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    Lodging

    Where to stay? The choices are as varied as Monterey County's landscape. Quaint, decadent, understated, austere - which beckons you? From historic mansions...more
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• Things to Do
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    Things to Do

    Monterey County is a mecca for all things active. By paddle, pedal, foot or golf cart, you're going to have ample opportunity to move and do. Only here,...more
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    Events

    From world class racing to art and music festivals, top tier golf tournaments to food & wine events, there is always something fun happening in Monterey....more
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• Food & Wine
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    Food & Wine

    Gastronomic stimulation is a hallmark of any memorable travel experience. And here again, Monterey County does not disappoint. The diversity of culinary...more
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    Resources

    We've got everything you need to plan a wonderfully memorable Monterey experience. Find out how to get here from wherever you are and be sure to check on...more
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• Destinations
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    Destinations

    You would never tire of driving the 99 miles of Monterey County coastline in either direction. But as hard as it might be to take your eyes or mind off the...more
  • • Monterey
    • Big Sur
    • Pebble Beach
    • Carmel-by-the-Sea
    • Pacific Grove
    • Moss Landing
    • Carmel Valley
    • Seaside
    • Salinas Valley
  • • Salinas
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    • Sand City
    • Soledad
    • Castroville
    • Parkfield
    • Spreckels

Family Adventures

The most successful family vacations keep one essential component in mind: the grown-ups in the group have to feel as engaged, as excited, and as happy as the young ones - and vice versa. Monterey County's edu-vacation offerings like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, National Steinbeck Center, Carmel Mission and MY Museum are all loaded with activities that appeal to children as well as the child at heart.

Activities for Young Children

Monterey has so many intriguing options, your most difficult moment will be deciding what to do each morning. There's MY Museum, a real hands-on place where kids can make a TV program or run a country store, and the adventure playground of Dennis the Menace Park (created for the city by the creator of Dennis, Hank Ketcham).

Children can learn about marine wildlife at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, weave in-and-out of the Monterey Mirror Maze, then play ‘eye-spy' during a drive through Pebble Beach's 17-Mile Drive, home to shoreline birds, harbor and elephant seals, and more. Kids can even have an encounter with a kangaroo, elephant or monkey at Wild Things. You may never hear them say ‘are we there yet?' again - at least until you leave Monterey.

Thrills For The Whole Family

Pack your sunblock and don your sneakers. Monterey County has outdoor activities to thrill the whole family. Dip your toe in with a kayak tour on Monterey Bay, a surrey ride on the Monterey County Coastal Recreation Trail, a segway tour along Cannery Row or a ghost tour trolley ride through Oldtown Monterey. Crank up the adventure with a hike on rugged Big Sur's trails or a family surfing lesson on Carmel Beach. Turn on the full adrenalin kick with a whale watching sail on Monterey Bay or a thrilling motor race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The Great Shopping Compromise

Children can be reluctant shoppers. To coax a little cooperation, choose a destination that makes browsing as much fun as possible: Cannery Row. The old canneries are now packed with a dazzling array of shops, galleries and places to eat. You can reward patience while you do some bayside wine tasting at the end of Steinbeck Plaza by sampling every known flavor of saltwater taffy, or honor their good humor while you try on sportswear and silver jewelry in the American Tin Cannery with a kite or wind toy.

Who knows? You might even pique their curiosity about how the Row got its name: buy them a copy of John Steinbeck's Cannery Row to read on the way home.