Monterey Travel Forum

G'Day Monterey people,

My almost 9 year old twin girls, my wife and I, will be staying in Monterey Nov 23, checking out morning of Nov 25 and would really appreciate any advice on affordable family accommodation that is within reasonable walking distance of Cannery Row and the Aquarium.

Also if you have any advice on interesting family things to do that would be helpful too e.g. will it be too cold to go kayaking and what are the best options for that?

For me personally, it's winetasting and history that interests me most, of course good coffee where ever I can find it! lol! However we have to balance out everything for all of us to be happy, not to mention not blowing the budget.

Regards from downunder,
Doug

Watch for the sea otters - we watched one for about an hour from an oceanside restaurant near the aquarium in Monterey. (We were headed to Carmel and stayed there in the Best Western near Junipero St.)

Hotels on Cannery Row are pretty expensive, running at least $200 per room per night. A few cheaper places near Cannery Row include the Otter Inn & Cannery Row Inn, which begin at $125 or $150 a night.

Downtown Monterey is just one mile from Cannery Row along a beautiful walking trail, and it has a few more options such as the old Monterey Hotel with small rooms starting around $100, and the Hotel Pacific with bigger suites often available around $150. This area also has more to offer in terms of restaurants and history in my opinion.

Though all are relatively expensive, they are in the middle of the action in Monterey. If these are still out of the price range, Munras Ave has some slighter cheaper hotels and North Fremont has lodging as low as $50 a night such as the Econolodge, which really isn't terrible...

The aquarium will be great for the kids, and it seems like it's never too cold to go kayaking if you get a wetsuit (or drysuit?)--you can rent kayaks at Adventures By the Sea at Del Monte Beach near downtown or at Cannery Row. Downtown Monterey has lots of little museums such as the Custom House, the Maritime Museum, and the Presidio Museum. This area also boasts a dozen or so historic adobe homes dating from the 1800s, along with Monterey's first capitol building. The Carmel Mission (late 1700s) is certainly worth visiting, as is the town of Carmel itself if only to see the beach and beautiful homes. Point Lobos State Park is full of wildlife and easy hiking, and Jack's Peak offers great views over downtown Monterey. Point Pinos Lighthouse is also a favorite historic landmark. Another idea for the kids is the monarch butterfly wintering area in Pacific Grove where tens of thousands of the insects converge each winter. There are at least four wine tasting rooms along Cannery Row, but there are also numerous vineyards in nearby Carmel Valley. Oh, and my favorite coffee is at Santa Lucia, a German/Italian place in downtown with a wonderful German breakfast plate and the strongest coffee in town.

Let me know if you have any other questions or want more info about the suggestions I mentioned. Enjoy your visit!

Joe