Just after Thanksgiving, the towns on the Monterey Peninsula start getting ready for Christmas–but Pacific Grove REALLY gets into it more than the other communities.
Here are some dates to mark on your calendar if you’re lingering around Pacific Grove the weekend and week after Thanksgiving:
Pacific Grove’s Christmas Tree Lighting, Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 at 5:30 PM, at Jewell Park in Pacific Grove. For more information, call 831-648-3100
Santa’s Christmas Party, Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 at 6:00 PM, Chautauqua Hall at corner of 16th and Central in Pacific Grove.
Christmas At The Inns in Pacific Grove, Tuesday, Nov. 30 – Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010. If you love the cozy warmth of our local Bed and Breakfast Inns, you’ll love their Christmas Tour. For more information, call 831-373-3304.
The Holiday Parade of Lights happens in downtown Pacific Grove on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 at 6:00 PM along Lighthouse Avenue.
On Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 at 7:30 PM, A Celtic Christmas Celebration will be held at the First United Methodist Church. For more information, visit their website at www.mollysrevenge.com
The famous event known as Stillwell’s Snow In The Park will happen on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 at 10:00 AM. Though snow doesn’t happen naturally in Pacific Grove, it becomes plentiful at this event, located at Tommy Stillwell Court. For more information, call 831-373-3304.
And for those who plan to stay in Pacific Grove a little longer than the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be a Jingle Bell Run with Santa at Lovers Point Park on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 from 8:00 – 11:00 PM. For more information, call 831-373-3304.
If these events don’t get you in the mood for Christmas, stay tuned…for there are more events coming as we get into December.
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Thanksgiving, our delightfully gut-busting national holiday is around the corner, and for a few, that means a terrifying experience in the kitchen. Not everyone has what it takes to prepare a large feast that tastes great and hasn’t gone cold before reaching the dinner table. That’s why a brave few choose to opt out of cooking during this Thanksgiving holiday and find a yummy turkey dinner at a local restaurant.
Not all restaurants are open on Thanksgiving, but here are a few worth mentioning:
Whole Foods: If you are staying in one of the lovely vacation rentals offered by Monterey Bay Property Management and want to have Thanksgiving Dinner within your rental, you may want to reserve a fully prepared Thanksgiving Meal from Whole Foods. It’ll be an easy solution that will allow you to celebrate Thanksgiving at “home”. Whole Foods is located in Monterey.
Asilomar Conference Grounds: Offering a Thanksgiving Package that includes Thanksgiving dinner. Asilomar is located in Pacific Grove.
Il Fornaio: The Italian eatery located at the NE Corner of Ocean and Lincoln Avenues in Carmel is offering Thanksgiving Dinner, and reservations are required.
Fresh Cream: With it’s French-inspired California cuisine, located at the NW Corner of Dolores and 8th Avenues in Carmel, just published its Thanksgiving Dinner menu. The menu makes our mouths water with their descriptions of roasted butternut squash soup, oven roasted turkey, sweet potato puree, savory bread pudding stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Wow! Make a reservation at Fresh Cream by contacting 831-250-7943 or dining@freshcream.com.
Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa: Offering a 4-course Thanksgiving Dinner from 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM in their Duck Club Grill. The Duck Club Grill is in side the Monterey Plaza Hotel on Cannery Row in Monterey.
Cannery Row Brewing Company: Offering Thanksgiving Dinner and beer. They’re new, so it might be worth checking out their Thanksgiving Day efforts. Call 831-643-2722 for details.
Fandango Restaurant: Offering a special Thanksgiving Day menu. Contact them for reservations at 831-372-3456.
Chart House: Is doing something a little like Whole Foods, where they are offering a full Thanksgiving Dinner that will feed 6 – 8 people and it’s all To-Go! Or, you can eat there. Call 831-372-3362 to make your order.
