houses.

Acrider, would love to hear your trip report. How was Marina Dunes? What did you end up doing with the kids.

~kat

I wholeheartedly agree with Pam's recommendations.

For fireworks displays, I believe that there is a display in Monterey off Fisherman's Wharf. Also, there are always people along the beaches with fireworks of their own. It's illegal, but they do it anyway. If it's a clear night, you should be able to see the fireworks going off all along the bay.

Try Gianni's Pizza, on Lighthouse in new Monterey--it's our favorite, possibly of all time. Great pies, casual (but not grotty) atmosphere. Chevy's Fresh Mex in Carmel Highlands is also good, and has a tortilla machine for the kids to observe. For seafood, Monterey's Fish House and Sea Harvest (several locations)are my faves.

My best ideas for what to do have already been mentioned above, for the most part, but I can't resist rounding them up anyway--I just love that area, and love imagining what I'd be doing right now if I were there!

So: Monterey Bay Aquarium (they have hands-on exhbits, and try not to miss the otter feeding); tidepooling at Asilomar Beach (the water is too rough for wading, but you can peek into the numerous tidepools to see sea life in action; you can also take refuge behind giant rocks for some playing-in-the-sand time); Carmel Beach (the calmest and flattest in the area, for a picnic, walk, playtime, etc.); Point Lobos (for short walks, picnics, and up-close otter watching); pedal carts along the shore in Monterey (you can explore Fisherman's Wharf, which isn't that much but is fun enough for little ones, and rest in a shady park near Lover's Point). In downtown old Monterey you can get some ice cream cones for the kids and walk down to the historic buildings, which have cute gardens, a big lawn, and a big statue of a bear to play with; it tends to be a bit warmer away from the water, so this is a good thing to do if you get chilled.

Lastly, please don't worry about overpaying for the timeshare or anything else that you can't undo--it's a beautiful area, you're lucky to be able to go see your Mom and explore it, and your kids will have a great time. Good luck!

I would take the kids to Santa Cruz. Nice little boardwalk with rides. We stopped on our way from Monterey to San Fran.

Check out the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. Admission is free!
http://www.pgmuseum.org/

There's a Farmer's Market Tuesday afternoons on Alvarado Street in the heart of Downtown Monterey.

In nearby Salinas, visit The Farm. Take your picture with John Cerney's art pieces in the field. Lots of kids stuff to do!
http://www.thefarm-salinasvalley.com/

The boys may be a little young, but the National Steinbeck Center is interactive. http://www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html

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