RP

We are a family of 5; with two teens 13& 18, and grandma, going to a wedding in LA in late July. We plan to stay a couple of days in LA, then travel up the coast to Monterey and fly home from San Jose or Monterey. We like sightseeing and mild hiking, especially natural sites (we've done many National Park trips), some shopping-mostly art gallery type shopping; some amusement ride and touristy stuff, maybe a round of golf in Monterey;

We have between 8-10 days total.

Tom

Montana De Oro is a nice state park for hiking. And if someone in your group is not inclined to hike, then they could sit and read on the beach. The park is located in the Los Osos area between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.

The Morro Bay golf course is in a nice setting if you want a nearby place to pick up a round of golf.

I'd also recommend a tour of Hearst Castle as you drive up the coast.

David

I second Tom's suggestion about Hearst Castle. If you are into amusement parks, I would suggest the Santa Cruz beach Boardwalk on the Northern end of Monterey Bay. Since you only pay for each ride individually, you can still gain access to the park area at no charge to take in the coastal scenary. Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara, just outside of San Jose (www.sanjose.org) may be another option. Another place you might consider visiting is Big Basin State Park (bigbasin.org) or a ride on the Roaring Camp Railroad steam powered train in the Santa Cruz Mountains
(www.roaringcamp.com) Where are you coming from? If you are from within California, leaving from the Monterey Airport is okay. If not, your best bet would be leaving from San Jose (www.sjc.org) since you can get more direct flights from there.

TravelNetizen

There is lots to do in Monterey County. There are special running now through the end of May -- know that won't do you any good but others may luck into them. Great savings at different hotels and attractions. Worth looking at www.montereyinfo.org. If you do want to pick up on these, be sure and get the coupon online.

David

Don't forget to visit Nepenthe'! It's just south of Carmel and the view is unbelievable--plan to stop for lunch and take a walk around the grounds as well.

Davidcs

kam

Kids would like kayaking with the sea otters in Monterey Bay and visiting the aquarium. Plan a good 3-4 hours to drive through Big Sur from Cambria to Carmel. Stop along the way and let Grandma see the sights. Don't know how spry she is, but a nice easy state park is Pt. Lobos, just as you enter Carmel. Cambria is a cute town with galleries and little restaurants--good for a bit of browsing/shopping. Grandma will most likely love Hearst Castle, kids will tolerate it. Book tours ahead--#1 for beginners. Just near Hearst Castle is a wildlife viewing area on the beach--stop and see if the elephant seals are there. Incredible beasts! Lovely place for lunch before driving Big Sur is Ragged Point. Grandma can sit at the top and watch the coast and kids can climb down the path to the beach. Pretty good food too. Flights from Monterey tend to be very expensive and short hauls to other points in California and the west. Mainly for golfers, I've always thought. Golf in Monterey is very, very expensive. Before you haul your clubs, make sure you want to go to that expense. Practically the only way to play Pebble etc. is to book a room at one of the hotels in Pebble Beach--and that's very expensive as well! However, there are lots and lots of other good public courses--check www.golfmonterey.org The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is fun and retro--kids would like it, don't know about Grandma. We took our Grandma once---she didn't get it. Kids could take a surfing lesson if that appeals to them. School just near the fishing pier will supply everything you need, but they are very strict about tides, so you need to call ahead. Right now is not too late to start making hotel reservations as well as Hearst Castle and the aquarium.

Susan

RP, with kids that age you might want to overnight in Santa Cruz. There's a Westcoast hotel right on the beach and next to the boardwalk. There's a surf museum in the lighthouse, they could take surf lessons (warning, the water is cold!), and downtown Santa Cruz is cute and funky. The town is kind of a 60s throwback beach town. There are also many hiking trails in the Santa Cruz mountains. A nice restaurant that grandma might appreciate is the Shadowbrook, they do a nice brunch. A great restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz is El Palomar, upscale Mexican.

Definitely hit Hearst Castle, the Big Sur coatline, Monterey Aquarium, Carmel for shops and galleries, the Santa Cruz boardwalk. If your kids are techies they will enjoy the Tech Museum in San Jose. Grandma might enjoy a stroll through downtown Saratoga or Los Gatos for shopping and galleries. There are also a number of great wineries in the Santa Cruz mountain area.

Susan

You might also want to consider an overnight in Santa Barbara. The beaches are lovely and there's great shopping and strolling in the downtown area. The kids might be academically inspired with a drive through Isla Vista, the area of town where the UC Santa Barbara students live. I know I was when I saw college kids living in houses with ocean views. Santa Barbara is a fun town to rent bikes and explore.

Susan

Topping for Mona.