Insider’s Tip: There is a little bar, tucked in the back of its row of shops in Carmel, called Ody’s Tavern, that sometimes serves up Thanksgiving dinner on the evening before Thanksgiving! It’s on San Carlos near Ocean Avenue and the building is light blue. Call them at (831) 626-6821 for directions if you get turned around.
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Tonight, Friday, November 12, 2010, we will hold the very first West Coast Swing Dance and Dine from 7:30 – 10:00 PM, for just $15.00–which includes dancing and a special menu! Here’s the story behind it:
Jose Miguel and his family own the American Burger restaurant at 738 Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, between Prescott and Irving, across from Gianni’s Pizza. Locals are starting to take notice of this Little-Burger-Joint-That-Could because Jose Miguel has a knack for good marketing that matches the tastiness of his burgers.
For example, Jose Miguel loves to dance, sing, and play music, but he has little time to do it all since he’s busy running a family restaurant. The solution? Bring the dance classes, social dances and musicians to his restaurant!
You may now find Argentine Tango at American Burger on Mondays, Salsa dance classes on Wednesdays, a West Coast Swing social dance on the second Friday of each month (starting November 12), and Latin social dancing every Saturday.
Let this lesson be learned by crafty businesses owners….How can you combine your passions under one roof? Jose Miguel’s solution is this: offer a Dance and Dine package of only $15.00 per person for each night there’s dancing. That means the following: You can Dance and Dine for $15.00 each person on Mondays if you like Argentine Tango, Wednesdays if you like Salsa, Fridays for WCS, and Saturdays for Latin dancing. Brilliant!
Insider’s Tip: Call American Burger at (831) 373-7573 for dance event information and directions. Depending on the dance crowd, American Burger may stay open later if there’s a good number of dancers still on the dance floor.
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For those who love to run and walk along our beautiful coastline, the Big Sur Half Marathon is worth checking out.  This is the 8th year of the Big Sur Half Marathon and its popularity has grown!
Here’s what to expect if you participate in the half marathon:
- A gently rolling fast course that winds through historic downtown Monterey, along Cannery Row, and proceeds along Pacific Grove’s coastline with incredible views of the Monterey Bay.
- An unparalleled race destination weekend. After the race, take some time to enjoy world-class golf, a Spa afternoon, whale watching, world-class dining, shopping, wine tasting, a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and much more. Visit the Big Sur Half Marathon’s Visitor’s Guide for more options.
- A walker friendly course that welcomes Half Marathon walkers. Other weekend events include the Run Forrest Run 5K and the JUST RUN!®Just Kids 3K fun run, both held on Saturday, November 13th.
Insider’s Tip on Registration: Â Register early to make sure you get all your ducks in a row before the big weekend!
Insider’s Tip for Non-Participants: Â For those of you not interested in participating, but wish to hang out near the popular Recreation Trail and Cannery Row, keep in mind the following things: Â 1) It may be harder to find parking during the event. Â 2) Â The trail may be closed to non-participants during the event. Â 3) Â You may find more traffic congestion during the event.
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Autumn is a fabulous time of year and October hops along with harvest festivals, pumpkin patches and corn mazes for the whole family. Â The climax at the end of October is, of course, Halloween, the second highest grossing holiday of the year.
Insider’s tip: Â Even though there are numerous crosswalk personnel, drivers be AWARE and EXTRA careful when driving along Lighthouse that Saturday!
For adults, there aren’t that many events being promoted at press time, but here’s an insider’s tip: Â Keep an eye out for event postings in the Monterey County Weekly and the Go! Calendar inside the Monterey Herald newspapers.
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Because Fall offers some of our better weather, there are many festivals and outdoor events happening in and around the Monterey Peninsula during the month of October.
Pacific Grove Historic Home Tour, Sunday October 3, 2010
Visitors will have a rare opportunity to view the interiors of Pacific Grove’s finest historic homes during the 41st annual Pacific Grove Historic Home Tour. On-site docents can answer questions about the history of the buildings and how early residents of Pacific Grove lived. Self-guided tours of these historic buildings will run from 10am to 3pm. Tickets for this once-a-year event are only $20 for adults and $10 for children 6 to 18. Children 5 and under are free.
