A Day in Monterey and Carmel

A day trip to Monterey and Carmel. I show family activities that can be done on one day, assuming you arrive around 10am in Monterey. The trip starts with a short visit at Fisherman's Whart in Monterey (plan to spend one or two hours there). There you can visit the various gift shops and stores at the Wharf. Be sure to get a sampler of the clamshowder soup that is offered there from various restaurants. At the end of the wharf is Rappa's seafood restaurant. You can go there for an early lunch there if you like. If you're not that hungry at this point you can just get a light lunch, since you can get a full dinner later in Carmel in the evening. Rappas's has very good seafood choices that are typical for this region. After the lunch you head towards Cannery Row. You can park your car in a public parking garage (there are parking signs that show you how to get there). From the garage it is a short walk to the Aquarium. It is early afternoon now, so you should spend at least about 2-3 hours in the aquarium. After the aquarium - depending on the weather - you're either heading directly to Carmel using highway 1, or take the scenic drive around Pacific Grove and 17 Mile Drive, where you can also head towards Carmel. Please note that the 17 Mile Drive is optional, depending on where you are in your schedule. If you have an hour extra time and the weather is nice I highly recommend it. Assuming you arrive in Carmel around 5-7 pm, you can park somewhere in downtown (close to Ocean avenue). There you can walk around in downtown, visit some shops and galleries, and later on enjoy a nice diiner in one of the restaurants. This time of the year it's probably dark when you get there, so visiting the beach down at Ocean Avenue is not recommended. Instead, spend more time in downtown, and enjoy the christmas lights and decoration that make a visit here worthwhile.