Pebble Beach/Monterey Things to Do

[JohnnyShotgun 34]

Hey guys, looking for recs for the Monterey Coast. Wife and I will be there for 5 nights in late January, staying at the Inn at Spanish Bay. Wineries, breweries, seafood, are some of the things we are interested in. We would love local spots for food and drink as well. I know there is an aquarium close by, so will probably stop there for a visit. Open to any other suggestions. Thanks.

[mdmost 43001]

If you like beer, Alvarado Street Brewing and Fieldworks Brewing are really good. Obviously, 17 Mile Drive. If you want to go south to Big Sur, Nepenthe is a great restaurant with a wonderful view.

https://www.nepenthe.com/

[Incredulity 11655]

Golf.

 

I’ll show myself out.

[Lobwedgephil 1139]

I would play Pebble and Cypress Point and skip the aquarium. 

[AustinMT 952]

Monterey Aquarium is awesome

Eat dinner at Mission Ranch Restaurant in Carmel — Clint Eastwood’s place.  Sit outside and enjoy the view

[Smax 3800]

Alvarado is brewpub type setting, decent food and bit better beer, Fieldworks is an outdoor type setting, no food but outstanding beer.
Plenty of good places to eat between Monterey and Carmel, Montrio Bistro, Flying fish grill, Portabella and Aubergine for are all really good.
First awakening and From scratch have for breakfast. There are several seafood options on the wharf but they seemed a bit touristy so we skipped.

January is gray whale season, get on a whale watching charter

[Butch Had Not 2969]

I'm outdoorsy so the drive to big sur is worth it. Awesome shoreline and forest.

[RPM 26318]

If you go to Pebble Beach and don't play golf you should hang your head in shame for the rest of your life. wtf is wrong with you?

[Bender Bending Rodriguez 1678]

Point Lobos State Park is great for hiking. The Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur has a nice restaurant with great views. The Aquarium is legit. 

[HouTex 1866]

I would play Pebble and Cypress Point and skip the aquarium. 

I hear it's super easy to get on CP. No need to call ahead. Just show up and say you are a single and would like to play.

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

On 12/28/2018 at 4:50 PM, RPM said:

If you go to Pebble Beach and don't play golf you should hang your head in shame for the rest of your life. wtf is wrong with you?

This. Hardest golf course I ever played. Not because of the layout, but because you stand in awe at damn near every shot.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

Hit up Doc Ricketts bar if you’re a Steinbeck fan.  Drive up to Ano Nuevo state park to check out the elephant seals if you have time. 

[YChang 3443]

Make a day trip down to Hearst Castle maybe?

Love the view from Nepenthe and I'll always grab a beer and at least a basket of garlic fries there. But really... the food isn't that great and it's grossly overpriced. 

[Wally Fairway 5541]

If you want to golf & not pay PBGR rates, go play Pacific Grove Muni near the aquarium. The front nine is as pedestrian as can be, but the back nine is great (Egan design, who along with MacKenzie did the PB redesign in 1929).
It doesn't have the fame of Spyglass or Links at Spanish Bay (I couldn't get on PB, when I was there for a couple of days) - but it's ocean front, and you can get on, unlike PB or Cypress Point.

Our group had a great dinner at the Mission Ranch Hotel Restaurant.

 

[C-Man 27194]

Make sure and make time for a dinner at Dametra’s in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

[mdleast 8289]

I’m gonna echo what others have said above but as that area is my current favorite place to visit, I have lots of enthusiastic opinions. Also, as I think I also just wanted an excuse to go look through them again, I’ve also included way too many pics from my most recent trip there.

 

With respect to breweries, definitely check out Alvarado Street and Fieldworks in Monterey. Both have excellent beers. Alvarado Street is a brewpub too so you can eat there if interested. Plus, they are always releasing two or three different canned beers each week so I like to go there early on to sample what’s there but also pick up some 4 packs to go.

 

 

 

Fieldworks is actually just a “tap yard” so it’s good to check out if you just want to hang out and enjoy the weather or, even better, go at night for a nice relaxing vibe.

 

 

 

The 17 Mile Drive is definitely recommended for scenery and will get you by the golf courses which you need to check out even if you don’t play. Plus if you eat or have drinks at one of the restaurants/bars on the way (including the courses) your entry fee will be deducted from the bill.

 

 

 

An even better drive/scenery is driving down Big Sur. On the way, stop and hike around (really just walk around) Point Lobos park. Amazing scenery.

 

 

 

 

Keep going down south to at least past Bixby Bridge, check out the purple sands of Pfeifer Beach (and Keyhole Rock).

