The 13th stop along the 17-Mile drive, this scenic spot offers beautiful views of the coastal…read morescenery, various sun bleached, wind-stripped cypress trees of a by-gone age, and if you're lucky, the possibility of spotting marine wildlife such as seals and sea otters. Parking is readily available here in the dirt lot.

There are couple of beaches to spend your afternoon around. Parking is limited but you will always…read morefind one. Beach are not busy. Usually people just drive around and take picture. Sometimes surfers are everywhere. I will defenitely go back. Just park, bring your coffee and relax. I am from LA and this place just gave me a different view of "tourism".. I am a runner and my future plan is park at the golf links and run the full 17mile drive.

This is a famous attraction that is well worth your time. Enter at the Pacific Grove Gate and pay…read more$12.50 per car. Keep your receipt and the map they give you. Immediately after entering you will pass The Spanish Bay golf course which is worth a short stop to walk into the club house. This is the first of the golf courses that make up the Pebble Beach Golf Resort. Later you will pass by Spyglass and then the Pebble Beach Visitor Center. The 17 mile drive is a loop but I did not complete it because I had read that the more inland parts weren't very scenic. Then continue following the easy to see 17 Mile drive signs. Shortly you will arrive on the coast road that offers excellent water views and several designated stopping areas for viewing, picnicking and walking that are shown on the map. Later you will drive thru many large Cypress Trees along past many beautiful homes that must be in the 7 and 8 figure price ranges. Budget about 45 minutes to an hour to get to Pebble Beach Visitor Center. Be sure to stop there. Free admission and parking along with restrooms. When you get there go into the PB golf club. They have 3 or 4 restaurants and your $12.50 gate receipt is deducted from your bill. I dined at The Bench restaurant that overlooks the 18th green.

One of the most scenic drives I've ever driven on. Definitely worth the cost (it's about $13…read moresomething for the day). They give you a map and list of recommended attractions to visit. I started on the south end, near Carmel. I visited all of the recommended sites except for two of them. The first one was at Ford Meadow. The historical marker did not provide very much information on the man it was named after. Next was Pebble Beach Golf Course - in which I have heard of, but it wasn't until my visit that I realized how prestigious it was. There was another golf course nearby but I didn't spend very much time there. Next was the Lone Cypress tree. Usually this is the highlight of the drive, and it is said that it is the most photographed tree in America. The next stops were mostly waterfront places that had some history and great views. There was also Crocker Grove, where you can look at tall, tall trees. On one of the stops you can see elephant seals sunbathe on a fertilized rock. Again, I say it was worth checking out. Do it next time you are in Monterey, Carmel or traveling the PCH!

This is a delightful holiday attraction at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. I visited during the…read morewalk thru days this past weekend, which included access to the annual Heritage Holiday Craft and Gift Fair taking place inside three different buildings on site. There was plenty of indoor and outdoor tables with seating available, along with art and merchandise vendors galore. Booths were selling a variety of goods including dream catchers, pet themed products, bags, quilts, upcycled clothing, jewelry, plants, treats of all kinds, olive oil and mini-sized olive trees, focaccia bread in various flavors (with free samples), bandanas, books, toys, even "mystery gifts". Indoor and outdoor food stands offered a range of snacks and desserts such as churros, ice cream, kettle corn, fresh baked pies, mexican food, and dishes from Carmona's Catering (pasta, chili, and sandwiches). For dinner, I had a wood-fired pepperoni pizza from Central Coastan Pizza, and it was cheesy and delish! There was also a Cheer Bar selling water, soda, beer and wine, as well as other drinks on the menu like mimosas and a dirty snowman (hot cocoa with brandy). The holiday light exhibits were a joy to explore. Rainbows, flamingos, palm trees, numerous adorable scenes, some of which included moving light displays such as the ferris wheel. I also enjoyed walking through the color-changing light tunnel and viewing the field of fun & unique illuminated inflatables along the path, like Santa in a hot air balloon or dancing with the cows, as well as plenty of other animals including a mystical lounging unicorn and of course an abundance of cute penguins. No music could be heard throughout the brief trail, though if you're in your car, there's a radio station to turn to for xmas tunes as you drive. There was also music playing through the speakers on low volume at the holiday fair, in and around the buildings. I'm giving 5 stars for the walk-thru event which is for one weekend only. The light show experience (which is for the typical drive-thru) was short, the setup seemingly small compared to similar christmas lights exhibits in the south bay. But the displays were still nice with everything in working order, and combined with the holiday fair's festive atmosphere, it was worth checking out especially at just ten bucks for admission.

