Monterey Questions
Have a question about the area? Ask it here.
Sardines at the aquarium by Sherri Vokey
Q: First newbie question! How do-able is it to drive from SFO to Monterey? Flying in on Friday and wouldn't mind a leisurely (but not *too* long!) drive. Cheers, Amanda.
A: Looks like a couple of hours?
A2: It's do-able and I recommend doing it. I did it last year - there are 2 routes to choose from. We gave ourselves 4 hours so that we could make pit stops along the way; it's a beautiful drive with some nice little towns to stop at. One warning - last year there was a pumpkin festival along the route that caused a lot of traffic - but even that didn't ruin our drive. Feel free to contact me for more info (Nicole Engard - nengard (at) gmail (dot) com)
A3: I drive down every year. It is a nice and easy drive that you can do with a normal Northern California map.
A4: Welcome to Monterey. You have several options for your drive. You can take Highway One all the way from San Francisco to Monterey. On a clear day, you will be met with spectacular ocean vistas. Stop along the way to see the harbor seals and otters! Allow about 3-4 hours for this drive. Another choice is Highway 101 from San Francisco, and then a hop to Highway 156 to take you into Monterey. Not as pretty, but not bad! Allow about 3 hours for this trip. Finally, if you really want to see the countyside, take the San Francisco Bay Bridge to 880 which will lead you to Highway 17, a beautiful forested highway which will take you past Santa Cruz (stop if you can) and into Monterey on Highway 1. Although Highway 17 is spectacular it is also a windy, sometimes narrow road and Highway 880 is no picnic! –
Q: For those who know the Monterey area, how much will there be for a family to do in October? Internet Librarian falls during the school holidays here, so the current plan is to ship everyone to California for a week - an eight year old, a newly five year old, their mum and me. They've found the whales, but want convinced that there's plenty more for them to do while I'm inside at the conference. Travel-wise, it looks like we'll fly into SFO, and then drive down...
A: When I was in Monterey on my honeymoon, I actually felt like there was more stuff there for kids than for grownups. The Cannery Row area is full of cheesy shops, restaurants and attractions that are geared towards kids. The Aquarium is (forgive the pun) swimming with children. Kids also might like visiting Big Sur -- there are some amazing beaches, views and hiking trails (for all abilities). And the drive to Big Sur is one of the most stunning in the world.
A2: One of the shopping centers in Cannery Row (I think it's a big red building near the Aquarium) has a carousel. (This has now been replaced by an IMAX Theatre. (Monterey Public Library 10/16)) There's also a couple of neat little historical museums in the Old Monterey area right behind the conference center. Adventures by the Sea rents surrey-style bikes: http://www.adventuresbythesea.com/surreys.html and there are boat tours that leave from the wharf, too.
A3: Monterey is a wonderful place to bring children. You might take a look at http://www.montereykids.com. This website includes information on outdoor adventures, sports, museums, fun activities and community resources. Unfortunately the carousel on Cannery Row no longer exists. But there are so many other sights. You might also check out the Monterey Public Library's Local Links page, http://www.monterey.org/library/commconn.html. It lists museums and other sights. The Library offers a weekly storytime on Tuesday for 3-5 year olds at 11:00. The Sports Center offers swimming and other opportunities for sports. Whale watching boats leave from the wharf daily. You can rent bicycles and kayaks. The Rec trail is a perfect place to take a stroll and to see all kinds of marine life. Yes, definitely bring your family. (Monterey Public Library)
Q: Is it necessary to rent a car in Monterey? Is there any public transportation? Are cabs easy to get?
A: If you are not planning on going to the outer reaches of Monterey, you don't need a car. Lots of places go and restaurants to eat at are right in the downtown area.
A2: Monterey also has a decent bus system, especially if you're staying a mile or more from the conference center. Routes 4 & 5 run directly to the conference center and nearly all the buses come from/go to the main transit plaza about four blocks up the street (by the grocery store). Website: http://www.mst.org/routes/list.htm
A3: The local cab company is Monterey Yellow Cab and their phone number is 831-646-1234 (Monterey Public Library)
Q: I'm planning to fly directly into Monterey (It's about the same price per orbitz from Tulsa) and stay at one of the official hotels. Do either of the hotels have a shuttle, and if not about how much should I budget for cab fare? I'd rather not mess with a rental car unless neccessary.
A: The Monterey Conference Center is right in between (next door) the Portola and Marriott hotels. No shuttle or taxi necessary.
A2: Last year I took a cab to and from the airport to one of the official hotels, and I don't remember it being more than $20 (possibly less). I do remember them claiming they weren't allowed to take shared rides, which is bogus of course, so pair up inside the airport and tell them confidently that you are in fact a single party :-)
A3: Post your flight info on the Shared Transportation page to find others who might want to share a ride.
