Sofanya came through for us to make our wedding dreams come true despite super chaotic…read morecircumstances. When our wedding venue fell through a week before our wedding because they refused to let us put up a canopy to get out of the rain, she was kind enough to let us rent our cottage two days early and gave us several location options for our ceremony, whatever would suit us best. She helped me get ready & offered as much love, kindness & support as she could offer. Then, when the weather turned south & started storming extremely heavily during our outdoor ceremony, she generously opened up her own home to us in the top floor of the beautiful dome house to complete our special day. She truly saved the day for us, and treated us like family. The location couldn't be more beautiful. Everywhere you look, beautiful art peeks through the landscape as if placed thete by fairies, and the beauty of nature here creates a sense of tranquility among the redwoods crawling with ivy. Beautiful photo opportunities everywhere you look. A true hippy paradise! The Cala Lily Cottage was cozy, private and intimate, and we felt right at home. PLEASE avoid wasting your money at overpriced, inhospitable cabins/campgrounds out at big sur and come here instead, where you'll be treated like a treasured guest. My new husband and I look forward to returning on an anniversary!

What an aptly named little slice of paradise. Only a few minutes from breathtaking views of the…read morecoast, you take one turn and suddenly you are immersed in a lush redwood forest. This place is magical. I have so many good things to say about the Jewel in the Forest and Sofanya. I feel connected to them now as they are a part of my story, and I'm so grateful for that! On October 1st, I married my best friend in a small 10 person ceremony at the Jewel in the Forest. It was the most perfect day of my life, and there could not have been a better place for it. We rented out all 4 of the cabins on property to accommodate all of our guests. That allowed us to stay together and bond through the whole experience, while still providing ample privacy and sleeping space for our guests The Dome House is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed in my life. From the skylights that allow you a peek of the tops of the redwood trees, to the eclectic and beautiful furniture and decorations, to the wood burning heater, topped off by Sofanya's amazing artwork, it is truly an immersive experience. Sofanya provides games, movies, books, musical instruments, and a full kitchen. Everything you need for the perfect escape. We cut our cake and drank champagne as a group of about 12 in the living space comfortably. Most of our guests stayed at the Jasmine house, which has 3 private rooms and a large living space where we all enjoyed dinner the night before the ceremony. Sofanya even strung up the cutest string lights on the patio for us so we could enjoy the outside space as well. My parents stayed in the adorable Calla Lily cabin, which is perfect for a couple or small family. It is cozy and charming. Our photographer stayed up in the adorable Lotus Blossum, which had the most spectacular windows and a one of a kind outside bathroom. So cool! We held our ceremony near the stream amongst the redwoods. It was breathtaking. Overall, the space was beyond perfect for what we needed. Each of the cabins are unique and have so much character. I recommend that EVERYONE visit and escape from reality to this magical place at some point in your life. You won't regret it. Now, I have to say a few things about Sofanya. She is wonderful! She really went above and beyond making sure our wedding was perfect. She hung the aforementioned lights for me, provided several bouquets around the property, received packages with things for my wedding for me ahead of time, and ensured everyone's comfort the whole stay. Thank you so much for all you did to make my wedding truly perfect Sofanya.

I had not been to this museum in about 20 years but I returned this past weekend and I was so glad…read moreI did. The entire place has been remodeled. It is a small museum but an absolutely beautiful one worth visiting. As a birder, I loved the cases of taxidermied birds, one of the largest collections of this type on the West Coast with over 400 specimens. I was even more enchanted by the jade room full of jade pieces and artwork derived from right here on the Central Coast, the giant Grizzly Bear, the gorgeous nature field guide mural/artwork upstairs, and the imaginative Room of Wonder full of items that had long been stored in the Museum basement and now brought back to viewing public in artistic settings. This room is mesmerizing and hard to describe but you should definitely see it for yourself. Native Americans are included as well as Asian Americans in the different displays, which I appreciate and feel contributes to the holistic and unified way in which the natural history of our state is explained here. One of the highlights, though, was meeting Bill, a volunteer guide at the museum. He gave so many interesting facts, helped with cool photo ops, and conveyed his genuine love for nature and the community. He is the heart of this fine place. We hope to see him again! If you haven't been to the Natural History Museum, I highly recommend a visit. Locals can get in free.

