>>If you had a choice between Monterey and Santa Cruz<<

Monterey (actually I'd prefer Carmel or Pacific Grove - but they are just next door to Monterey)

I love Santa Cruz (spent most every summer there as a kid - just around the bay in Aptos). But I'd choose the Monterey area to include Big Sur. You have enough time you can always do Santa Cruz as an excursion from Monterey/Carmel.

I have used this analogy before: Santa Cruz is a Chevy, Monterey a Buick and Carmel a Cadillac.

>>Santa Cruz is a Chevy, Monterey a Buick and Carmel a <i>Bentley/Rolls</i> (Pebble Beach is maybe an Aston Martin) . . .

love your analogies----it really does help when one has not been to all of the places mentioned----we've been to carmel and big sur several years ago and stayed right in carmel at the "tickle pink inn" just beautiful---we did drive into Monterey and pebble beach--did the drive south for a ways----have lots of decisions to make--thanks for all your advice