Pacific Grove Coastline, courtesy Monterey County CVB
With 99 miles of prime coastline, rugged redwood
groves and a tapestry of world-class attractions, Monterey County is
the ultimate playground for families.
Key stops include:
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.org),
consistently voted the nation’s top aquarium and family attraction.
The aquarium showcases 250,000 animals and plants representing more
than 700 species found in the Monterey Bay, and kids and adults
alike can pet sharks and rays, marvel at swirling jellies, duck into
the walk-through wave crash and enjoy endless aquatic exploration.
- The National Steinbeck Center (www.steinbeck.org)
explores the life and work of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-Winning
author John Steinbeck through multi-level, interactive exhibits.
Highlights include a life-sized horse kids can climb on in The Red
Pony display, the actual camper Steinbeck drove across the U.S. in
Travels with Charley and “Vote for Your Favorite Vegetable” and
“Design Your Vegetable Crate Label” stations.
- Monterey County Youth Museum (www.mymuseum.org),
geared toward children ages 3-8, this 8,500 square foot museum is
packed with a variety of hands on exhibits, making each visit unique
and exciting.
- Secluded deep in Steinbeck
Country on 50 acres is Wild Things (www.wildthingsinc.com),
an exotic animal training facility with 100+ critters -- lions ,
tigers and bears, oh my! Year-round special events and packages
include feeding and bathing the pachyderms, nighttime flashlight
tours and “Roar and Snore” sleepovers. Adults can bed down at the
Vision Quest B&B, which features four luxury, safari-styled tents
with breakfast served by elephants.
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Monterey County has myriad parks and beaches perfect for kite
flying, picnicking, hiking and leisurely afternoons (try Big Sur,
the Carmel Valley and Marina State Beach). Guided kayak tours are
available for ages four and up, and families can also explore the
Monterey Bay Recreation Trail by four-wheeled surrey. A full
playground and rental paddleboats at Monterey’s Dennis the Menace
Park on Lake El Estero also provide outdoor entertainment for all
ages.
- Other family-friendly adventures
include historical walking tours that cover adobes, missions and
more (including the unbeatable Ghost Trolley of Old Monterey);
Cannery Row boasts a mix of kid-friendly
restaurants, shops, ocean views and historic displays (and the
Monterey Bay Aquarium); and wildlife watching galore, from whales
and sea otters to Monarch butterflies and bald eagles.
Several Monterey County hotel properties are
especially family-friendly, and some offer specific reunion/extended
family getaway packages:
Asilomar Conference
Grounds: (www.visitasilomar.com)
Families who are reluctant to take on the organization of group
activities, meals and sleeping space will enjoy the offerings and
service at Asilomar Conference Grounds, where all-inclusive family
gatherings are a specialty. Established in 1913 as a campsite for
the YWCA, Asilomar Conference Grounds blends acres of sand dunes,
natural forests, and coastline for precious time to be spent
together.
For daytime fun, families have
choices of swimming, horseshoes, volleyball, billiards, ping-pong,
bicycle riding and walks along beachfront boardwalks. Evenings can
be spent enjoying fireside chats, cards, board games, sing-a longs
or rousing team games like Charades and Pictionary in a cozy
community living room environment. Mealtimes are a treat at Asilomar
where country-style, family-pleasing menus are served in the casual,
friendly atmosphere of the Crocker Dining Hall. Or, families can
have custom planned menus served in one of 20 special event rooms
(try an oceanside barbeque dinner with picnic tables and
red-checkered tablecloths). Sleeping arrangements are perfectly
suited for families of all sizes and age, with 314 guest rooms that
sleep 2-7 and are tucked throughout 28 clusters of historic lodge
buildings – each building with a common living room and many with
oversized fireplaces and pianos
Carmel River
Inn: (www.carmelriverinn.com)
Nestled on 10 acres, Carmel River Inn's lush grounds are the perfect
setting for company picnics, family reunions, and garden club
gatherings. The wooded areas are ideal for exploration, games, and
team-building exercises; the property is just minutes from the state
parks of Big Sur, the hiking trails and vineyards of Carmel Valley,
and the attractions and restaurants of Monterey, Marina and Carmel.
Both main inn accommodations and historic cottages (sleeping up to
six) are available, and most cottages have equipped kitchens ideal
for cooking a family dinner. Year-round packages include things like
aquarium and whale watching tickets, and an on-site pool is also
available.
Monterey Bay Lodge (www.montereybaylodge.com),
complete with a swimming pool and two-room family suites with bunk
beds, video games, TV and DVDs– and, it’s located just across the
street from the Monterey Bay and Dennis the Menace Park.
Embassy Suites Monterey Bay (www.embassymonterey.com),
along the coastal Recreation Trail, has two-room suites with
kitchenettes, complimentary breakfast, and evening appetizers.
The Victorian Inn (www.victorianinn.com),
just steps from Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, also has
family suites with in-room games and kitchenettes.
Monterey: So Much to Discover. Imagine a place where everything perfect
somehow happened.
Sea met land; mountains met sky...Such a place exists!
VISITOR INFO.
Monterey
County is located 120 miles/192 km south of San Francisco and 345
miles/552 km north of Los Angeles along the classic California
corridor. The region boasts 99 miles of prime Pacific Coastline, the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, three historic missions,
40,000 acres of premium vineyards, 24 golf courses and over 250
lodging properties. Monterey County includes the Monterey Peninsula,
Big Sur, North County and the Salinas Valley. The Monterey Peninsula
Airport (MRY), just three miles from historic downtown Monterey and
minutes from the area’s major attractions, is served by non-stop
flights to and from Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX),
Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN) and San Francisco (SFO).
www.SeeMonterey.com.
