14 Weeks: Vacation (Part 2)- Monterey

Day 3 (continued)

Once we arrived in Monterey we checked into our hotel (Hotel Abrego).  The hotel was very nice; in fact, it was our nicest room- we had a pool view, fireplace, bed was very comfortable, and about 1 mile away from Fisherman's Wharf.

We unpacked the car and settled into our room before heading down towards Fisherman's Wharf.  We took the Monterey Bay Recreational Trail towards Cannery Row and had happy hour at Chart House!  Lloyd tried a Fat Lip Amber Ale and a Golden Ale beers, both locally brewed and both great beers.  We also shared fish tacos and prime rib sliders (both great appetizers, especially the fish tacos which were the best of our vacation) while enjoying the beautiful ocean view!

Afterwards we made the trek back to the hotel, taking a little detour on the pier to check out Fisherman's Wharf and decide if we wanted to eat at any of the restaurants there for our "nice dinner' out".  Although they looked alright they were likely very touristy and over-priced so we decided to entertain our other options. 

Also on the way back we realized that there was some kind of entertainment going on (we could hear live music).  We ventured over to the action and found the local farmer's market night.  We walked down Alvarado Street checking out the town and all the vendors displaying fresh produce, fish, gifts, art, etc.  Lloyd also found Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill which looked like a great atmosphere and neat place to check out (which we did a couple of times in the days ahead!).

Once back in the hotel we relaxed and watched some HGTV before calling it a night...we were both pretty exhausted after the long drive, nice walk, etc.

Day 4

Poppy Hills Golf Course

Me at Spanish Bay

Wednesday morning we headed back to Alvarado Street to eat some bagel sandwiches at a small bagel shop.  We both got the egg, ham, and cheese on whole wheat.  They were good but not the best we have had.  Afterwards, we walked up the street to Peet's Coffee and sat outside enjoying the nice morning before heading back to the hotel.



Spanish Bay Golf Course and Inn

Soon after we headed toward Pebble Beach to start the famous 17 Mile Drive.  They charge $10 to get in but it was well worth every penny of it!  The scenery was beautiful throughout, with 3 golf courses, plenty of gorgeous ocean views, and even some wildlife (we saw some deer on the golf course!). 

Beach/Boardwalk at Spanish Bay

The highlights were Poppy Hills Golf Course, Spanish Bay Golf Course and the surrounding beach and boardwalk, the Lone Cypress Tree and of course the prestigious Pebble Beach Golf Course that completes the 17 Mile Drive.  

Lloyd and I at Pebble Beach

We stopped at each place but our favorite was by far Pebble Beach!  We were able to walk into the Lodge Resort and see the beauty of the 18th hole.  We were even able to stand near the finale of the course and take some pictures!  We were very lucky to have a nice lady who worked at Pebble Beach walk up and take our picture together!  She was such a joy and highlight of our time there, even commenting on how cute we were as a couple!  Unfortunately, she had some issues with our camera and once she took the picture it didn't turn out as well as it should have...oh well, we still got our one and only "couple picture" taken at Pebble Beach!

View of 18th hole at Pebble Beach

Ocean scenery on 17 Mile Drive

In fact, we loved Pebble Beach so much that we seriously considered going back and enjoying dinner there later that evening.  Ultimately, we decided against it but only because our options were to have a very casual outside meal with small portions yet still very expensive or to dine in the prestigious restaurant which we did not have the proper attire for.  We will definitely need to plan better next time and go back to either enjoy a nice lunch on the greens or dress for the occasion and splurge by enjoying the restaurant.

After the 17 Mile Drive we went back to the hotel for a few minutes before heading to Compagno's Market and Deli.  We got sandwiches to go there and they were by far the best we've had in a long time!  We took them back to our room and enjoyed lunch on our balcony!

Great park for kids!

After a quick nap we walked to Dennis the Menace Park.  This place was amazing and packed with tons of kids and families enjoying a beautiful Monterey day!  We will need to come back here with our little kiddos and let them take in all that this park has to offer!

View from Dennis the Menace Park

Later that evening we walked back to Chart House and enjoyed an "anniversary dinner" (a week late but still tons of fun!)!  On the way we stopped at Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill where Lloyd enjoyed their Duane's World IPA.  At Chart House, we were able to get a booth with an ocean view and enjoyed one of our best meals of our vacation!  Dinner started with Duck Potstickers as an appetizer followed by a salad that we shared (I ate most of it).  I ordered the Salmon with Artichoke which was very tasty and Lloyd ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna which was "melt-in-your-mouth" perfection!  For dessert we enjoyed the delicious Lava Cake!  Needless to say we rolled ourselves out of the restaurant and were thankful for the 2+ mile walk home!

Day 5

Start of our hike- very cold and overcast

Thursday morning we woke up fairly early knowing that we wanted to check out Point Lobos State Reserve.  Lloyd found this place on Yelp...out of hundreds of reviews it got 5 stars!  We packed our little picnic (our leftover sandwiches from the day before, a couple of apples, and water) and drove the 15 minutes to the park entrance.  We were lucky to be there early and able to park for free on the street.

View of Carmel/Pebble Beach in the distance

Once at the park entrance the park ranger was very helpful, showing us (and even loaning us a map) where to go and letting us know that it was a good 3 hour walk around the reserve but well worth it.  He wasn't joking...the hike was beyond breathtaking and something I would definitely go back and spend a good day enjoying all the beauty! 

Breathtaking views!

It did take us just under 3 hours (which is all the time we had to spare given our checkout time) but that included some extra mileage, lots of picture taking, and a little rest to enjoy our picnic lunch midway through the hike.

Walking along the beach!

Once back to the hotel we rinsed off and I was able to take a 30 minute nap before packing up the car.  We had so much fun on our vacation it was really hard to leave.  Also, we knew that leaving around 12-noon would only land us right in the midst of Los Angeles rush hour traffic so we decided to stay and enjoy Monterey a little while longer.

China cove

We went back to Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill where Lloyd enjoyed another IPA beer and we watched some of the 2014 World Cup Soccer game.  Afterwards, we walked back to Cannery Row in search of Lids, hoping to find a hat for Lloyd.  We did end up at Lids but unfortunately did not find a hat that fit perfectly and/or was the right price.

China Cove and Beach

It was getting late and we were getting hungry.  We headed back towards the hotel, stopping at a nice cafe hoping to enjoy some panini sandwiches.  Unfortunately, their menu was very pricey so we passed and opted for Chipotle since it would be good food, nice portions, and fairly priced.  We had planned to save some for our road trip home but both ended up eating all our food!

Once back to the hotel, it was time to leave.  We departed Monterey at 3:45 pm knowing we had at least a 6 hour drive.  This was definitely cutting it close and ended up being too much for us.  We made it home at 11:00 pm, hitting traffic in Monterey, road construction on the Grapevine, etc.  We unpacked the car and were in bed by 11:30, enjoying a nice long night of sleep before beginning our next adventure on Friday...Palm Springs!