To the south:
Drive down Hwy. 1 South, and you'll go through:
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Monterey (33 Miles) Home of the Monterey Aquarium. This was the waterfront town where John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" was located, and is now a lively tourist town with shops and restaurants.
www.montereybayaquarium.org www.seemonterey.com -
Carmel (37 miles) Clint Eastwood was once mayor of this upscale little oceanfront town, filled with designer shops and buildings that look like a Thomas Kinkade painting.
http://www.carmelcalifornia.com -
Point Lobos State Park (37 miles) walking trails along the sea cliffs. Drive to the end of the park, park your car and follow the bluff trails for breathtaking scenery. This is one of our favorite places. http://www.pointlobos.org
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Big Sur (83 miles) just south of Monterey is a breathtaking mountainous coastline you can drive along, and the original mecca for hippies, artists and musicians, many of whom still live there. It's a beautiful drive, but the town is very small and there are few things to do. If you go, a fabulous restaurant is at Ventana Resort, where you sit on a high cliff patio overlooking the forests and ocean. There is also the Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant which is famous for its wood fired pizza.
To the North
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Capitola (less than 5 miles) an old-time beach town with beautiful pastel buildings, shops and restaurants.
http://www.capitolavillage.com -
Santa Cruz Boardwalk (15 miles) a great beach with a large amusement park on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean. This is one of the last amusement parks of its kind in the world.
http://www.beachboardwalk.com -
San Francisco (82 miles) California's most beautiful city.
- http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/todo
- http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/casfmenu/a/mistake.htm (great tips from a native)
