Get Away to Monterey

Monterey is for lovers… Lovers of seafood, cycling, hiking, walks on the beach, John Steinbeck, and smooooth jazz. But don’t be fooled by the cheesy tourist attractions or retirement living vibe; this laid-back seaside town has real romance. Which is why you need to grab your spouse, leave the kids with Grandma, and treat yourselves to a coastal weekend getaway.

Get Away to Monterey

By Jason Adair

Three hours away from Sacramento, the drive time to Monterey Bay stretches the limit for a weekend getaway, but man is it worth it. Especially if you don’t bring the kids. Just to be clear: I love my kids. I’d die for them. But after working endless 40-hour work weeks, shuttling between soccer, Cub Scouts, music lessons, and play dates, I’d kill for some time alone with my wife.

Once I finally convinced my wife it wasn’t child abuse to go on vacation without the kids, we decided to stay in the heart of downtown Monterey at the Portola Hotel & Spa, which is right off the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail. With about 20 dining options and some great scenic destinations within a half-mile of the hotel’s doorstep, we didn’t have to get in our car until it was time to leave, which is a huge vacation bonus in my book.

The Portola Hotel & Spa is going green and getting its 30-year-old building LEED-certified (no easy feat). They don’t have free in-room Wi-Fi (lame), but they do give you fresh chocolate chip cookies when you get there (pretty great at the end of a three-hour drive). The live forest in the lobby is also truly impressive. It’s fed by an underground stream.

We took a walk down the bike path toward the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. As we caught sight of it, I realized that with the money we weren’t spending on admission for our kids, we could afford to eat seafood for every meal. Another bonus!

Bringing the Kids?

If you go as a family, there are three things you’ll definitely want to check out. The Portola Hotel & Spa has a kids’ program for its guests that includes a pirate scavenger hunt. (It takes you all over the hotel and its surroundings.) The Monterey Bay Aquarium is pretty great, too, but don’t be surprised if their favorite thing turns out to be the Dennis the Menace park. Located in the middle of downtown, it’s a very energetic park with lots of things to run, jump, and climb on—perfect for tiring your little ones out before loading up for the long drive home.

Happily, a couple blocks west on Lighthouse Ave. we found independent record stores and bookshops, consignment stores, dive bars, and all sorts of small-town uniqueness.

A tip for the traveler: If you’re passing through any town and looking for a good place to eat, ask the guys at the local used record store. Since they’re never the type to pack a lunch, they have eaten at every restaurant in a five-mile radius endless times and are more than happy to give you in-depth reviews of the food and service as if they were talking about a Mingus B-side. The guys at Recycled Records gave us enthusiastic endorsements of the omelets at First Awakenings—which were spot-on, as were their directions and estimation of wait times.

As for the rest of the town, we didn’t really see a lot of it, as this was a romantic getaway. Thus we spent most of the weekend in the hotel, “strengthening our relationship,” so we could come home recharged, reconnected, and ready to be the best parents we can be.

Jason Adair is a bit of a troublemaker. He likes date nights alone with his wife, wrenching on his daughter’s car with her, and playing practical jokes with his son.