Insider’s tip: Â If you have always wanted to see what it’s like to live in one of these historic homes, go on this tour! Â It may inspire some home design ideas of your own.
Now in its tenth year, Monterey History Fest has grown into a festival that offers a variety of programs for both residents and visitors to experience Monterey’s unique cultural heritage and historic resources. Sponsored by theÂ
City of Monterey,Â
Monterey State Historic Park (California State Parks) andÂ
Monterey History and Arts Association, History Fest has developed a plentiful schedule designed to bring Monterey’s past to life during this community-wide event.
Insider’s tip: Â Arrive early to get the best parking spaces!
The Healing Waters Ceremony is a spiritual gathering that is one part memorial service for past loved ones (including pets), and another part healing celebration for the water itself and those animals that live within it. Â This event is open to the public and free, but donations will be accepted.
This ceremony is meant to bring people together to celebrate life; remember the animals, lives, and losses of the Gulf Oil Spill–because all waters are connected; and to also heal our spirits with music, dance and prayer.
Insider’s tip: Â Music will be provided by our very own local GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter, Jennifer Filzen. Â She’ll be performingÂ
“Sirena”, a beautiful funeral song during the flower toss portion of the ceremony. Â It’ll be a nice way for participants to say hello and goodbye to past loved ones.
Admission is free for folks interested in vintage airplanes and classic cars. You can get a plane ride for a fee.
Insider’s tip: Â Take a dream ride in an old plane and make sure you bring your video camera so you can brag about it to your Facebook friends!
View this list of places that celebrate Halloween all month long. Corn mazes and pumpkin patches make for fond Fall memories.
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West Coast Swing is the California State dance and is growing in popularity, thanks to Lacey Schwimmer of “Dancing With The Stars” and Benji Schwimmer of “So You Think You Can Dance”.
West Coast Swing is a 6-count slot dance that can be danced to the blues, contemporary, pop, club, and country music, and the main age range of West Coast Swing dancers is between 30 – 70 years old.
If you’re interested in finding places to dance West Coast Swing, here are some of the places where local “Westies” hang out:
Tuesday nights–Carmel Woman’s Club at the corner of San Carlos and 9th, across from Sunset Center in Carmel. Â Call Jennifer at 831-324-0816 for class details.
Wednesday nights–Sly McFly’s at the corner of Cannery Row and Prescott in Monterey. Â It’s a small dance floor, but Westies are friendly about sharing slot space. Â Don’t be shy about asking a Westie to dance with you. Â We’ve all been beginners at some point and love bringing new people into the dance.
Thursday nights–On the 3rd Thursday of each month, join the Westie community at Clint Eastwood’s Carmel Mission Ranch off of Rio Road, right by the Carmel Mission. Â Dancing is located in the Barn, and the place gets packed.
Friday nights–Embassy Suites in Seaside has a lounge area where Lee Durley and Joe Indence sing oldies but goodies. Â If you’re in the mood for East Coast Swing, there’s music that will satisfy both dances.
Saturday nights–On the 4th Saturday of each month, the Santa Cruz Swing Club hosts a West Coast Swing dance at the Senior Center (behind 831 Bay Avenue and Woodworm Party Store) at the Bay/Porter Exit in Capitola. Â Class with a WCS dance pro start at 7:00 and the dancing goes until 11:00 PM.
If you’re uncertain about scheduling, contact Jennifer at 831-324-0816 and she’ll point you in the right direction, or consult the Monterey County Weekly newspaper or the Go! Calendar in the Monterey Herald.
