Yes, the water is cold. Yes fog sometimes obscures the gorgeous vistas, especially in summer. Yes, some places feature dangerous rig currents and unpredictable wave action. But so what? The beaches of the Monerey Peninsula are among the finest in the world and offer recreational activities at every level, from a simple shell-collecting stroll to extreme sports such as hang … [Read more...] about Bliss on the Beach
Travel
Starry Nights and Sunny Hikes
On Monterey County’s northeastern edge, where the Gabilan Mountains cross the San Benito County border, a small state park overlooks its Carmel and Monterey Peninsula neighbors. Locals might know Fremont Peak from newscasts—it’s where several broadcasters and communications providers position their towers—but the park’s remote location and unobstructed views make it a favorite … [Read more...] about Starry Nights and Sunny Hikes
California Highway 1
Among the world’s most famous thoroughfares is the 100-mile,two-lane blacktop that snakes along the Big Sur coast from Carmel to Cambria. It offers up some of the most stunning views anywhere, regularly popping up on travel writers’ bucket lists and at the head of top driving destination lists. Its official name is the Big Sur Coast Highway, but it was originally the Carmel-San … [Read more...] about California Highway 1
The Good Old Days, Every Day
No other Monterey Peninsula city has as many nicknames as does Pacific Grove. A sampling: “Butterfly Town, USA,” “Pagrovia,” “A Piney Paradise,” “God’s Kingdom by the Sea,” “The Last Hometown,” “A Dreamy Seaside Sanctuary” and “The Most Romantic City in the U.S.” Those are the Chamber of Commerce-style monikers…most local residents refer to the cheerful town simply as, … [Read more...] about The Good Old Days, Every Day
Big Sur Magic
It's a vast paradox... a landscape breathtakingly beautiful yet unsparingly harsh; a climate equally bucolic and brutal; a community simultaneously insular and warmly welcoming; a spirit both ruggedly realistic and dreamily ethereal. It’s Big Sur. If ever a region were appropriately named, this is it. It’s huge, encompassing some 75 miles of California coastline extending … [Read more...] about Big Sur Magic