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What The Locals Know–Where To Work Out

Whether we are looking to exercise while on Christmas vacation, or whether we’re planning on making regular exercise as part of our New Year’s Resolutions, there are plenty of places to exercise on the Monterey Peninsula.


Gyms:
In-Shape is a fairly new health club chain that has opened 2 locations in the Monterey Peninsula.  The Monterey facility is located at 2370 Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940-5407 (831) 333-1835.  The Pacific Grove facility is located at 1146 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, (831) 649-2348.  Call each facility for daily operating hours.


Monterey Sports Center is city-owned and -operated by the City of Monterey.  It’s beautiful and very affordable for drop-in, out-of-town guests, and it has a large pool area, cardio room, basketball court, weight room, exercise classes, and well-tended locker rooms.  Monterey Sports Center is located in downtown Monterey at 301 East Franklin Street, Monterey, CA 93940-3044, (831) 646-3730.  Call for daily operating hours.


Outdoors:
The Recreation Trail is a very popular destination for walkers, runners, and bikers, for this coastal trail offers gorgeous views of the Monterey Bay.  The Rec Trail goes all the way from Asilomar State Beach to Marina, so you have plenty of entry and exit points from which to choose.  Just park somewhere near the water’s edge and start your nice, long stroll.


El Estero Park has many areas of diversion for the whole family.  From walking around or paddle boating within El Estero Lake, to playing with the little ones in Dennis the Menace Park…from picnicking by the lake to skateboarding in a safety zone, El Estero Park is a popular family destination.


Monterey County’s Beaches are lovely and there’s something for everyone.  Get close to the sea lions at the Coast Guard Pier at San Carlos Beach at the foot of Cannery Row in Monterey.  Take a nice, long beach walk and dream of owning your own condo on Del Monte Beach.  Surf or body board the beaches in Seaside, but be careful of the strong current.  Paragliders and kite aficionados can be found along the windy shores of Marina’s beaches.  They’re all lovely and they all beckon you to come over for a visit.


The golf course at the end of Lighthouse Avenue in Pacific Grove is known as the Pacific Grove Golf Links, and it’s an incredible bargain considering its location by the ocean.  Rated as one of the best golf courses under $50, it’s a must-see for golfers who don’t want to pay the higher rates at Pebble Beach.
Scuba Diving is very popular around Monterey Bay, due to the fact that it’s a national marine reserve.  If you’re okay with diving in cool water temperatures from 50 – 55 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll love this region of gorgeous dives.  Popular dive sites include Breakwater at San Carlos Beach for diving newbies, right by the Coast Guard Pier in Monday; night diving at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove; and doing the “Monastery Crawl” at Monastery Beach in Carmel–which can be extremely dangerous and is known by locals as Mortuary Beach.  The BEST diving can be found at Point Lobos in Carmel, but you’ll need to make reservations, for they only allow 15 dive teams per day.  Be warned, diving here is splendid, but DO NOT dive in poor diving conditions…regardless of how far you’ve traveled to dive here.  Dive smart!


Kayaking is tremendous fun and a great way to get some exercise on the water.  You can kayak out in Monterey Bay, or go inland down Elkhorn Slough by Moss Landing.  Either way, you are very likely to pull up close to sea birds, otters, sea lions, harbor seals, jellyfish, kelp, and fellow kayakers.


Paddle Boarding is a pretty cool new sport where a person stands up on a surf board and paddles around.  Paddle boarders get ripped abs and arms and say that it’s pretty easy once you’ve mastered balancing on the surf board.  There’s even a local paddle boarder who takes his dog along for a ride on the board.  So cool!  Paddle boarding lessons are available at Adventures By The Sea and gear is available at Monterey Bay Kayaks.


Bicycling is fun for all ages and there are plenty of places to bicycle around the Monterey Peninsula.  There are plenty of places to rent a bike if you don’t have your own, and the types of bike rides to choose from are endless.  Here is a link to several bike routes around town.  For novice bikers, choose the Recreation Trail.  For diehard mountain bikers, try some of the tougher trails up in the hills.  Just be careful of cars when you’re sharing the road–especially around blind corners or narrow mountain roadways.

What The Locals Know–Monterey County’s Wine Region

A new generation of wine enthusiasts is being drawn to Monterey County. Monterey County boasts a delightful wine region and it’s due to several factors: The distinctions of our deep underwater canyon, widely varied temperatures, specialized soil types, and wine and food pairing harmony between local fresh agriculture and sustainable seafood from the Monterey Bay, make Monterey one of the stand-out regions that wine connoisseurs and beginning wine enthusiasts are passionate to explore.

These distinctions are described as follows by the Monterey Wine Country’s website:

Blue Grand Canyon–Monterey Wine Country is home to the Blue Grand Canyon™. The Monterey Canyon begins at Moss Landing, in the middle of Monterey Bay, and extends approximately 95 miles. The canyon’s bottom is about 2 miles below the surface, making it comparable in depth to the Grand Canyon. The impact of this natural resource on the grape growing region is significant – guiding the exact location of viticulture areas, the wind pattern between the two mountain ranges in the region, the constant and predictable weather, and the varietals that are grown. Monterey Wine Country stands alone in being in such close proximity to a maritime landmark with such significance to a viticulture region.

Thermal Rainbow–The southeast end of Monterey County, during any given day in July, will approach 90 degrees before noon while the Bay will still be engulfed in fog and 60 degrees. This temperature gradation starts the daily wind that moves the air mass from the bay down the valley—the mid-valley, near the Santa Lucia Highlands and Arroyo Seco AVAs, may never reach 80 degrees. The sun adds heat to the south, while the wind moves the cool air off of the bay. From 2 until 5 the “air conditioner” moves from Gonzales to San Ardo, which produces the cooling effect through the southern end of the County for the rest of the day. This creates the vibrant Thermal Rainbow that makes Monterey unique in the world wine regions of Mediterranean climates.

8 Primary Soil Types–The eight primary viticulture soil types include:
• Lockwood Shaly Loam (28%)
• Chualar Loam (15%)
• Garey Sandy Loam (9%)
• Arroyo Seco Gravelly Sandy Loam (7%)
• Rincon Clay Loam (7%)
• Placentia Sandy Loam (6%)
• Oceano Loamy Sand 95%)
• Chamise Shaly Loam (5%)
This variety of soil types is part of what makes the expanse of Monterey County so special.

42 Varietals–Classy Chardonnay and Elegant Pinot Noir. Aromatic Riesling and Magnificent Merlot. Rich Cabernet and Syrah. From the steep slopes of Carmel Valley to the rolling hills of the Santa Lucia Highlands and Gavilan Mountain Ranges, Monterey stands alone in crafting 42 fine wine varietals of exceptional flavor, character, and balance.
The influences of the Blue Grand Canyon and the Thermal Rainbow allow for such diversity of varietals to be grown.
The leading white varietals in Monterey Wine Country are Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc.
The leading red varietals in Monterey County include Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, and Cabernet Franc.
Other red grapes of significance include Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Barbera, Valdiguie, Aleatico, Alicante, Dolcetto, Freisa, Mourvedre, Muscat Hamburg, Nebbiolo, Souzao, Tannat, and Tempranillo

Insider’s Tip: Take a day trip along River Road, between Salinas and Soledad, where you’ll find the majority of the wineries. For those who desire to stay close to the comfort of their Cannery Row hotel, kick back and enjoy the offerings of the Scheid Vineyard’s Tasting Lounge and A Taste of Monterey.