Blog Posts by Dawn

I have mentioned before Monterey is spectacularly located near many worthy destinations. From San Diego to Northern California, there are plenty of once in a lifetime opportunities. We were so busy during our stay in Central California that I put the almost obligatory trip to Disneyland at the bottom of our list and said, “if we have time.” As a family, we aren’t Disney enthusiasts. Sure, my six year old daughter loves the princesses. I ask you; can you hear “ Let it Go” too many times? We know the major characters from Disney Jr., but they weren’t her favorites, so you can see why the trip t... read more

Who doesn’t love Mexican food? Well, at least margaritas, right? The food options throughout the Monterey Bay area were some of the best things we encountered during our stay in California and Mexican cuisine is represented heartily. In fact, there were so many options; I had to force our family to stray from our regular favorites just in case we were missing something great at another restaurant. An exhaustive and voter driven summation of the food scene for 2014 can be found at The Monterey County Weekly (MCW), which is a great resource for all things Monterey County. Be warned, I consider ... read more

Carmel-by-the-sea, or commonly known as Carmel, was recently voted by Travel +Leisure magazine as one of the most romantic cities in the world and in 2013 was voted by Condé Nast Traveler as the United States’ 6 th favorite city . To top both of those honors is the distinction of being rated one of the most dog friendly cities in the country. Of course the first two are subjective, but from firsthand knowledge, the validity of the dog friendly award is obvious before you park your car! Food, Wine, and Shopping Carmel is an enchanting, scenic and quaint village that neighbors Pebble Beach, mos... read more

Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving to the Monterey Bay Area: Fun things to do in Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and Pebble Beach Area Location Central California was a part of the U.S. previously unknown to me and I readily admit the general location of Monterey is stellar on all accounts regarding scenery and travel options . Read my post about living in Pacific Grove vs Monterey . You will experience the most pleasant, glorious, and sunshine filled days during your time stationed here. The mountainous coast is breath taking and the food scene rivals and probably beats many across the coun... read more