A4: The Portola Plaza and Marriott hotels do not offer airport shuttles. According to the Marriott's web site, the cab fare from the airport to downtown Monterey is about $15.00. That corresponds with our anecdotal evidence. (Monterey Public Library)
Q Anybody know of any vegetarian friendly restaurants in the area?
A: Just about all the restaurants in the area offer great veg options. India’s Clay Oven, right across the street from the conference center, is excellent. (No longer in business (Monterey Public Library)). Check out the restaurant links on this wiki, too!
A2: Tillie Gort's Cafe (http://www.tilliegortscafe.com/) has been voted the best restaurant for vegetarians in the Monterey Peninsula by the local paper, the Monterey County Weekly: http://montereycountyweekly.com ). Central Avenue Bakery (http://www.pacificgrove.org/dirpages/diningbakery.htm) (No longer in business (Monterey Public Library)). is also good for vegetarian and and vegan food. Both are technically in Pacific Grove, but really only a couple minutes drive from downtown Monterey. (Monterey Public Library)
A3: Regarding A#1, India Clay Oven is out of business. But Ambrosia Indian Bistro and Epsilon (Mediterranean) are both extremely veg-friendly, delicious (!!!), and are only 1-2 blocks from the Conference Center.
Q: Budget doesn't allow car rental, so my question is: do buses do the 17-Mile Drive? If so, can hotels make reservations?
A: The local bus system is Monterey Salinas Transit (MST) There isn’t a route that follows 17 Mile drive, but route 22 does go from the Conference Center down along the Big Sur coast with scenic stops along the way. For details, see: http://www.mst.org/routes/22/index.html
Monterey Movie Tours provides a three-hour bus tour of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and 17 Mile drive for $49/per adult, see: http://www.montereymovietours.com/ (Monterey Public Library)
Q: I am one of those heathen pinko non-drivers. Other than an amtrak/greyhound hybrid, is there any easy way to take transport from San Francisco? Can I hitch a ride?
A: From SFO airport (use BART to take you from OAK airport to SFO, if you are arriving in Oakland), you can take the Monterey Airbus http://www.montereyairbus.com/ -- be sure to make a reservation. BTW, their van stops at SJC airport on the way. Their Monterey depot, the Monterey Transit Center, is not far from the Conference Center, but I believe they drop off at the conference hotels.
A2: Another option is to take the Monterey-Salinas Transit bus from the Monterey Transit Center to the San Jose Diridon station and take Caltrain into San Francisco from there. The last bus leaves Monterey at 3:20 P.M., I think, but check their website.
Q: I am also one of those heathen pinko non-drivers. Is it possible to rent a bicycle while in Monterey?
A: I found Adventures by the Sea and Bay Bikes.
Q: How easy or difficult would it be to drive to Sequoia National Park from Monterey? We will be staying in CA for a few days after the conference (our plane leaves from Monterey on Sunday morning) and want to know how much time visiting Sequoia Nat. Park would take up.
Q Part 2: Are there any hotels/motels around Sequoia you would recommend?
A: It's a 4-hour drive from Monterey to Sequoia/King's Canyon. I saw Sequoia over two days and longed for more time there, but I still think that you have sufficient time to see some of the park. Some is better than none! It's well worth it. Sequoia is in my Top 5 for national parks (and I've visited 30+). --Heather Moss, Baltimore, MD
Q: I'm staying near the convention center, and plan on going for a few runs when I'm around. Can anyone point me to good trails?
A: The Monterey Recreation Trail is less than a 30-second jog from the Conference Center, and, in one direction, runs all the way to Lovers' Point (a good two miles, where you can continue unpaved toward gorgeous Asilomar beach) and in the other direction, all the way to Marina (aprox. 9 miles). Beautiful scenery throughout most of it, and the bicyclists tend to be quite courteous.
Q: I'd like to visit some local libraries during IL. Is there a list available? Are the military libraries open to the public?
A: Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St - Monterey http://www.monterey.org/library/
Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave - Pacific Grove http://www.pacificgrove.lib.ca.us/
Monterey Peninsula College Library, 980 Fremont St - Monterey http://www.mpc.edu/library/Pages/default.aspx
Monterey Institute of International Studies Library, 460 Pierce St - Monterey http://www.miis.edu/lib/index.html?catid=189
Harrison Memorial Library, Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Street - Carmel-by-the-Sea http://www.hm-lib.org/index.html
California State University Monterey Bay, 100 Campus Center - Seaside http://library.csumb.edu/
Naval Postgraduate School Dudley Knox Library, 411 Dyer Road - Monterey http://www.nps.edu/Library/index.html (only available to non-military by appointment on a case by case basis)
Monterey County Free Libraries (Seaside, Marina, etc) http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/library/
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