Where to Stay in Monterey! Three Unique Properties You’ve Never Considered

The grounds at the Old Monterey Inn

The Monterey Peninsula attracts millions of visitors every year. But most people never fully flesh out their experiences by staying in a lodging that is as unique to Monterey as all the other reasons people come here. To many travelers, a hotel or motel is the least of their considerations, but staying at the right place, one which is indicative of exactly where you are, can enhance your entire trip. These three properties; in Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel, will get you grounded in the local while making your stay in Monterey memorable.

Monterey

The Old Monterey Inn is set on an acre and a quarter is the only English Tudor B&B in Monterey. The lush gardens have a European sensibility with proper hedges, mature trees and thick vines clinging to the entrance of this beautiful Tudor property. It's fitting I stayed in the library room (I’m a writer, so…ya know) and this was the home of the first mayor of Monterey, built in 1929. Local wines and cheese are put out every afternoon, and there's always tawny port in the parlor (we like this idea).

The formal dining room at the Old Monterey Inn

A refrigerator holds free water and juices and breakfast is served at 9 a.m. in the communal formal dining room (I love this room), or in the garden when the weather is nice, or in your room if you want privacy. Even though this is a small oasis you're an easy 12-minute walk from downtown Monterey. Since The Inn was built as an actual residence and not a replicated lodging, you get a great continuation of history with coffered ceilings, spacious rooms and detailed hand carved woodwork – all the while knowing than families lived here for decades. The mayor's wife traveled extensively in Europe hence the English Tudor feel and this is a delightful spot, perfect for a romantic getaway. The rooms are large with comfortable beds, hot tubs and carpeting throughout which adds to the quiet atmosphere. Choose from over 100 DVDs to watch in your room as you lounge in a large Jacuzzi tub. (800/350-2344 - OLD MONTEREY INN

Pacific Grove

The Martine Inn is certainly the most eclectic lodging you'll find on the entire Peninsula. There are 5 vintage MGs on the property, courtesy of Don Martine an avid collector, restorer of old cars, and racing fanatic, not to mention super nice guy and a wealth of Monterey history. The interior courtyard contains a pool table, ping pong, board games, real wood burning fireplaces (an increasing rarity on the peninsula). Originally this was the 3-story Victorian home of a wealthy pharmaceutical owner who seemed to need to keep changing the property to suit their tastes and keep up with the latest design trends. The façade keep being reinvented, but now it’s unique looking precisely because it’s so undefinable. Scheduled for demolition Don Martine bought it in 1972 and today it's fun, funky and every room is different with a collection of wood antiques ranging rom English to Asian to Deco. 

The exterior of the Martine Inn

Breakfast is served from 8 to 10 in the mornings and you’re directly facing the Monterey Bay from the second story - the proper way to enjoy coffee and breakfast. Wine and snacks come out in the evenings. The property was walled-in during the 1920s when that was the design fad so there’s a lot of seclusion. The interior courtyard was once home to three koi ponds when the original owners visited Japan and wanted to relive that experience. When one of their kids almost drowned they removed two of the three ponds (why not all three, you ask? No one knows) but you can still enjoy part of the orient, as well as a variety of eras in this smorgasbord B&B. It’s located across the street from the ocean and the extensive walking path which runs the length of the south part of the Bay, so you have incredible access to the ocean, and it’s a only a few blocks to downtown Pacific Grove. (800/852-5588 - MARTINE INN)

Buddha watches at Tradewinds

Carmel

Tradewinds Carmel is a pet-friendly spot, unlike anything else in Carmel, or Monterey for that matter. Featured in Architectural Digest, the 28 rooms, most of which have fireplaces and ocean views, have a unique fusion of Asian, Balinese and tropical design. Since uch of Carmel is cute Hansel & Gretel style, Tradewinds stands out as atypical. The original owner lived in Japan hence the Asian theme. Now his daughter continues the theme with beautifully appointed Asian inspired décor including Egyptian cotton linens, down pillows and featherbeds, orchids in every room and instead of standard white cotton robes, you have kimono robes. A continental breakfast is served 8 to 10 a.m. every morning including fresh fruit, yogurt and pastries which you can have served in either your room or in the dining area known as the Catlin Room. 

