My husband has meetings in Monterey mid April and we want to sandwich them between two short (2 night and a 3 night)stays around Monterey &/or San Fran. We like to hike and bike and prefer to stay in b&b's or small inns with breakfast. We prefer to avoid congested areas and typical tourist places. We fly in and out of SF, which we love and have visited several times. This time we hope to discover new places and things to do and see. Suggestions????

If your husband's meetings are in Monterey and you want to stay in a B&B in that area, check out the B&Bs in Pacific Grove. There are several right by the ocean. Pacific Grove is just next door to Monterey, in fact, I can't tell where one ends and the other begins.

For hiking, check out Big Sur - all the State parks - Pfeiffer Big Sur, Julia Pfeiffer Burns, Limekiln. Just south of Carmel is Point Lobos.

If you type in "Big Sur" here on this board, you will come across a ton of information on the area. If you google "Big Sur hikes" you will come across websites that have detailed maps of each park/reserve.

As for SF, if you want to go NORTH of SF, there are B&Bs near places like Inverness. That will place you close to Point Reyes and its hiking trails.

In SF itself, you can rent bikes to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito (downhill). I'd suggest taking the ferry back to SF instead of pedaling uphill back to SF.

Happy trails and welcome to Northern California!

I 2nd the idea of staying in Pacific Grove. Love it there. Also, wanted to mention that you can rent bikes and ride 17 mile drive from there. My husband and I took our own bikes and rode a portion of it recently. It was very enjoyable.

We enjoy the Martine Inn in Pacific Grove. The rooms in back are more private, but no view. There are some pricier rooms with an astounding view. Everyone has a window seat at breakfast. This place is across the street from the water and the walking/biking trail.

Another place in Pacific Grove is Rosedale Inn - small, comfy, across the street from Asilomar.

I agree - Pacific Grove for B&B's. Depending on what you can spend - you are right across from the water in gorgeous victorian B&B's. There is a bike/walk path right there that starts in Monerey and goes several miles. We walked it and it was great - we saw baby seals, otters, etc. on our walk. I think you can rent bikes nearby.

We love to hike - definitely do Pt. Lobos. It is one of our favorites. Do the perimeter trail - gorgeous scenery.
sue

We live in PG. My wife saw the Martine Inn last year at a Christmas event and still talks about how nice it was inside.

The SEVEN GABLES INN is also great as is the GREEN GABLES.

Go to www.pacificgrove.org and check out the listings for all hotels. The town is great!

Carmel is a lovely place to stay in. Look at Vagabond's House Inn B&B. Olde world charming, set around a courtyard in a quiet spot, close to all the restaurants, shops, galleries. www.vagabondshouseinn.com Reviews (including mine) on tripadvisor.com

If you have any interest in Carmel, we've stayed at the following inn: http://www.carmelgardencourtinn.com/