Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tips for Travelers
Distance from San Francisco:
137 miles (220 km).
Duration of journey:
About four
hours, excluding stops.
Getting back to San Francisco:
Monterey Peninsula is linked to
US 101. It takes 2.5 hours to reach
San Francisco via San José.
When to go:
The best weather is
in September and October when
skies are clear and temperatures
average 21° C (70° F).
Where to stay and eat:
Santa
Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, Pacific
Grove, and Pebble Beach have a
wide selection of hotels, motels,
and B&Bs, while Municipal Wharf
in Santa Cruz has numerous
snack bars. Restaurants abound in
Monterey on Cannery Row and
Fisherman's Wharf and Carmel
has a variety of eateries.
Visitor information:
Monterey
Peninsula Chamber of
Commerce, 30 Ragsdale Dr, Suite
200, Monterey.
Te l
(831) 648-
5360.
∑
mpcc.com
Monterey County Convention
and Visitors Bureau, 401 El
Camino El Estero, Monterey.
Te l
(888) 221-1010.
∑
seemonterey.com
Carmel
Chamber of Commerce,
∑
carmelcalifornia.org
Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey
0
A free walking map, produced
by the Chamber of Commerce,
is readily available. This map
indicates sights such as Robert
Louis Stevenson's home and
Colton Hall, where California's
first constitution was written.
In the 1940s John Steinbeck,
author of
Cannery Row
and
Tortilla Flat
, wrote about
Monterey, describing it as a
collection of sardine canneries
and whorehouses. The
spectacular Monterey Bay
aquarium stands on the 3.3-
acre (1-ha) site of the largest of
the old canneries. The galleries
and exhibits at the Aquarium
utilize the unique marine
habitats of the Bay itself.
On the edge of the Monterey
Peninsula is Pacific Grove
q
,
where in the autumn
thousands of butterflies cluster
in the trees. The 17-Mile Drive
w
580
880
680
•
San
Jose
101
17
colony in the early 20th century,
and there are more than 80 art
galleries where visitors can
browse. Many of the houses
were designed by artists,
inspired perhaps by
romanticized impressions of
old France. The quaint streets,
quiet courtyards, and shops
encourage strollers. Father
Junipero Serra, founder of the
missions, is buried in Mission
Carmel, which is one of the
most beautiful churches
in California.
152
1
starts here, following a
scenic route past the world-
famous golf courses of Pebble
Beach and Spyglass Hill.
The drive ends at Carmel
e
,
with its quaint streets
and eccentric houses.
This hillside town
was founded as
an artists'
156
Monterey
Bay
Aquarium
Salinas
•
J
68
Carmel
Key
Tour route
Main road
The Mission at Carmel, dating from 1771
e
River
