(Sacramento Bee)
Joke all you want about tourists from Modesto but they in my opinion are the most down to earth visitors and much more tolerable than L.A. refugees that end up wanting to move here.
They are looking for enriching experiences that don’t necessarily mean spending lots of money on big meals, paintings, fake country charm or pretentious hosts. They want to get away from home and go back with pictures and memories. Maybe a sweatshirt if they thought it was warm in the spring (hint: best souvenir sweatshirt is one from Mission Ranch, affordable and impressive).
Exploring Monterey during Winter
And there’s this: The tourists who crowd the peninsula in the high season will be absent. That means you’ll actually be able to tour the Monterey Bay Aquarium, find a parking space in Carmel, book a dinner reservation before 9:30 p.m. and ride on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail without getting entangled in a six-bicycle pile-up.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Surfing MuseumMoss Landing
Pot Stop at Little Baja
Phil’s Fish Market & EateryMonterey
Monterey Abalone Co.
Willy’s Smokehouse BBQ & GrillPacific Grove
Little Chicken House
LattitudesCarmel
Pine Inn
Chez Christine
Church of the WayfarerOn the way to Big Sur
Point Lobos State Reserve
Rocky Point