California Road Trip September 2022. Pacific Coast Highway. San Francisco to Monterey, 3 nights in Monterey.

December 12, 2022

California Road Trip September 2022. Pacific Coast Highway. San Francisco to Monterey, 3 nights in Monterey.

3rd September 2022

It was time to hire the car and start our first USA road trip. Driving The Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles and beyond.

First we had to get back to SFO Airport to pick up the car at 12.00. So we got the BART Transport again, using the pre loaded Clipper Cards. Absolutely no problem on the train. At the SFO Airport station we got the AIR TRAIN to the Car Hire pick up depo.

The 'Hire Car Depo' at San Francisco Airport houses all the major companies. It was really, really busy. Every car hire company had long ques and people were waiting for a long time. We joined our line and waited, well over an hour and a half. I was so glad we had not just got off a flight, it would have been exhausting! At last we got the car and set off on the coastal road, or The Pacific Highway or California One, to Monterey.

It was a lovely drive through Half Moon Bay, and we had planned to stop at Santa Cruz, but as it was a holiday weekend it was packed and we could not find a parking spot. Such a shame as it looked a great place with its Boardwalk, amusement park and beautiful beaches .

In Monterey I had booked in at Casa Munras Garden Hotel. This was a modernised motel, with very nice gardens, it was in a good position in the town, it was clean and the bed was good. However as the hotel was well above the price point I normally choose, I really do not think it was value for money, especially as the room was very small, smelt very strongly of cleaning fluid and there was an extra charge for parking the car.

The recurring theme on this holiday was paying extra for parking and showers with really low water pressure!

As we walked into Monterey we could hear a lot of barking type noise. This turned out to be from hundreds of Californian Sea Lions, they had decided to move onto the Monterey beaches, allegedly to avoid Killer Whales in the bay. The only thing stopping the hordes of Sea Lions coming into the town was the small, stone wall.

Monterey Sea Lions 2022

4th September 2022

We had a short drive back along CA1 today to Moss Landing as we were going to Elkhorne Moss for a 'Eco Tour' on an electric catamaran in the Elkhorne Slough State Marine Park, the tour operator was called Monterey Bay Eco Tours .

The guides were two young men and both were really knowledgeable and engaging. Before we had even left the harbour we had seen so much wildlife; Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Cormorants, White and Brown Pelicans The information on the Sea Otters was invaluable, I think if I had just seen them in the water I would have thought they were small sea lions. It was a really useful tour and a great morning.

Back in Monterey we strolled along the promenade, walking to Cannery Road, spotting more Sea Otters and enjoyed the Old Fisherman's Wharfe, it was really busy as it was a public holiday. The noisy sea Lions kept the crowds entertained, there were even more today. The local council had put up metal barriers to try to contain the Sea Lions.

Monterey 2022

In the evening we ate at The Crown and Anchor, the most traditional English Pub we have ever been in, ever! The food was very good and reasonably priced.

5th September 2022

Today we hired bikes and cycled the 17 mile Drive, this goes between Pacific Grove and Carmel, but we did a bit extra as we started in Monterey. The route goes through the gated community of Pebble Beach, cars have to pay a Toll, it was $10.50. But bikes go free.

It was a stunning bike ride, there are cycle lanes, but they do come and go. Also it had far more hills than I was expecting, the Moon travel guide book says its 'fairly flat' .....they must have done it in a car 🙄 but it was a beautiful ride and a great day out.