Tradewinds has three parking lots, so you car isn’t left on the street (common for space-squeezed Carmel) and you have quick access to it. Water features around the property include Buddha, ferns, waterfalls and reeds, creating a small oasis, and the evenings light up with the fire pit and tiki torches. You're very close to the middle of Carmel, easy to walk to restaurants and a few wine tasting rooms. Tradewinds has a tranquil feel which will keep you grounded. (831/624-2776 - TRADEWINDS)

While you plan your visit: consider these other posts:

MONTEREY'S MISSIONS

MERLOT IN MONTEREY: WINES OF MONTEREY COUNTY

Merlot in Monterey & Cabernet in Carmel? The Wines of Monterey County

People come to Monterey and Carmel to absorb the beautiful rugged coastline, visit Cannery Row, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but the wine culture here is thriving. Though the county is best known for the Santa Lucia Highlands, where high-end Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are being made, there is an incredible diversity of wine being produced here from Zinfandel to Albariño. So if you’re the adventurous type you’re in luck. I recently spent a week in Monterey Country immersing myself in the wide breadth of the wines.

This is merely an overview of what you can expect.

The first commercial grapes were Chenin Blanc planted in Chalone in 1919 and they are still there. Chalone Vineyards makes Chenin Blanc from these very vines. In the early 1920s Chardonnay was planted, but like everywhere else in the country, Prohibition pretty much halted the growth of the wine industry. It wasn’t until the mid 1980s that serious plantings began to emerge. The main tasting areas are:

The original Chenin Blanc vineyard from 1919, lower center

River Road in the Santa Lucia Highlands is that quintessential vineyard experience: you drive from vineyard to vineyard; there are scenic vistas and you’re in the heart of farm country. Of note the views at Hahn and Paraiso are the best and take into account the vines in front of you, the Salinas Valley, and the Gabilan mountain range in the distance. These tasting room hours tend to be more weekend oriented and are working wineries, so check in advance. River Road cuts through the Santa Lucia Highlands and the preponderance here is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though not exclusively. You’ll also find places like Wrath and Marilyn Remark offering Syrah and Rhone wines.

Hand harvesting Pinot Noir

Carmel Village has within its small geometric core, half a dozen tasting rooms including Caraccioli Cellars which is located right downtown. Their focus is sparkling wine and they are one of the few to make sparklers in the entire county. Their wines range in price from $20 to $57, and tasting fees start at $5 and head to $15. And Caraccioli is one of the few places open later (Carmel is notorious for rolling up their sidewalks early) so you can sample a sparkler made from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay before or even after dinner and grab a small bite of popcorn, bruschetta or a cheese plate. The great thing about downtown Carmel is you can walk to all the tasting rooms, hit some shops, and find lunch and dinner all within close proximity.

The Carmel Valley located inland from the seaside village, is awash with wineries and tasting rooms numbering a dozen currently. “The Row” a slice of seven tasting rooms in a long row is the sister to the number of vineyard properties and stand alone tasting rooms which increasingly populate the warmer valley region. Many of the white wines from this area have a more noticeable acidity and minerality which I find best expressed in a new winery called Silvestri, who make wines ranging from $20 to $40, and with a mere 3,000 cases they embody “boutique” ideals here. Their Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay deviate from the standard offerings precisely because of a minimal use of oak and letting the grapes retain their acidity. But Carmel Valley wines, including hearty reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and even Merlots which can be surprisingly balanced, though somewhat lacking on the finish. Nonetheless the valley, which first saw Cabernet planted in 1983, is capable of turning out very good though wildly different iterations of these reds.

Sabrine Rodems of Wrath Wines

Some of the most intriguing wines however are coming from Sabrine Rodems of Wrath, and Ian Brand who makes wine for Pierce Ranch, Coastview and his own label. They are indicative of a no-holds-barred attitude of experimenting with whole cluster fermentation, new grape varieties, and finding oddball vineyards with massive potential. Another great discovery is Marin’s Vineyard based in the southern part of Monterey County near Jolon. Small unassuming and well priced, this 800 case winery is doing a remarkable job with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Viognier. Also located in the southern end, but with a tasting room near Cannery Row, is Pierce Ranch who makes what are called Iberian varieties; Albariño, Touriga even a wonderful classic California Zinfandel. And don’t be surprised on your travels if you see falcons or owls above the vineyards. These incredible birds are employed to keep other birds from eating grapes off the vines.

Louise is a Eursian Owl

And of course wine needs food: some of my personal favorites include Manduka and Grasing’s in Carmel, Passion Fish in Pacific Grove, and the Sardine Factory, The Duck Club Grill, and Restaurant 1833 all in downtown Monterey. Regardless of where exactly you spend your time, you’ll find a vast selection of diverse wines. So always drink local and always try something new; you’ll see Monterey Country in a whole new light. And when you do, post a comment on this blog and let us know what you like and don’t like! 

And be sure to check out my 2 Minute Travel video shot at Hahn Winery:

 Monterey County Wine Country Overview

Plan Your Trip

Monterey Wine Country

Monterey County

Cruising Carmel

Carmel

is known for many things – Pebble Beach, great food, expensive homes, and its dog-friendly appeal. The cool thing about Carmel is you can drop your car and not need it for the weekend. The street grid, one square mile by one square mile, has everything you need: lodging, food, shopping, wine tasting, the beach and more. Sure there are a few sights that require a brief drive like Point Lobos, Carmel Mission, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but you can come to Carmel and literally not drive for days.

