Page 95 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

Wine lovers won’t have much chance
to miss Napa and Sonoma, with a wealth
of quality vineyards in this region. From
Carmel Valley to the Monterey River
Road, there are more than enough
award-winning wines to quench an
oenophile’s thirst.
With its rich and varied geography, it’s
a good thing that the wonders of Mon-
terey Bay and Big Sur are laid wide open
for people to appreciate them. Whether
your preference is a charming urban
escape, camping under the stars, fresh
regional cuisine, world-famous wines,
getting active outdoors or a leisurely
beachcombing stroll—all can be found
here, and nobody’s rushing you, so you
can discover it all in your own time.
City & Town
Downtown Santa Cruz lies between the
city’s vibrant beach attractions and the
redwood-rich mountains, where the
University of California at Santa Cruz is
perched among groves of the huge trees.
Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey is steps
from the city’s historic buildings that
date from the 18th and 19th centuries—
before California was part of the United
States. The new Dalí17 museum show-
cases the second-largest collection of
works by Salvador Dalí in the United
States. Once a resident of Monterey, Dalí
contributed greatly to the region’s tal-
ented artist community. Made famous
by John Steinbeck’s eponymous novel,
Cannery Row has morphed from a
»
MUST
SEE,
DO
» California Condors Get a close-up view of
soaring California condors from the High Peaks
trail of Pinnacles National Park.
› nps.gov/pinn
» Monterey’s Historic District Find Old
Monterey’s adobes and gardens from the Spanish
and Mexican eras, including the site of California’s
first Constitutional Convention, scattered near
Fisherman’s Wharf.
› seemonterey.com/monterey-adobes
» Dead Central Get a colorful look at exhibits
from the Grateful Dead Archive, on display at the
University of California Santa Cruz McHenry Library.
› library.ucsc.edu/grateful-dead-archive/about
» Wild Coast Cruise Highway 1 along the majestic
Big Sur coast, where the sky touches the sea.
› bigsurcalifornia.org
» Historic Fun Ride two National Historic
Landmarks, the Giant Dipper and the Looff
Carousel, at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
› beachboardwalk.com
INSIDER’S
»
TIP
THE LONE CYPRESS
from 17-Mile Drive in
Pebble Beach, opposite;
Cannery Row in
Monterey, above;
California poppies,
the state flower, right.
The best free dinner for your
dog is at THE FORGE IN THE
FOREST RESTAURANT in Carmel.
While you can order kibble,
burgers, steak or chicken strips
off the Dog Pound menu,
biscuits are always free and each
waiter carries a pocketful of
them for every customer with
puppy-dog eyes.
forgeintheforest.com
2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 93