Monterey, Memorial Weekend 2021
We left Orange County at about 1:30PM Friday of Memorial Weekend to ROAD TRIP up the California coast. Destination: Monterey. With no stops it would take about 6 hours to get there…but we had 2 gas station bathroom breaks; a re-route from the horrible, congested 5 freeway to the 126 so we could take the more scenic PCH; and a gourmet woodfired pizza dinner at Bear & the Wren www.bearandthewren.com within the VERY COOL Creamery Marketplace in San Luis Obispo where the girls played tag in the courtyard with other kids. We arrived at our hotel, The Intercontinental The Clement Monterey on Cannery Row www.ictheclementmonetery.com at 10:30PM.
I wish I could say we slept in Saturday morning, but our daughters wake up at 6:30AM under all circumstances and on every day of the week! Luckily, First Awakenings www.firstawakenings.net opens at 7AM all week for brunch. We walked to the restaurant from our hotel up a small hill, past the Monterey Bay Aquarium and got our bearings for the day’s activities. Travel Tip…we were seated right away at 8:30AM, but when we left at 10AM, there was a 45 minute wait. Locally owned, they have a great selection of Mexican breakfast items like Huevos Rancheros (which my husband enjoyed thoroughly) but also excellent omelettes, crepes, pancakes plus sandwiches and burgers…something for everyone. They don’t serve espresso drinks, but there is a Starbucks a block away.
One of the big benefits of our hotel: LOCATION. Cannery Row is only about 7 blocks long and there is a bike/running/walking pathway a block above the Row that connects to the sights of the area. We had a reservation (Covid measures) for Monterey Bay Aquarium for 10:30AM. Walking from First Awakenings to the Aquarium took 10 minutes, downhill. Travel Tip…book your trip around the Aquarium reservation if you can because this is a can’t miss with kids and tickets are not available in person. On July 1st, tickets will be available through December 31st. www.montereybayaquarium.org
Lunch was at Café Guarini www.cafeguarini.com because it received good reviews in Eater for it’s empanadas. Yes, they are good. No, there really isn’t anything else on their menu…and our kids ate NOTHING. So…second lunch was basically Dippin’ Dots on Cannery Row!
Next, we drove the 2 miles from the hotel to Dennis the Menace Playground www.monterey.org. Another DON’T MISS in Monterey. The girls climbed, spinned, slid, etc for another 2 hours. Hands down, the best playground we’ve ever been to…and we’ve been to A LOT of playgrounds! There are duck boats in this El Estero Park Complex to rent as well and they looked fun, but we skipped that as it was 60 degrees and overcast all day.
Next, we drove to Pebble Beach. Growing up, when we traveled to Monterey, my family would watch the bagpiper playing on the Links golf course at sunset at the Inn at Spanish Bay firepits. We brought this tradition to our daughters this trip. No reservation is required, but priority is given to Spanish Bay hotel guests. Check the website for bagpiper timing. www.pebblebeach.com. Our 6-year-old grabbed my phone and videoed about 30 intermittent minutes of bagpiper music. The girls were fascinated by it! And my husband and I had an uninterrupted moment of sunset, music, cocktails and appetizers.
Dinner was at Fisherman’s Wharf. Underwhelming. Touristy. Overpriced. Skip!
Sunday morning started with a pastry breakfast and superior coffee drinks at Alta Bakery and Café www.altamontery.com. Alta has a giant courtyard and plenty of space for kids and dogs to run around. We drove here, but left the car parked on the street for the rest of the morning.
From Alta, we walked back towards Fisherman’s Wharf and rented tandem bikes (parent/kid combos) in the plaza. We joined up with the bike/running/walking path and rode to Lover’s Point www.cityofpacificgrove.com and around Pacific Grove. Travel Tip: if you go to Lover’s Point, bring peanuts for the squirrels and make sure the kids wear close-toed shoes to rock climb.
After biking, we got back in the car and drove to Los Lobos Park www.parks.ca.gov to explore the tide pools. We entered the park and parked near Weston Beach to explore the pools and climb more rocks. Our daughters are very high energy! If you go, head away from the crowds and to the right…you’ll find more crabs and tiny fish hidden in the undisturbed pools. Travel Tip: bring a change of clothes and shoes for the kids if you plan on going ANYWHERE after the tide pools. They may get wet!
Dinner was at Toro www.torocarmel.com in Carmel. We loved the sushi and the girls loved the dumplings. It was late so we didn’t walk around, but if you get the chance, do!
Monday began our journey home. We ordered to-go breakfast from Wild Plum www.thewildplumcafe.com, but when return to Monterey, I’m heading here first…I just picked up scones and lattes for our road trip, but every dish coming out of the kitchen looked amazing!
We decided to stop in Paso Robles and do a quick wine tasting, so I found a kid-friendly winery: Four Lanterns www.fourlanternswinery.com. Tasting reservations are required, but I was able to book it an hour ahead of our arrival. I online ordered sandwiches from Red Scooter Deli in downtown Paso www.redscooterdeli.com to be picked up 10 minutes before our winery reservation. The selection was great and the kids loved their PB&J and grilled cheese. My husband and I could have split a sandwich…big portions, reasonably priced. Four Lanterns winery has a great story behind the couple who started it and they both work there. Great wines with a giant space for our daughters to run and explore.
Headed home at about 2PM and made it back by 7PM. Exhausted but happy to have shared the Monterey experience with our kids.
We Don’t Sit Still 
Such great tips!! I can’t wait to visit some of the spots you recommended!
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