Monterey/Carmel, CA

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Tickle Pink Inn is spectacular.

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This

And check out the Sunset Lounge at the Carmel Highlands. It sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Sea otters playing in the surf below, and usually a guy playing a grand piano. One of my favorite spots!

He will drive part of 17 mile drive going to Spy Glass. The bridge in Big Sur has not been repaired, was there last week. I would still drive highway 1 to the beginning of Big Sur and grab lunch at the Roadhouse. Great little place situated amongst the redwoods in Big Sur with good fresh food.

Edit: we also enjoyed strolling the streets of Carmel shopping, eating, and wine tasting. Be warned that everything in Carmel shuts down between 9-10 every night.

Dametra Cafe for dinner in Carmel. This was the best Mediterranean cuisine I have ever had.

I lived there post-grad. Spend equal time in both Monterey and Carmel. The aquarium in Chattanooga is 10x the Monterey Bay Aquarium so just leave that off the list. Canary Row is a fun evening time walk. Go to Pebble Beach (N of Monterey) and Big Sur (S of Carmel). Stay in a bed & breakfast house in Carmel while exploring Big Sur. Bring sweaters. There are no seasons. It's 50 degrees and foggy every morning and 70 everyday. Some days the fog rolls through during the day. In Monterey while walking around at night, go to The Muckey Duck and have a Guinness. Eat clam chowder out of a bread bowl. On Tuesday or Thursday night there is a farmer's market until they sell everything, you can get great international foods from natives at paper plate prices.

Eat a ton of candy.

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Renting a convertible. Staying at Tickle Pink Inn.

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Great minds think alike.

I got up early and drove down to Big Sur on the PCH before Mrs. Fut roused.

I actually contemplated living in a trailer house in Big Sur.

I'm a Steinbeckian so Monterey is good for me, I spent more time on associated sites than the usual tourists would when visiting.

I don't have the golf bug so I can't help you there.

If you have a SO with any shopping itch, Carmel-by-the-Sea will be nirvana for them.

For my party it was a $3,900 dinner table & $600 to ship it home. Ugh.

Dinner at Aubergine Restaraunt(in the l'Auberge Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea) was perfect.

I will be spending a day/night in Carmel on a West Coast road trip at the end of July. Got some good info from this thread so far. I now have 17 mile dive, Dametra Cafe (lunch) & Mission Ranch (dinner) on my list. Will plan to hit Point Lobos Park on the way South in the am, leaving Carmel. We are staying at the Normandy Inn which looks to be directly in the downtown, Ocean Drive area.

What bridge was mentioned earlier in the thread as being closed heading into Big Sur? I'd like to get the name of it, so that I can check the status before we go. Assuming you are referring to Bixby?

When I lived in Monterey, 17 Mile Drive, Big Sur, & the Aquarium was where I'd take visiting friends.

Hwy 1 is a bit of a mess right now, between the bridge replacement and two mudslides. Google Big Sur blog and you'll find a map of Hwy 1 issues.

We were literally there this past week, Sat-Thurs. Stayed at Tickle Pink Inn and had an absolute blast for our time there.

We toured the Carmel Mission, 17-mile drive and Pebble Beach, and then hung out to watch the sunset at Montastery Beach (on PCH between Carmel and Carmel Highlands) one day. Late lunch at Grasing's in town (we were going to Basil but they closed early).

Another day, we spent a few hours in Point Lobos -- this was awesome. After, we drove down the PCH to Big Sur and Pfeiffer State Park. This drive was amazing, and the weather was perfect. The convertible will be amazing. Slowly made our way back up and had dinner at Rocky Point (between Big Sur and Carmel Highlands). Great view, great dinner (the cioppino was amazing).

The next day, we spent much of the day in Carmel Valley at vineyards and tasting rooms. Folktale Vineyards was a lot of fun. Huge courtyard, good wine, great snacks/plates. We tried a few more, took our time, and ate dinner at Roux Carmel. Very good small plates and wine selection.

Finally, we spent the day in Monterey. We did a whale watching cruise, which was a lot of fun. I wish looking back we had gone to the Aquarium instead. That said, Monterey to us was very "touristy" so we headed out and drove back down to Big Sur again, then sat on the beach at Garrapata State Park and watched the surf with a bottle of wine.

As for the Inn -- amazing. I'd go back tomorrow if I could. Small, intimate, and definitely not "corporate." Felt like a retreat, but with every possible amenity you can think of. Full coffee pot in the room; they'll bring up plates of breakfast to you at no charge if you'd rather not go down for breakfast. The view was fantastic. We will go back, for sure.