History Seeker…read more Monterey State Historic Park is quite possibly the most under-the-radar CA State Park in existence; located directly adjacent to Monterey's Old Fisherman's Wharf, it's literally been under our noses this entire time. Admittedly, it's not the sexiest State Park in existence, as it's mostly compromised of historic buildings and museums, and that's not to mention it's not what most would imagine when you say the words "State Park." But that's what makes this place even more interesting, in my opinion. The Good: *It's free! My favorite price. :D *The Pacific House and Custom House are full of fantastic relics and information about this area, and you'll soon quickly realize why this place is a State park. *Free tours are given (Thu-Sun 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.) *Lots of historical "secret" gardens to explore, including the Memory Garden, Custom House Davis Garden and many more! Check out this link for more info: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=952 *Located adjacent to the Old Fisherman's Wharf, so no need to pack a lunch. :) *One can also access the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail from here, as well. The Meh: *Semi Dog-friendly (allowed outside but not in the buildings) The Ugly: *Parking can be a bit of a hassle, as the adjacent paid City of Monterey Lot fills up quickly on weekends, and the street parking is limited to two hours (read the signs carefully). TLDR: Great place to visit, especially if you're already in the area. It's definitely a must-see for all fans of history, and especially CA history.

Nice little bit of history here. Very nice volunteers and knowledgeable. There's a store where…read moreyou'll find gifts, books and trinkets.

My review is not for the active San Carlos Cathedral church services. Instead it's for the Royal…read morePresidio Chapel historic federal landmark. They are both the same building. Currently the San Carlos Cathedral Catholic Church uses the Presidio Chapel. When services are not occurring, visitors can explore the interior and outside facade. There is no charge to walk about, it's free. The present sandstone chapel construction was completed in 1795. The native Americans labors built the chapel. The Monterey Presidio was founded in 1770 as the second of four Spanish Presidios. At that time, the presidio's chapel served for the Spanish soldiers and dignitaries. It's the oldest stone building in California. When walking about the exterior of the chapel take note of the marked lines to the right of the building. Those lines indicate chapel construction (where, what, and when). The current building is shaped as a cross. Directly in the back there is a plaque memorializing where the Oak tree stood in 1770 where Father Junipero Serra broke ground for the chapel construction. The tree was removed in 1905 when it was damaged. But the tree holds important place in Monterey history. In 1602, it is said that Spanish explorer Vizcaíno followed the creek from the Bay and noticed this majestic oak tree. Under that tree he and with the friars, traveling in his expedition, held Mass under the tree and claimed the area for Spain. Father Serra followed Vizcaino's directions to the site in 1770 to establish a mission and presidio. But a year or two later he decided to build the mission in Carmel instead. But the presidio continued with building the chapel. Pieces of the grand tree have been preserved and are located in various local museums. Now let's talk about out the interior. The church doors are left open during the day welcoming all inside. Inside there are paintings and statues including are originals such as the Stations of the Cross, St John, Sorrowful Mother, and Spanish Madonna. As you enter the church, look up and the exterior and take notice of the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue; it's still the original making it the oldest non-indigenous statue in California. Also throwing it out there that there are cameras all over and everything is monitored. So don't be a doofus. Just enjoy and soak in the history.

The homilies are introspectively conducted. It is a beautiful Cathedral in a beautiful, small town.read more

This was our first visit to the playground. I saw the size and diversity of structures here and…read moreknew we had to visit. Since we were going to be in the area, it was added to our agenda for the day. From the parking lot, you see a baseball field, life size train behind black gates and restrooms. The parking lot was adequate in size and held about 20-25 cars. We were fortunate to obtain the last open parking space while others circled and departed. At the entrance of Dennis the Menace, there are the restrooms, a case for free books to leave or take, a stand on the background of the playground, an oversized lion who's mouth serves as a water fountain (so cool!) and a Dennis the menace comic strip page. Directly behind the train, to your right as you enter, is an oversized figure of Dennis the Menace enclosed in the gate. There are 2-3 stands sharing the history and significance of the trains presence. There are large rocks to climb with two tunnels to walk through, a rock climbing wall, a cross bridge connecting two large rocks, swings, slides, a maze made from gates leading to a smaller play structure, a tube based slide, an oversized sunshine staircase, a boat, and so much more. This space is incredible to experience as an adult, our daughter ran around for hours allowing us to share in her fun running along side her. There were few spots offering refuge from the sun and seating was minimal. There are a few benches, but mostly the stone structure surrounding the play area was used. The gnats...they were everywhere in swarms making it difficult to navigate and fully enjoy. We were constantly swatting at the tiny buggers, our daughter was existing free as a bird making her way around the park - doubt she noticed. There were a few spots on the park we were able to find relief, very few. It would be great if the park implemented some bug deterrent to lessen the presence of the gnats. Other than that, it was an incredible experience we all enjoyed. We were there for a few hours and only departed because she needed to eat dinner. 4.5 due to the presence of the gnats. In their absence a solid 10.

