Monterey Peninsula, CA

March 20-28 2026 So, after a couple of false starts due to generator issues, we finally headed north to the Monterey Peninsula area. The drive took us up the spectacular California highway 1, past San Simeon and Big Sur and into Carmel. This is where artichokes farms and strawberry fields line one side of the magnificent roads, and breathtaking homes and dramatic rocky beaches line the other. Oh… Carmel is also home to the Pebble Beach golf links—which is the holy grail for many golfers. Carmel also has the world famous dog beach, which you can see if you watch the annual Pebble Beach golf tournament.

We based ourselves about 10 mile north in Marina…which was a perfect spot from which to do our daily exploring. The peninsula is fairly large and is made up of many small towns and unique neighborhoods. The town of Monterey had a pretty urban feel (in a good way). Monterey is also pretty touristy…with its famous Aquarium, the wharf and Cannery Row. Fun for a great walk…and some awesome chowder. We loved Pacific Grove. It’s mostly residential, but with a really sweet business district with great restaurants and walking. The star of “PG’” was really a park on the Pacific called Lover’s Point. Here, the waves are crashing on the rocks, and there are great walking trails. Carmel-by-the-sea is amazing. The homes reflect the European influence on the town. The shopping is crazy (think Greenwich Ave. x3). Clint Eastwood (the former mayor and actor) owns a couple of restaurants. The golf courses are amazing. Actually…everything is amazing.

On the east side of highway 1 is the Carmel Valley. The valley is a sharp contrast to the peninsula. It seems quieter , and when the peninsula is shrouded in cold fog, the valley is warm in the sunshine. The mountains are amazing. Very green this time of year. The valley is dotted with cattle ranches, vineyards and nurseries. Lots of equestrian…and of course, golf! The valley really resonated with us…maybe just the peace and quiet…or the weather. In any case..we loved the valley!