Carmel Mission Basilica (formal name 'San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo') is one of six minor…read morebasilicas in the state of California (five being former Spanish missions). It is the oldest one, founded in 1770, and elevated to basilica status by Pope John XXIII in 1960. My wife, her mom, and I visited it during a late Sunday afternoon during our first day in Carmel, and found it to be a great, worthwhile experience, especially if one is Roman Catholic. The basilica is still a working parish, so parking during non-mass hours was easy to find. A ticket booth was set-up at the visitor entrance, with cost of $15 per adult ($13 for senior). There is an adjacent gift shop that doesn't require admission and sells all the various religious items that one would expect from a religious tourist attraction. We ended up spending about 90 minutes here (there is a lot of information here, along with a lot to see). -- Founding priest was Junipero Serra ("Apostle of California"). He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, and his shrine/remains are interned here. -- Only U.S. church visited by a pontiff during a papal visit: Pope John Paul II in 1987. He paid homage to Father Serra, and laid flowers at the tomb. This visit is clearly commemorated. -- the Munras Family Heritage Museum is worth going to, to see a short movie about the prominent Monterey family, along with early California artifacts from the family. -- the Nativity scene was one of the most intricate -- the large courtyard is a good place to stop and admire the architecture of a California Spanish mission, along with a thick trunk Cork Oak tree By the time we were leaving, the ticket office had closed (last call is at 16:30, to allow everyone to have enough time before official close at 18:00).

My friends took me to the Basilica and we enjoyed walking around the grounds and visiting the…read morevarious Chapels within the site. It is also the final resting spot of Saint Junipero Serra, the Founding Father of California. Pope John Paul II visited here in 1987 and is recognized in the Our Lady of Bethlehem Chapel, which is a beautiful, small chapel with a confessional from years ago. The Mission Cemetery is the final resting place for some members of this Parish. It also includes a symbolic cemetery representing the hundreds of indigenous people buried here and the surrounding area. These grave sites are adorned with abalone shells as an honorary recognition of their cultural presence to the area. There are several museums on site, beautiful artwork and religious artifacts as well as an extensive courtyard to wander around. Finally, there is a display of the final resting place for Saint Junipero as well as reproductions of other parts of the Basilica back in the day. The price of $15 for adults/$12 for seniors may be a little steep for families, but it is worthwhile to explore the history of the renowned Basilica.

The Badger Hills Trail Head at Fort Ord National Monument is a gateway to an place where you'll…read morefind many different types of animals and plants, with some stunning views to be enjoyed. The area is steeped in history, and those who appreciate such things should make a point of visiting. Tip: If your idea of visiting nature requires the kind of crowds and congestion typically found at Yosemite, then this place won't be your cup of tea. That said, if you appreciate quiet, natural beauty with only small crowds to content with, then this is your kind o place! Within the National Monument area, there are several different trails available; you can find something that's short, long, easy, strenuous, or some combination of the aforementioned to suit your personal preference :-) This is a great place for both hiking and biking riding - I suggest you plan a visit to enjoy the natural beauty, and to learn a bit about a place that was once a key training location for the US military.

Saved my mental health during Covid. The goats who traipse through the upper part, accompanied by…read moredogs and shepards, make it an otherworldly experience, especially at dusk.

From miles away, you can see the 2 smoke stacks in the middle of this cute little port town that is…read moreMoss Landing! It a great place for a pit stop and to do some antiquing. They have produce stalls and a few restaurants. They have a Moss Landing park with walkways at the waterfront. Some wildlife can be seen, and small boat riding can be done. Some small shops, a cute pitstop before Monterey to the south, or Santa Cruz to the North. Great little town for scenery, a bite, or need ti stretch your legs

We stopped by to go to the antique street fair. It seems…read morelike it got even bigger this year. Prices seemed to go up as well. I didn't bring my dogs because the announcement said no dogs allowed. It said it would be enforced. Yet it seems like I saw a lot of people with dog's. Still had a good time looking at all the antiques.

Seaside is a cool sleepy town near Monterey, CA. It sits along the Pacific Ocean. Reminds me of my…read morehometown, Haleiwa-Waialua. I like it so far! Gotta come back again and find a better, respectable hotel than the Embassy Suites. I'm sure we'll find a few.

