BAY AREA EXTRAS:
° Monterey Restaurants & Bars
° Los Gatos
° Single in the City
° Bay to Breakers

SAN FRANCISCO:
° SF Links
° Visitor's Guide
° Pub Clubbing
° Post Party
° Pub Grub
° Laguna Seca
° San Jose Grand Prix

Web PubClub.com

Photos and text on bars, nightlife and travel information in Monterey and Carmel.

Welcome to Monterey Bay!
Guide to Monterey and Carmel and Beyond

The bay in Monterey is inviting to visitors.

This is one of the most beautiful places in California. It's right along the coast with crashing waves, deep-blue water and enough scenic spots to keep the senses buzzing for hours. Pebble Beach, with its famous golf courses, is located here as is legendary Laguna Seca Raceway with its annual car and motorcycle events and historic races featuring expensive classics.

The scenery is unstoppable. Just pause anywhere along the Highway 1 coast and admire the view – water lapping up against the rocks, fishing boats in Monterey Harbor, sea otters within few yards of shore and rolling hills just minutes from the sea. And loud, barking California sea lions.

Franed by branches on the beach leading to a plaza on Cannery Row.

Monterey, of course, is home to Cannery Row, the one-time canning area made famous by John Steinbeck's novel of the same name. Nick Nolte and Debra Winger later starred in a movie of the same name. Today, the canneries are all gone but their buildings have been turned into shops and restaurants.

Several more restaurants are found along Fisherman's Wharf, which is along the marina with views of Monterey Bay. Details about restaurants, along with Monterey's bars and nighlife, can be found here. There is a running and bike path along the water and kayaks for rent, as well.

Learn all about the aquatic region at the spectacular Monterey Bay Aquarium. It features creatures indigineous to the Pacific Ocean in the Monterey Bay area; the sea otters are by far the most popular exhibit.

Next to Monterey is Pacific Grove and also Carmel. The latter is a high-end community where art galleries and jewelry shops make up much of the small downtown area.

The the 17-mile drive is about the most scenic 17 miles one can drive anywhere in the world. Continue past the guard gate to the golf club at Pebble Beach, where Tom Watson chipped in on 17 to win the '82 U.S. Open, Tiger Woods dominated in '00 and Bill Murray creates havoc and laughs at the annual AT&T Pebble Beach PGA Pro-Am. Pebble Beach is also hosting the 2010 US Open, June 17-20.

Laguna Seca Raceway (about 30 minutes from Monterey on Highway 68 East), is one of the world's most famous race tracks. It is known throughout the racing community for its up-and-down landscape but primarily for a twisting series of turns from the top of the hill to the bottom. It's also a state campsite, and people enjoy spending a weekend here during one of its many events. Here is the track's website.

It's known as The Corkscrew, and many races have been won or lost here. Most famously was one known as "The Pass" when Alex Zanardi went off course, and back on it again, to pass Bryan Herta on the last lap to take a CART race in 1996.

Past Laguna Seca in Sallinas, is the National Steinbeck Center , a museum dedicated to Steinbeck.

It does gets chilly in Monterey and Carmel at night, so always take a jacket or sweatshirt.

Can you tell we like this place!?

Famous Laguna Seca is not far from Monterey's beautiful bay.

Related Article: Monterey Nightlife

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