The old world charm of Carmel draws people from across the globe and one of the novelties is that there are not any addresses, seriously. Directions are given as: “on 7^th between San Carlos and Delores,” or, “the northwest corner of Ocean Ave.,” but the town is immensely walkable. Known for shopping, there are plenty of clothing stores, a few antique stores and tons of art galleries. The best is the Carmel Art Association; a co-op of 120 talented artists all of whom live within a 30-mile radius. The association was founded in 1927 and you will find oil and pastel paintings, wood and ceramic sculpture and whatever an artist dreams up. Artists bring in new works on the first Wednesday of each month, ensuring a constant rotation. 

Wrath Tasting Room

Wine tasting rooms have exploded in the tiny hamlet and Caraccioli Cellars is located right downtown. Their focus is sparkling wine and they are one of the few to make sparklers in the entire county. Their wines range in price from $20 to $57, and tasting fees start at $5 and head to $15. And Caraccioli is one of the few places open later (Carmel is notorious for rolling up their sidewalks early) so you can sample a sparkler from Pinot Noir of Chardonnay before or even after dinner! Wrath Wines too has a tasting room in Carmel Plaza and pours mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made by the crazy talented Sabrine Rodems. And there are at least half a dozen other tasting venues, so go explore.
The pristine white sand of the Carmel City Beach is dog friendly too. As you stand at the water’s edge to your right is Pebble Beach, to your left is Point Lobos. It’s often best to walk down to the beach as the parking during peak times is congested. However, if you walk, remind yourself that you need to head back uphill all the way to town (Carmel is built on an angle), but it’s a good workout.



The Carmel City Beach

For a fabulous meal, consider Mundaka, a tapas restaurant styled in the Spanish motif in a casual, informal environment, something a little unusual for Carmel’s white table cloth dining venues. Chef Brandon Miller creates a terrific diversity of small plates like the Galleta (fried quail eggs on top of a biscuit and iberico gravy), and Coliflor, which is blanched cauliflower topped with a gratin of pureed cauliflower, horseradish,  gruyere cheese then baked, resulting in deftly prepared crowns, soft but with an al dente crispness to them. But my favorite, much to my surprise, were the Hamburguesa; lamb sliders with a slice of pickled cauliflower, with string-thin French fries. The lamb is delicately counterbalanced with the slightly tart cauliflower, creating an earthy tang. To wrap up the Pan Chocolate is, in essence, a fudge-like bar of chocolate with an immense amount of pure cocoa, topped with sea salt and drizzled with a wee bit of olive oil.

Breakfast at Em Le's

For breakfast consider Em Le’s, the hole-in-the-wall which first opened in 1955 and still provides big breakfasts. The space is small but the large omelets will ensure that you’re full for a long time. It is mainly a locals place and that’s really half the fun. Bistro Beaujolais hints at French overtones including crepes, French onion soup and Croque Madam. Inexpensively priced it’s a fine stop for lunch inside the Carmel Plaza, the only outdoor mall in the city limits.

Hofsas House

End your days at the family-owned Hofsas House, a terrific dog-friendly hotel. I’ve stayed here many times and the 4^th floor rooms with Dutch doors are the best with their views across the Cypress trees to the Pacific Ocean. The rooms are large, a few antiques scattered about and it’s comfortable and casual allowing you to relax. They have a year-round heated outdoor pool, a European dry sauna and an informal continental breakfast available in the lobby of coffee, yogurt and pastries. There is wireless access, and it’s an easy four block walk to the town core. They accommodate lots of large gatherings like family reunions and clubs, and have a dedicated building for just this kind of thing. And they have their own parking lot. That might seem like a non-mention, but many hotels in Carmel don’t have one. In fact on my last visit one of the premier properties (with no parking lot) meant that the Lamborghini was parked on the street! Carmel is expensive but Hofsas House is reasonably priced with seasonal rates averaging $150 to $170. 

EAT:

http://www.mundakacarmel.com/

http://www.em-les.com/

STAY:

www.HofsasHouse.com

DO:

http://www.carmelart.org/

Summer at the California Central Coast: Get Your Tan On!

Kayaking in Ventura Harbor

Say summer and you automatically think about being outside. Who stays indoors except for cranky people and vampires? The California Central Coast is prime outdoor territory for summer fun as this stretch of coastline from Ventura to Monterey is ripe with plenty to do. From tide-pooling, surfing, hiking and biking, to a romantic stroll as the Pacific tickles your feet, here are some suggestions to get out, get some sun and uncover the coast!

