Monterrey and Carmel
 

Happy New Year! My husband and i are planning a summer trip. Right now we are looking at the Monterrey/Carmel area. We are wondering about two different aspects of the possible trip:
1) Biking is popular in this area, right? We really like riding bikes. Is riding bikes there safe on the roadways and/or highways?? Are there many dirt or paved trails to go on?
2) The beaches look gorgeous!! Can you swim in the water or is it too cold??
Thank you again for your help! You always give great advice on these forums, so I am glad Fodor's developed this!

The water is really really cold(even with a wetsuit), IMOP.
I don't remember seeing that many people biking(but perhaps, that's because we aren't bikers ourselves).
We really enjoyed Monterey and Carmel.
We like Point Lobos-I would imagine you could bike here. We hiked.
Monterey Bay Aquarium is very good.
Had a great time kayaking in Elkhorn Slough. Lots of marinelife up supper close. Could see and hear a sea otter cracking open shells on his stomach while swimming on its back.
We took a day trip through Big Sur down to Hearst Castle and it was a neat place to see. McWay Falls is a must stop too.
We did the 17-mile drive and while some people say it's not worth the fee, we were glad we did it.

Favorite place to eat were
Sardine Factory
Dametra Cafe
First Awakenings
The Tuck Box(Tea and Scones that were different-more like a crumpet)--cash only

Nicer shoppping is in Carmel, IMOP. More touristy type shopping in Monterey.

More people swim around Santa Cruz, which has more of a traditional beach culture, but the water definitely is cold. On a warm day people play in the waves a bit, but you won't see a lot of people just bobing around in the water.

For biking, there is a coastal reacreation trail that runs from Castroville, through Monterey and into Pacific Grove. From there you can pick up 17 Mile Drive.

Check this site for 3 trails around Monterey.

http://www.traillink.com/trailsearch...terey&state=CA

You can rent a bike in two places in Monterey -- at Fisherman's Wharf and along the BIKE PATH above Cannery Row. There's a bike path (completely separate from the road, with a much better view of the sea) that goes from Marina/Seaside to the north down past Pacific Grove. Then you can bike the 17 mile drive.

Great bike path -- easy ride, great scenery. If heading from the path at Monterey, as soon as you hit Pacific Grove, be on the lookout for the beach behind a chain link fence where hundreds of Harbor Seals rest and play in the bay.

http://www.mtycounty.com/pgs-parks/bike-path.html

There's places in Pacific Grove and in Carmel where you can at least pop your feet and legs into the water, including a little beach where parents like to bring little kids at a cove where there's a Chart House and a few other restaurants.

Great advice here. If you want to try swimming, I recommend the beach in Carmel. The water is still very cold, but the water is calmer and it's one of the few places in the area with a long stretch of flat, not-rocky beach. I could never bring myself to swim, but it can be nice to sit on a beach blanket. There is public parking, but it gets slammed on weekends.

The beaches really are gorgeous, though. Drive or bike out to Asilomar, for sure!

Keep in mind that summers are often very foggy on the coast.

there would be some gorgious places you could bike (17 mile drive for example). i would be a little leary of biking on the main hwy in the summer. there is a lot of traffic, winding roads, etc.

Note that what you want is Monterey; Monterrey is in Mexico. So if you Google for something there is a difference.

Thank you so much for all of the advice!! we will check those links out.

AustinTraveler, the summers are really foggy? Is there one month out of the summer when it's less foggy? Thanks!

>>AustinTraveler, the summers are really foggy? Is there one month out of the summer when it's less foggy? Thanks!<<

Most visitors don't realizer that the weather on the coast in summer is not the greatest. You might luck out and have a glorious day or two. But in general -- the hotter it gets inland in the Central Valley the colder/foggier it is on the coast. An inversion happens and all the heat draws in the fog off the very cold Pacific.

The best/warmest/fog free days are in September and October when the inland temps moderate.

It can - be over 100F in the valley and 40 miles as the crow flies west on the coast it can be 60F and fogged in. Often the fog does burn off for a while in the middle of the day but rolls back in by late afternoon.

But then again - there can be clear/wonderful days on the coast -- just isn't as typical. Us inlanders head to the coast to cool off in summer. When it is 105F, that 62F can feel glorious :)

But really - for the BEST time on the coast - late September cannot be beat.

Just to avoid possible confusion - the path that Surfergirl mentions is the Coastal Recreation Trail :)

"There's a bike path (completely separate from the road, with a much better view of the sea) that goes from Marina/Seaside to the north down past Pacific Grove"


And regarding the fog - coastal fog is usually fairly high, making the day overcast - it isn't generally the type of fog that comes down to the ground and obscures visibility. We do get that fog occasionally, but it isn't common. So the fog won't mess up your plans - unless your plan was to lay out and get a tan :)

>>. . . unless your plan was to lay out and get a tan<< . . . or stay warm >)

:) That's what hoodies are for :)

Brand new hoodies bought at gift shops on the pier :D

Is the Mucky Duck still open? It has been years but loved that walk to cannery row and seal watching.

There is a new bike law in CA that just started: drivers must stay at least 3 feet away from them on the road, but I wouldn't bet on that with anyone.

Ocean water there is cold and reserved for great white sharks! Surfers are snacks. We do enjoy the beaches though.

>>There is a new bike law in CA that just started: drivers must stay at least 3 feet away from them on the road, but I wouldn't bet on that with anyone. <<. They must stay 3 feet away IF there is room. Often there isn't. In that case they must just slow down . . .

Moral: Be Careful!

Had a neighbor (experienced cross-USA rider)killed bicycling to Morrow Bay, and just read that San Luis Obispo(Cal-Poly)is the 7th deadliest city in the state to bike.

Share the road!

gads---Morro Bay. My driving is better than my speeling!