This is a fun holiday tradition for us, we go every year! Great if you have a car full of kids, or…read moreolder adults too. There is delicious kettle corn and other treats to buy on the way in. The drive through the light show is very well planned and has many themes and fun displays. We are lucky to have this large of a holiday display here in Watsonville, so thankful to those that keep it going year after year!

Really like this city. Just north of Monterey. Lots of new construction and decent condos and…read moreplaces to eat and shop. Views of sand dunes and Pacific Ocean. Just an amazing place to stay for less than Monterey and only 10 minute drive into down town Moterey.

This is definitely a place to be and to see the sights and check out the beaches. Shopping is…read morepretty good as well and they have a nice convenience of regular stores.

Again, my tourist trip brought me to a popular spot just north of Cannery Row on a Friday around…read morenoon. After walking from my hotel to downtown and exploring, I planned to have lunch at a place here. When I reached here, I was surprised with the number of restaurant and shops there are as it reminded me of a place back home, not the one by the same name in my hometown. As I walked down the pier to the very end, I looked at the various themes and cuisine types that were offered, naturally with seafood being the emphasis here. When I got to near the end, I saw a line for an attraction that my local friends recommended to do in my free time. Unfortunately, my schedule on this trip was limited so I was unable to go. As I headed back to the starting point, I walked into the restaurant that I bookmarked for lunch. I was fortunate that, despite the foggy morning, the weather was blue skies and sunny as I sat down for lunch. As I walked back towards Cannery Row, I looked at the other food stands more carefully, looking for possible future meals here. The attraction that I plan to do on my next visit is whale watching. I saw at least two companies that offered this on staggered schedules and I will try to work this into my next trip to the area. The wharf is friendly for locals and tourists and again family friendly. I noticed a sign about a special event happening for Halloween and the Festa Italia was being held just a few steps away on this particular weekend. Do stop here to shop, eat, and catch some of the sights and sounds of Monterey.

My family and I enjoy visiting Monterey every summer. It's a wonderful and relaxing getaway from…read moreSouthern California. During each visit, we always take time to go to the wharf for lunch or dinner to see and experience the marine life and the overall vibe of the ocean, the wharf, and the city itself. One of the larger restaurants on the wharf is undergoing extensive renovation, so a big part of it is closed to the public, which diminishes the overall experience. On our recent trip, we visited the wharf twice and enjoyed our time either dining or taking videos and photos of birds, seals, and sea otters. Tip: There are many homeless people at the entrance to the wharf asking for money. Most are very polite, but one was very aggressive, so please stay aware of your surroundings when visiting.

The Great Blue Heron Walkway is a work of art at Jose Avenue County Park, featuring two beautiful…read moregreat blue heron mosaic sculptures, created by Barbara Abbott and Sandra Whiting, made up of diverse pieces of random objects submitted by community members when it was built in 1999, including toy cars and seashells. Brief trails of oversized blue heron footprints are etched into the cement along the walkways inside the park, matching the sculptures on site, adding a nice touch to the artwork even if minimally noticeable and not as eye-catching as the great blue heron sculptures standing in the grass. I enjoyed checking it all out this past Friday, while spending the day in Santa Cruz.

Pacific Grove is a cute laid-back Citi nestled just south of Monterey Bay…read more There is parking available pretty much all over the city so don't stress about it. The city itself is more like a small wonderful town where everyone knows your name and people actually take the time to talk to strangers. Things that are noteworthy: Monterey Bay aquarium is close by. Pacific Grove has a beautiful walking trail with the front view of the ocean. If you want to spend a romantic evening, then the Seven Gables in as your spot. From November to January, the Monarch butterflies are all over the city. Lovers Point is a great place to visit. Everything is within walking distance so just park your car near the beach trail and enjoy the spectacular views.

What a beautiful city to visit. Filled with cute shops and places to eat. Lots of beautiful views…read moreof the ocean. Lighthouse ave has a lot of lovely restaurants and stores to check out. They have parking all down the street. We checked out the Vintage finds antique shop. They had these tiny hand painted scenes of the local area painted by a local artist. I thought they were beautiful. There is a farmers market taking place today down Forest Ave that we are going to check out. There is a lot to do any many things are close by, like Cannery Row and fisherman's warf.

Cute small town that has the perfect RV park: Casa de Fruta! Just with that alone, I'm sold to come…read morehere!! There's also a really good coffee shop and a few breakfast places that are great for families! There's also a car show, not sure how often they have this event but we were lucky enough to be there when it was happening! It's a great place to tour and visit! I'm not sure about the living situation so my review is just for tourism!

Nice small town. Ended up around this area because needed a place to fill up my tank. You can tell…read morethis is mostly a small farming town. Reminds me of where I was raised, which was Delano, CA. Difference is the weather here is much nicer.