What a cool spot! So glad I went in one day on my trip to the area. Loved the native plant garden…read moreand the massive room full of different birds. The whole place was very cool and I would definitely come back with friends next time to show them around

I went in just needing to do something fun that made me feel good, and I thought "I'll do it once…read moreto say I tried it. I probably can't do anything anyway, I have the upper body strength of a squirrel" and by the end of the first Pole 1 class with Razz, I was signing up for classes twice a week. Small group environment, so it doesn't feel like there's all these eyes on you if you're getting through being self conscious. And everyone else in my classes are so nice and hype each other up! Different age ranges and body types, making it all the more better to show that anyone can do it. What an amazing environment the instructors here provide. I definitely recommend to any one of any exercise level!!

Love this studio! I'm grateful Monterey has Ms Tryss. The owner and instructors are all welcoming,…read moreknowledgeable, and unique! Strongly encourage anyone curious about pole to give it a try.

Great staff! Very friendly and helpful. Highly recommend. My instructor is Abigail and she is…read moreamazing!

My fiancé and I are having so much fun taking lessons with April! We started from scratch, no dance…read moreexperience or skill at all, and she has been incredibly patient. She has gone out of her way to choreograph a dance that works beautifully with our song. She recorded our dance moves so that we can practice at home. She also took time to personally help us during a group dance class.

I recently got a quick tour of the new music school that opened up in downtown Monterey. Owner and…read moreInstructor Dennis Murphy, a friendly jack of all trades with an upbeat personality, has transformed this space (formerly People's Mortgage Banc next to Ocean Sushi Deli) into an amazing space including class rooms, a stage with state of the art acoustic panels that are not only great to look at but help with sound control, a recording studio and more. The space is welcoming, comfortable and provides a great atmosphere to grow to your potential in the realm of music. I myself haven't picked up an instrument (clarinet only because I had a crush on the guy playing the French Horn, silly me) since Jr. High School and unfortunately stopped playing the piano in grade school but I am thinking about taking vocal lessons for my own ears sake. Dennis Murphy School of Music offers the following for those ages 7 to Adult: *Private Lessons and Music Clinics *Vocal (glee, choir, gospel) *Band Programs ( rock, jazz, blues, classical) *Recording & Production *Private Instruction for All Instruments Come check it out and he will be hosting a Grand Opening Party very soon! For more information about DMSM you can contact Paula at 831-920-1310or email her at paula@dennismurphy.org

Recently performed at a fundraiser were he was doing the sound for the entertainers…read more He was extremely rude from the beginning, we were just there to perform for the fundraising event, and were very sad that he turned what should have been a great event into a really bad experience!

Colette is wonderful! She is very responsive and professional. We were able to book an initial…read moremeeting for an assessment very quickly and she is thorough and communicates well. She is flexible with meeting times and has been wonderful to work with. She worked with a child who was very hesitant about tutoring and is now one of the highlights of her week! She's brought out the best in our little one and I can see her confidence growing!

Potrero Canyon School is top notch. My child and I love it! We recently moved and she was coming…read morefrom a family run, 6 child daycare where she had strong bonds to both teachers and her friends. Potrero Canyon is a proper preschool, with a larger student population than we were accustomed to, and yet it has a familiar, wonderfully caring vibe. Hours are 9am-3pm. I would describe all 5 of the teachers as very warm, energetic, diligent and dynamic. Andra and her team are full of fun and fresh ideas! My child is generally reserved in new environments. Andra, Aletha, Alexa, Liz and Sarah all worked with my daughter to help her begin friendships, and to draw out her desire to participate and socialize with other students. The classrooms are clean, bright and cheerful, the outside play area is fantastic. I love that biology and other sciences are presented in a really engaging way. I also enjoy the genuinely friendly greetings from teachers and students at the beginning of each day, and the smiles and daily updates at pick-up time. The monthly newsletter is charming and edifying. If the hours and location are a good fit for your family, look no further--Potrero Canyon School is a true gem!

So happy we found this preschool! My cousin highly recommended them, and were so glad to have…read morechosen them for our son. The teachers are amazing, miss Debbie and miss Olga are so warm and my son loves them. They encourage the kids to be adventurous and curious, and even noticed my son loved art and encouraged him to continue to explore it. Miss Monique the director is amazing. You can really tell they love what they do. They follow Covid protocols and made us feel comfortable with our son return to school. So sad that this is our son's last year but can't wait to bring our youngest there in a couple of years!

This preschool is very nice and organize and the teachers are great. However, the school principal…read morewas very rude and condescending when she talks. She's not very pleasant and her manners are by far from great. It's starting to give me second thoughts about enrolling my child here.