Seaside is a fun town--lots to see and do. From unique ethnic grocery stores and affordable…read morerestaurants to dollar stores, live blues in the park, and open studio tours, Seaside has lots to offer. But as someone who lives elsewhere, I don't find it incredibly welcoming or cohesive. Things like "dips" at some intersections, lacking any kind of warning signage, don't make me yearn to go back. Aesthetically, there are too many strip malls and fast food restaurants. And the traffic flow on Fremont Blvd. all too often sucks.

Seems like a lot of the Dali exhibit was gone. The mural was gone as well. The remaining works were…read morejust the aliyah collection and the divine comedy collection, definitely not what people were expecting when you hear "Dali." There were some other local artists' works upstairs, only one that was entertaining was the works by Jo Mora. For $25, it's pretty steep, that's the same price I paid to go through 7 museum floors at SFMOMA, this place has 2 house floors. I spend my sweet time at museums, and this place took me an hour and I've read every card, looked closely at every piece of work. SFMOMA took me 2 days to go through everything, this was back when they had the indoor pond for the sounds exhibit too. So a normal person can easily finish in like 15-20 minutes. Unless you tell yourself artists are poor until they die and with $25 you can support them for a cup of Joe and a sandwich, then this place aint worthwhile.

Yes, it is mostly copies... but you can still see his work. Learn some things and enjoy the day…read more Thankfully it was a quiet day, could just walk around enjoying everything. Some of his art is repetitive. You will see several versions of his elephant/mosquito, sometimes horse..... There is nudity... and some is a little extreme... but my 6 year old didn't really see the morbid parts, just things that seemed silly. So I think it's fine taking young kids..... there is a hall, which a huge sign that says sensitive content, and I would NOT take a child there. But it's sectioned off. There's some interesting information on that sign as well, that I was not aware of.... He wasn't a fan of women parts and some of his art expresses that. He was definitely an eccentric artist. It was a fun trip, I'd recommend to others who enjoy art and know what they're walking into!

This is obviously not a tourist location, but we stumbled upon it as we were taking a walk one…read moreevening and it's a nice area close to San Carlos Beach and we got to see upclose a bunch (a lot!) of seals and sea lions as they settle in/rest/whatever their routine is for the night. They made a lot of noises "talking" to each other and swimming around close to shore, and moving around and jostling for the few places to "dock" themselves on the pier. It was very interesting and fun to watch. The USCG station obviously isn't about that, so there are a lot of large boats and other seafaring vehicles, but I don't know much about them, but they were all quite impressive. Not the cleanest pier, and definitely some interesting individuals in the evening, so wouldn't go after dark (and no reason to), but overall, it's a great looking facility and we enjoyed our walk.

We came by here last year while visiting Monterey, and saw so many seals & sea lions! They were all…read morebasking in the sun or swimming nearby. No otters though. Some jelly fish & starfish were spotted. Plenty of free parking.

Salinas Main Street is a great small-town, downtown center. Plenty of restaurants, and some great…read morelittle shops. If you're on HWY 101, Salinas Main Street is a great place to pull off and do some shopping and sightseeing.

Argentine Tango, anyone?…read more You'll rarely see me on a ballroom dance floor. But, for the Argentine Tango - well, that's different. It's cheek to cheek, chest to chest, pelvis to pelvis, toe to toe...a deep embrace, abrazo, around the dance floor. It works better if you're dancing with the one you love. For the Argentine Tango is a dance of love. If you can walk, you can do the Argentine Tango. For women, unfortunately, you have to walk backwards, which is more difficult. (Sorry, Ladies, the dance was created by Argentinean men). Every Tuesday, at 7:00 PM, there is an Argentine Tango class offered at the House of Four Winds in downtown Monterey. Learn the dance of love. Lots come, all ages, to dance abrazo, cheek to cheek, heart to heart... He's a football player Kicks a ball, everyday he kicks a ball One day He kicked love up high in the sky And it stayed there Because it didn't come down People thought it must be the sun The moon or a new star Inside me A ball that never comes down Hangs suspended in the sky You can see it become flames Become love Becoming a star... Kazuko Shiraishi

Tango Monterey Bay is a fabulous group of dancers who meet at the House of Four Winds. Argentine…read moreTango is a means of social, creative and physical expression. The music and connection touches the soul somewhere deep inside. The instruction at this venue is very high quality, with rotating visiting teachers coming from the San Francisco area. The people who dance here are open and friendly, and could become some of your best friends. I highly recommend learning to dance tango with TMB at the House of Four Winds. Judy