My wife over looking Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island

Perhaps the best playground for outdoor fun is to visit the Channel Islands National Park (www.nps.gov/chis/). These islands, just off the coast of Santa Barbara, are great day trips and get you back to pristine California as it was hundreds of years ago. Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Rosa islands are best accessed from Ventura Harbor. All three islands have indigenous plants and animals, such as and the smallest fox you’ve ever seen, the Channel Islands Fox, and over 140 other species found no where else on earth. You can camp overnight, or spend a day or half-day roaming the place on moderate hikes with a trained naturalist. Island Packers is the official concessionaire and they do a great job of getting people to and from the islands. WATCH my 2 Minute Travel video shot on Santa Cruz Island here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jf7Va2jxbA&feature=plcp

Guided kayaking tours of the Channel Islands by folks like Blue Sky Wilderness (http://www.blueskywilderness.com/) gets you up close to the volcanic rock and sea caves on the islands, including Painted Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the world, located at Santa Cruz Island. Picnic on the island and explore parts few people have walked on. Though the waters are cooler, you can also snorkel off all three islands and immerse yourself near the kelp forests. You’ll spot the California State Fish, the Garibaldi, see sheepshead, and other cool sea life. Or if you dive, the islands are great spots to scuba. I usually dive around Anacapa and the backside of Santa Cruz. There are sea lions, dolphins, crabs and everything else under the sea. Use the Peace Boat (http://www.peaceboat.com/) my favorite dive boat, which departs from Ventura Harbor. They are professional and best of all, after a long day of diving you can warm up in their on-board hot tub while eating ice cream! Of course, you can always kayak within the confines of any of the harbors, like Ventura, Santa Barbara and Monterey for a more sedate experience.

The Channel Island Fox

Aside from the Channel Islands, here are other great Summer suggestions:

Biking:

The bike trails that hug the Central Coast are inspiring. The Waterfront in Santa Barbara is one of the best. You can rent a bike or surrey and leisurely follow the ocean down to the Andree Clark Bird Refuge, which passes the Santa Barbara Zoo, beach volleyball nets and languid palm trees. It’s flat, fun and you won’t break much of a sweat. In San Luis Obispo, the best spot for hiking, walking and biking is Montaña de Oro Park: 8,000 acres of coastal bluffs and coves to mountainous shrub-covered hills to lush valley’s of dense eucalyptus groves. It’s beautiful and truly a gem on the Central Coast. (http://www.slostateparks.com/montana_de_oro/default.asp).  

Beaching:

Carmel City Beach

The white sand beach at Carmel City Beach is immensely popular and within walking distance of downtown Carmel (www.Carmelcalifornia.com/). The views north are to Pebble Beach, and south you can see Point Lobos, another great hiking park. Walk, bring the dog and relax, then head back to Carmel for lunch, or wine tasting in Carmel Valley. Leadbetter Beach is one of the best beaches in Santa Barbara because it has a large grassy area with picnic tables, some shade, restroom facilities and outdoor grills. Plus you’re a short drive to State Street, Santa Barbara's main drag for shopping, outdoor dining and the SB vibe. Moonstone Beach in Cambria has long been popular due its more rugged coastline and handicap accessible boardwalk which runs the length of the low bluffs. There is also beach access, restaurants are close by, and restroom facilities are located at both ends of the beach. Plus you can find, yes, moonstones. You might also see otters.

Boating: 

My whale watching boat leaving Morro Bay

Whale watching in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Morro Bay can be an awesome experience and these spots have reasonably good chances of getting pretty close to humpback and blue whales. There are numerous boats to take you around, either by sail, on a catamaran or on a traditional fishing boat. Having seen whales up close, it’s an experience you don’t want to miss. Of course, no one can promise you a whale sighting, but if nothing else, you’re floating on the Pacific, and that ain’t too bad!

Or, if you’re the more adventurous type, the Bella Monterey Bay (http://www.bellamontereybay.com/) is a great sailing boat which holds only 6 people and tours the bay and shoreline of Monterey. This is not for the faint of heart as this baby sails, which means it can get choppy on the open ocean and you will have to gingerly navigate your way around the vessel, depending on the wind, but you’ll have a blast.

Renting a surry along Santa Barbara's coastline

On Board Nautical in Morro Bay (http://www.onboardnauticalevents.com/) is for those who just need a relaxing ride on the water without spilling their cocktail. Chef-prepared foods and live entertainment on this classic 1960s yacht means you can kick back as you cruise inside Morro Bay gently and slowly, staying within the confines of the protected bay. For other great information about the Central Coast, check out all 4 of my travel books, in paperack and as a download on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S