Redirected: Weekender

Monterey

By Elina Shatkin — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:06:00 GMT

Photograph by Jeffrey Greenberg/Monterey County CVB

HOTELS

Jabberwock Inn
598 Laine St., Monterey, 831-372-4777

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
400 Cannery Row, Monterey, 831-646-1700

RESTAURANTS

Cannery Row Brewing Company
95 Prescott Ave., Monterey, 831-643-2722

Compagno's Market and Deli
2000 Prescott Ave., Monterey, 831-375-5987

East Village Coffee Lounge
498 Washington St., Monterey, 831-373-5601

Fandango
223 17th St., Pacific Grove, 831-372-3456

Old Monterey Café
489 Alvarado St., Monterey, 831-646-1021

Parker-Lusseau Pastries
539 Hartnell St., Monterey, 831-641-9188

Passionfish
701 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove, 831-655-3311

Red's Donuts
433 Alvarado St., Monterey, 831-372-9761

Restaurant 1833
500 Hartnell St., Monterey, 831-643-1833

Sardine Factory
701 Wave St., Monterey, 831-373-3775

BAR

Alfredo's Cantina
266 Pearl St., Monterey, 831-375-0655

STORE

Reincarnation Vintage Clothing
214 17th St., Pacific Grove, 831-649-0689

OUTDOORS

Monarch Grove Sanctuary
831-648-5716

Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail

SITES

Cannery Row

Cooper Molera Adobe
525 Polk St., Monterey, 831-649-7111

Fisherman's Wharf
#1 Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey, 831-649-6544

Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row, Monterey, 831-648-4800

Monterey Museum of Art
559 Pacific St., Monterey, 831-372-5477

Stevenson House
530 Houston St., Monterey, 831-649-7118

SIDE TRIPS

Carmel by the Sea

Giant Artichoke Restaurant
11261 Merritt St., Castroville, 831-633-3501

National Steinbeck Center
1 Main St., Salinas, 831-775-4721

Long before Jimi Hendrix became a rock god by setting his guitar on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival, before John Steinbeck glorified the sardine factories of Cannery Row, Monterey was a rugged coastal outpost. Founded by Franciscan friar Junípero Serra and Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá in 1770, the onetime hunting grounds of the Ohlone Indians served as the capital of the Spanish province Alta California. A couple of hours south of San Francisco, today’s Monterey revolves around tourists, who are lured by the world-famous aquarium and humbling views of the Pacific Ocean. Despite the hubbub, the former mission town has managed to preserve its historic character, lending it an unassuming charm.

Morning
It’s tough choosing between fluffy, Frisbee-size banana pancakes and an artichoke scramble at the Old Monterey Café, an all-American diner on downtown’s low-key main drag. (When in doubt, order anything that comes with salsa.) If it’s too crowded, head for nearby Red’s Donuts, where regulars plant themselves at the counter with a maple bar and a cup of joe. Since you’re in the area, take a self-guided walking tour of the town’s 19th-century adobes. Start at the lovingly restored Cooper Molera Adobe, which has living history demonstrations and a gift shop that replicates a mid-1800s general store. A free brochure will lead you to nine other adobes, including Stevenson House, where ailing writer Robert Louis Stevenson, then unknown and penniless, was nursed back to health. (Rumor has it that Monterey inspired Treasure Island.) Along the way, grab a white chocolate mocha, the specialty drink at East Village Coffee Lounge, and a freshly baked fruit tart at Parker-Lusseau Pastries. If you have a half hour to spare, stop in at the Monterey Museum of Art, which is small but has a respectable collection of early California paintings and photographs.