 

 

 

 

I love having their burger and enjoying the view at Nepenthe, which can be great even when there are a lot of clouds that have rolled in (beneath you):

 

 

If you are gonna press on further south, I’d also recommend stopping by Ragged Point, the elephant seal rookery (hundreds of them when we were there) and Morro Bay (as Morro Rock is quite striking).

 

 

 

 

In and around Monterey, the aquarium is pretty impressive (& I’m not a guy that would normally go to one on a trip) and Cannery Row is literally right down the street from the entrance.

 

 

I’ll stop with all the pics but one last rec for one of my favorite places to go there if you like to check out the ocean and views is Lovers Point park which is along a great path for walking/running/bikes right along the ocean and to the northwest of the aquarium. That whole path to the northwest of the aquarium all the way to northern point (bear the lighthouse) is all very striking scenery.

 

 Enjoy your trip!

 

[troph 24781]

Mdleast has it covered. Pfeiffer Beach is amazing, big sur is a whole day and an absolute must.

I love Carmel Valley, been enough times to have friends there. There is something about that valley road that just does it for me. Bernardus Lodge in the valley has a solid spa, it’s pricy but nice. The wine tasting rooms are there too. Ingrid Estate Chardonnay at the Bernardus tasting room is my fav - and I don’t like Chardonnay!!

I took my girlfriend to show her around this fall and we ended up having dinner with total strangers, walking the beach, and going back to their place in Carmel-by-the-sea - just an amazing. Ha sounds like swingers but it wasn’t.

Enjoy the weather it’s the best!

Big sur and Carmel valley road are musts, IMO. And you can’t go wrong with mdleast’s itinerary.

[huge 3793]

17 mile is scenic. Definitely do that.

[Txzen 498]

Some real high points covered here. I like Fishwife in Pacific Grove - it's better than the menu suggests. Not fancy, but solid seafood. A little more upscale is Passionfish. I'm a fan of Pacific Grove in general, as it's just slightly less traveled than Carmel - at least a different crowd.

The Aquarium is world-class, and huge - it can take a good chunk of the day to visit, but is highly worth it.

[pops 6980]

If golf is on the table, hit up fort ord. The bayonet course will put hair on your chest. 

[Chet Steadman 940]

On 12/31/2018 at 4:57 PM, C-Man said:

Make sure and make time for a dinner at Dametra’s in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Or lunch or snack or whatever.  Probably the best Mediterranean I’ve had.  

[otisdog 365]

Monterey Fish House. Need res.

17 mile drive is even better by bicycle. Start at PG gate.

[Buzzrock 14903]

I’ve only been lucky enough to visit the area once, and it was all paid for, but The Sardine Factory restaurant in Cannery Row was very memorable. The place is very old school and I swear the owners are actual gangsters (awesome guys). The wine cellar is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen and has its own bar and banquet room. Ask to go down and take a look, and check out the famous names on the wine lockers.

And of course walking Pebble is a life experience.

[Shoxthemonkey 1977]

On 12/31/2018 at 5:39 PM, mdleast said:

I’m gonna echo what others have said above but as that area is my current favorite place to visit, I have lots of enthusiastic opinions. Also, as I think I also just wanted an excuse to go look through them again, I’ve also included way too many pics from my most recent trip there.

 

With respect to breweries, definitely check out Alvarado Street and Fieldworks in Monterey. Both have excellent beers. Alvarado Street is a brewpub too so you can eat there if interested. Plus, they are always releasing two or three different canned beers each week so I like to go there early on to sample what’s there but also pick up some 4 packs to go.

 

 

 

Fieldworks is actually just a “tap yard” so it’s good to check out if you just want to hang out and enjoy the weather or, even better, go at night for a nice relaxing vibe.

 

 

 

The 17 Mile Drive is definitely recommended for scenery and will get you by the golf courses which you need to check out even if you don’t play. Plus if you eat or have drinks at one of the restaurants/bars on the way (including the courses) your entry fee will be deducted from the bill.

 

 

 

An even better drive/scenery is driving down Big Sur. On the way, stop and hike around (really just walk around) Point Lobos park. Amazing scenery.

 

 

 

 

Keep going down south to at least past Bixby Bridge, check out the purple sands of Pfeifer Beach (and Keyhole Rock).

 

 

 

 

I love having their burger and enjoying the view at Nepenthe, which can be great even when there are a lot of clouds that have rolled in (beneath you):

 

 

If you are gonna press on further south, I’d also recommend stopping by Ragged Point, the elephant seal rookery (hundreds of them when we were there) and Morro Bay (as Morro Rock is quite striking).

 

 

 

 

In and around Monterey, the aquarium is pretty impressive (& I’m not a guy that would normally go to one on a trip) and Cannery Row is literally right down the street from the entrance.