Dennis the Menace Playground, Monterey…read more August 2026 I've been here a few times with my family. This is an awesome park and it's pretty big! This park is great for all ages even for adults too! I highly recommend going on the weekends, although there are a lot of people, I think they close during the weekday since there's a preschool nearby. Right next to this playground entrance, there's a baseball field and there's a small snack bar, it's called El Estero Snack Bar, they sell hamburgers, fries and drinks. We ordered the nacho cheese fries with jalapeno peppers on the side. It came out piping hot! Although it seems so basic, it was really good on a cold day! Highly recommend this playground and would come back if I'm in the area. This place is awesome!

Absolutely beautiful park! If you love hiking and walking, I recommend spending a full day here…read morebecause you can explore the entire park on foot If you're short on time, drive to the end and walk to the last viewpoint -- the view is absolutely stunning

One of our favorite places in the world and a place I'm certainly glad is in our proverbial…read more"backyard." Ok, so it's like 3-4 hours away, but wow, really pretty here. The natural landscape is just phenomenal. God's fingerprints all over this place. Pros: - not a bad drive down here from the touristy parts of Monterey and Seaside where we usually reside for the weekend - a bit windy, but a truly lovely and incredibly scenic twisty, turn-y road that keeps me on my toes - once you're here it's just breathtaking. - trail walk/stroll is pretty easy, nothing real rigorous as long as you're still in decent health. - more challenging "hikes" available for those who are looking for more, I've not stepped up to that (huffing and puffing doesn't sound fun), so I'm not sure where those trails are, but easy to find online. - so much fauna and flora to look at. - the coast here is just so rugged and ridiculously jawpdropping. - kids love this place too. There's a ranger station/little nature stop/house of sorts, not quite a "museum", but it's got the history, the nature, the strange facts you'd not otherwise know about unless you stopped by. - very kind and dedicated volunteers that will tell you all you want to know about Point Lobos - the nature, the creatures of sky, sea, and land, the past, present and future, whatever you want. - Plus they often have binoculars they will let you use to look out at the coast for seals and sealions and otters and more galore, oh my! Cons: - parking is the suck here. It's not too expensive to get in, but most people seem to park along the main road/highway that leads to Point Lobos which is kind of dangerous and a good trek to get to the State Reserve, so you've got your exercise before you even start exploring. That could be a plus? All in all, a magnificent and marvelous natural state reserve, well preserved, more than maintained, must see to appreciate.

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.

Monterey Bay is always a nice getaway. Love the wharf, even if it's touristy, but I like that vibe…read more The shops are cute to browse and get souvenirs and gifts, it's never crowded, the views are incredible, you can spot some Marine life. It has an old-school vibe which is more than OK with me. Not a lot to do, but it can be a good stop on a road trip or you can kill time if you spend the night in town.

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.

Nice little area to walk with loads of wildlife to watch. Starfish all over, seals, otters. If you…read morelike to fish, this is a spot for fishing. Nice spot to stretch your legs and take in the ocean air.

Great spot to watch sea lions sunbathe!…read more Parking: Paid via app We found this spot randomly while exploring Monterey. We came on a weekday and it was fairly empty. We saw several people fishing off the pier. We walked along the pier and saw one sea lion and got super excited until we walked further and saw a TON of sea lions napping on the rocks. They were so cute and it was very cool to see them up close. I would definitely bookmark the spot for future visits!

I didn't know that I loved lighthouses until I had the tour of the Point Pinos Lighthouse in…read morePacific Grove. Now I am drawn to lighthouses for their beauty, their history, and their unique mystique. The docents at Point Pinos Lighthouse were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The grounds are impeccable, and the exhibits within the lighthouse are a slice of living history. The setting is stunning, right at Asilomar Beach. You'll want to leave time to walk along the water after you explore the lighthouse. Even if you are not into history or the military or lighthouses, you should definitely drop in to visit this space. You will walk away having digested a bit of unique beauty. Check the hours online -- they are very specific and limited, and it's easy to get shut out. Many people don't know that women often worked the lighthouses back in older times. This is just one fact that stayed with me after my visit. A candle on the water helps lost sailors find their way home.

This is the oldest working lighthouse on the West Coast. It is absolutely beautiful. The volunteers…read moreare amazing and very knowledgeable. The weather was great today and we could not have asked for a more perfect visit. If you are into history or lighthouses or the military this place should be on your radar! This is 100% hands down!!!!

Fantastic experience visiting Tor House in Carmel. I have visited the area many times and yet this…read moreundiscovered gem somehow never made it on my bucket list. The visit has opened the door to learning more about Carmel and its history. Inspired by the docent who hosted our tour, Anne. She had a wide breadth of knowledge regarding the poet, Robinson Jeffers, the construction of the house, and the antiquities within the home. If history, art, or architecture interests you, schedule a visit to Tor House!

Very beautiful location! We had a very informative tour guide who really seemed to enjoy his job!…read moreThe grounds are very well maintained and all of the staff were very kind! Definitely worth a visit!

Just tried to use our gift certificates. Called and spoke to the owner who was gracious and…read moreapologetic as he informed us the business had closed last year. We are bummed but understand and respect his kind response and explanation. Closed business

Doug is the owner/operator of this fun and informative tour. His knowledge and love for what he…read moredoes shines thru. This is a must do not just for old movie lovers but Doug really brings the area to life with his wealth of knowledge and history of the area me and my family would otherwise not know. The tour was approximately 3.5 hrs and it flew by!