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THE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES OF PACIFIC GROVE
Every fall, thousands of monarch butterflies appear at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary. They look like brown leaves on the trees in the grove, until they begin to spread their wings and flutter in and out of the tree branches when the sun comes out. The Monarch Grove Sanctuary is studded with Monterey pines and eucalyptus trees, and the temperature remains moderate all winter, giving the butterflies reason to return year after year. We look forward to their return, as we look forward to the return of many of our loyal customers to Monterey Bay Property Management, who elect to, like the butterflies, spend the winter in a temperate climate. If you are thinking that the Monterey Peninsula would be a great place to spend the winter, you would be thinking correctly! And just as we are honored each year to host the Monarch butterflies as our guests, we are honored to have you. Bring nothing but your clothes and your groceries to a fully-furnished and equipped vacation rental home where you can not only enjoy the return of the Monarchs, but all the beauty of “the most felicitous meeting of land and sea in creation (Robert Louis Stevenson).”
WHERE TO SEE THE BUTTERFLIES
From mid-October to mid-February, you can see clusters of monarch butterflies at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary at 1073 Lighthouse Avenue. The entrance is just off Lighthouse Avenue, and the park is open from sunrise to sundown. Best of all, it is free! The best time to see the butterflies is between noon to 3:00 p.m., as that is the time when the sun is shining brightly on the trees. You should find that a docent is always on duty when the park is open.
Should you arrive on the Monterey Peninsula in early October, you can be a part of Pacific Grove’s celebration of the monarchs’ arrival. The Butterfly Parade, featuring local school children dressed in butterfly wings.
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Many visitors comment on how cool it is here on the Monterey Peninsula. Â Like Mark Twain is reported to have said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” and since San Francisco is close by, the same can be said of our area.
Our weather is cool during the summer for several reasons:
1. Â Our ocean currents run from the Arctic Circle and (North to South) and our water temperature tends to be around 49 degrees to 55 degrees Farenheit.
In contrast, the Eastern seaboard of the United States experiences water currents flowing North from the Equator (South to North) with an added bonus of the warm water originating from the Gulf of Mexico known as the Gulf Stream.
2. Â We have a deep underwater canyon that begins in the Monterey Bay (at Moss Landing and Carmel) and there is a lot more water depth than eyes on land can see.
To compare, the Eastern seaboard tends to be shallower and can heat up from the sun more quickly.
3. Â Water currents and wind churn the water up from the depths to the surface, which causes cooler water to circulate up. Â This makes for very happy marine life because the upwellings bring food closer to the surface.
Now you know why you don’t see Sea Lions and Otters frolicking on Florida beaches.
4. Â The water’s cool water temperature and wind from the ocean makes the air cooler and creates a marine layer/low cloud ceiling. Â When that cooler air blends with the warmer air temperature over land, fog is created. Â Our marine layer usually evaporates from the sun after noon.
We hope this helps explain why our air is cool and why we rarely need air conditioning. Â It also explains why you should always keep a jacket or sweater handy when you’re visiting the Monterey Peninsula.
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by Jennifer Filzen
The Monterey Peninsula is a distinct wedding destination for many happy couples. Â If you, or someone you know is planning a wedding, we hope this blog will be helpful.
First, if you’ve not yet seen it, our very own Monterey Rentals website has a wedding page.  We have found that many of the same people who are looking for a vacation rental through us are also looking for local wedding vendors.  So, we got smart and developed a resource guide for our clients.  We hope our wedding page proves useful for you and yours.
Second, if you’re booking a wedding here and you’re doing it during the high season–which is summer–know that room rates at B&Bs, hotels, and motels go up. Â Believe it or not, the most economical way to stay on the Monterey Peninsula is to stay at one of our lovely vacation rentals. Â If you rent a house, condo, or duplex and share the cost with others in your group, it makes it more affordable and fun. Â Your wedding friends and family will likely have a ball at the “party house” that they’re sharing with other guests. Â If they can have fun and save money at the same time, everyone wins!
Lastly, if you have questions about what to do, where to send your wedding guests, tours, etc., we have crafted our website to provide helpful information for you and yours.  If you don’t find what you’re looking for on our site, try visiting the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce site or the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Have fun planning for your big day!
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