 

 

I’ll stop with all the pics but one last rec for one of my favorite places to go there if you like to check out the ocean and views is Lovers Point park which is along a great path for walking/running/bikes right along the ocean and to the northwest of the aquarium. That whole path to the northwest of the aquarium all the way to northern point (bear the lighthouse) is all very striking scenery.

 

 Enjoy your trip!

 

Thanks for posting the pictures. I don't take enough when we travel and these brought back a lot of good memories. Lovers Point is a great place to watch a sunrise. Our condo looked out on the point. We walked to the rocks and watched the sun come up every morning we were there.

We were in Monterrey to watch my son in law race at Laguna Seca. If you are a gearhead at all, check to see if there are any events at the track. Hike to the top of the Corkscrew and imagine Alex Zanardi going offroad in an Indycar.

[Gen. Applewhite 226]

Great pics. Big Sur is a fantastic trip. I was struck by how isolated everything was with no other road in and out but the PCH. Imagine your life being completely upended by a bridge being out of order.

Edited January 10, 2019 by Gen. Applewhite

[Johnny Sack 8397]

Went with wife in October for a week.  Driving through Big Sur and hopping out to do little hikes was one of our favorite things.  We did that several days.  One day we downed a bottle of Veuve at a little turnout on a high point south of Bixby Bridge.  It was pretty damn neat.

I actually liked lunch at Ventanas (which we did twice) better than the dinner at Post Ranch Inn.  At Ventanas you have a great view of the ocean and it was a good lunch at a reasonable price.  Post Ranch Inn I thought was kind of a rip off for what I paid.  Ventanas is almost right across the PCH from Post Ranch Inn.

Also liked Mission Ranch a lot, very good value.  And Le Biceclette (sp?) in Carmel for dinner.  Also, there is a cheesy Italian restaurant called Vesuvio in Carmel that has a pretty badass rooftop bar.  We went there before dinner one night.

Go to Spanish Bay Inn one evening for sunset cocktails and listen them play bag pipes.

[troph 24781]

Thanks for posting the pictures. I don't take enough when we travel and these brought back a lot of good memories. Lovers Point is a great place to watch a sunrise. Our condo looked out on the point. We walked to the rocks and watched the sun come up every morning we were there.

We were in Monterrey to watch my son in law race at Laguna Seca. If you are a gearhead at all, check to see if there are any events at the track. Hike to the top of the Corkscrew and imagine Alex Zanardi going offroad in an Indycar.

If you’re there during the vintage races holy shit it’s great. The car shows on pebble beach are amazing too. Laguna Seca is amazing though no other way about it. And the corkscrew is exactly where to watch. The climb up from the other side and the turn to the back to set up the corkscrew is pretty bad ass to drive or so I’ve heard.

[Blotto 23491]

On 12/31/2018 at 4:29 PM, Wally Fairway said:

If you want to golf & not pay PBGR rates, go play Pacific Grove Muni near the aquarium. The front nine is as pedestrian as can be, but the back nine is great (Egan design, who along with MacKenzie did the PB redesign in 1929).
It doesn't have the fame of Spyglass or Links at Spanish Bay (I couldn't get on PB, when I was there for a couple of days) - but it's ocean front, and you can get on, unlike PB or Cypress Point.

When I lived in the Bay Area, I had a buddy whose parents lived in PG so we spent a lot of time in that area. I probably played PG muni 20 times. The difference between the front and back nine is ridiculous. Loved that course for the money, which was under $30 at the time.

We also did a fair amount of sea kayaking and scuba diving down there. Walk in off the beach at the cove at Lovers Point, and dive in the kelp forests with seals, otters, etc... water is pretty damn chilly however.

Edited January 11, 2019 by Blotto

[ocugolf 1214]

Don’t know if you are playing Pebble or not, but the Tap Room in the clubhouse has really great food and beers. Lots of history. And you can go walk out to 18 green and watch people come in. It’s beautiful. Last time i was there I needed a 3 on 18 to shoot under par. I hit it in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Made 6. Oh well.

[Shoxthemonkey 1977]

1 hour ago, troph said:

If you’re there during the vintage races holy shit it’s great. The car shows on pebble beach are amazing too. Laguna Seca is amazing though no other way about it. And the corkscrew is exactly where to watch. The climb up from the other side and the turn to the back to set up the corkscrew is pretty bad ass to drive or so I’ve heard.

My kids have a couple of Miatas. We were there for the annual Mazda national get together. It was a lot of fun watching everything from absolute beginners to seasoned vets having a ball on the track for a weekend.

[Chopper 17230]

I'm in Pacific Grove for about 6 weeks. We had a high wave/water surge last week. Did a bit of damage like forced closure of some roads, overturned a car left in a parking lot, and lots of beach erosion. My phone's photos pale compared to what this guy grabbed with a real camera.