Day trip to the Monterey Peninsula from Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz, CA is a great starting point for day trips around the Bay Area. It is almost the weekend, and if you are looking for a quick getaway, the Monterey Peninsula is only an hour drive away.
For lovers of golf, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am started on Monday and you can still catch the second, third, and final around this weekend. This PGA tour consists of professionals and celebrities playing on three amazing courses along Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach Golf Links is named the greatest public golf course in America for it intertwines challenge with the natural beauty of the rugged coastline, cliffside fairways and sloping greens. Spyglass Hill Golf Course is rated one of the toughest courses in the world while Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Couse is easy on the eyes because the course blends in with the existing environment. After a day of golfing, indulge in the spas at the Pebble Beach Resorts! I am very impressed by the array of dinning options the resort area has to offer with specialties like a seafood bar, wood-roasted dishes, home-style meals, Northern-Italian flavors, Hawaiian-fusion, and of course full cocktail bars and bar menus.
Would you rather cruise around and take in the sites? Then the 17-Mile Drive is for you. And yes, the 17-Mile Drive is exactly 17 miles long! The route will take you through The Lone Cypress, Fanshell Overlook, Spanish Bay, Point Joe, and under the Monterey Cypresses that are native to only two areas – Point Lobos headland and the headlands at Cypress Point along 17-Mile Drive. Fanshell Overlook has a beautiful pure white sand beach and during the spring you can spot harbor seals that return each year to bear their young. If you packed your own meals for the day out stop for a picnic at Spanish Bay and then stroll around the shoreline.
If you are like me and enjoy nature trails and outdoor activities, there are over 26 miles of hiking trails in the Del Monte Forest, cycling paths that zigzag along the coastline, and several area fishing charters available for recreational fishing excursions. There are plenty of points and coves of the Monterey Peninsula to discover while kayaking for an alternate perspective of the coast, and right now the Spanish Bay Beach has awesome waves for surfers!
For animal lovers and wildlife enthusiasts there is a lot to see while on your outdoor adventure or at the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Standing from cliffside you can spot playful sea otters, sea lions, and hear the harbor seals. With a quick Internet search, bird watchers can find popular spots like Carmel River Mouth for observing a variety of coastal, lagoon, and woodland birds.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is unlike any other because of the opportunities to get up-close with marine life, 45 interactive exhibits, and the impressive Outer Bay, which is the largest exhibit in the world! The Outer Bay is home to a scalloped hammerhead shark, a pelagic ray, and moon jellies that can be viewed from three levels. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is also next to Cannery Row, which is a popular tourist destination inspired by the novelist John Steinbeck. “The Row” offers a variety of restaurants, art galleries, and is a nice walk through this historic waterfront district on Monterey Bay.
I love Santa Cruz because of its convenient location surrounded by famous destinations. The existing environment in Santa Cruz is already amazing, but for a change of pace you are only an hour away from the serene Monterey Bay Peninsula. I can provide more information about the area surrounding Santa Cruz if you contact me at pete@petecullen.com. I have been a resident of Santa Cruz County since 1972 and I have the experience needed to answer your questions about Santa Cruz County and would love to convey to you why you should live here. Visit my website and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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