Afternoon
Cannery Row may attract the biggest crowds, but a walk along the planks of the pier at Fisherman’s Wharf—and an order of calamari at Abalonetti Bar & Grill—is a must. From here you can hop on a boat to go whale watching. Trips are offered year-round by several vendors, but the ideal period is from mid-December to mid-April, when gray whales travel 12,000 or so miles between Baja and the Bering Sea. About a mile from the wharf you’ll come across the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa ($200-$500). It’s well appointed and far enough from the action that you can sleep quietly. But the property is still within easy reach of the heart of Cannery Row. Though it’s mostly full of interchangeable souvenir shops, if you squint at the vintage brick buildings, they still evoke the days when Sicilian fishermen helped make this the sardine hub of the world. The strip terminates at the north end with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where the kaleidoscopic displays of aquatic life are well worth an afternoon. After exploring the kelp forest and cooing at the penguins, drive up the hill to Compagno’s Market and Deli. At this neighborhood favorite near the Presidio the only thing larger than the stacked Italian subs are the towering slices of cake. Back on Cannery Row you can rent a bike and pedal to Pacific Grove along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. It’s an easy mile, but if you want to rest, visit Happy Girl Kitchen Co. for a cup of Blue Bottle coffee, the daily sandwich special, or a jar of house-made marmalade. Known for its gorgeous Monarch Grove Sanctuary, where migrating monarch butterflies seek shelter every winter, Pacific Grove is also a haven for thrift store habitués. The best is the high-end Reincarnation Vintage Clothing, which stocks dresses, handbags, and hats from the 1920s through the ’70s.

Evening
Though it borders Monterey, Pacific Grove and the quaint Victorians that dot its downtown area can seem worlds apart. For seafood paella and white tablecloths, there’s Fandango, but foodies flock to Passionfish, where scallops are served with tomato-truffle butter and the pork cheeks are braised. Or have a Moscow Mule and a bowl of abalone bisque while you sit in the massive, glass-enclosed conservatory at the formal Sardine Factory in Monterey. On the opposite corner you’ll find 73 taps at Cannery Row Brewing Company. The most stylish spot, however, is in Old Town at Restaurant 1833, a New American joint with a formidable cocktail menu. The fare is hearty yet elegant—bacon-cheddar biscuits with maple-chili butter, crisp hen egg with prosciutto—and the vibe welcoming. It’s a different scene at Alfredo’s Cantina, a dark little cave of a bar that caters to locals and offers some fine people watching. When the day is done, check in at the Jabberwock Inn ($169-$309), an Alice in Wonderland-themed B&B that’s quirky and cozy without being twee. Sitting high on a hill, it offers striking views of Monterey Bay, which you can gaze at before you slip down the rabbit hole.

Planning Ahead

Getting There: Monterey Regional Airport has direct flights to and from LAX, or you can fly into San Jose (70 miles north) and drive down the 101. Peak Time: Late summer and early autumn are the busiest seasons. In mid-August the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance features meticulously restored classic cars on meticulously groomed golf links. In late September the Monterey Jazz Festival draws more than 40,000 attendees. Weather Report: Bring an umbrella. Even on a hot summer day you might feel a sprinkle of rain. During winter, bundle up against the damp and the fog. Side Trips: Though Steinbeck made Monterey famous, he was born and raised in nearby Salinas, which honors the author’s legacy at the National Steinbeck Center, one of America’s premier literary shrines. Swing by Castroville, the globe’s artichoke capital, for a plate of fried thistles at the Giant Artichoke Restaurant. In the much tonier Carmel-by-the-Sea, about five miles south of Monterey, stop at one of the bistros or galleries.

Boulder

By Matt Jaffe — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Photograph courtesy Eamuscatuli/wikipedia.org

Back around 1900, as the University of Colorado Boulder campus came of age and the Chautauqua cultural center opened on the edge of town, Boulder touted itself as “the Athens of the West.” Now with the media so eager to pour on praise, who needs boosterism? If anything, the knock against Boulder—burdened with acclaim as the happiest place in America (Gallup), the country’s top sports community (Outside), and the nation’s “foodiest town” (Bon Appétit)—is that it’s just too good to be true. But hike into 45,000 acres of open space minutes from downtown, or take your pick of smart, casual restaurants, and you’ll discover that it’s not all Rocky Mountain hype. As flaws go, perfection is tough to beat.

Morning
Join the early risers at Ozo Coffee Co., where the engaging baristas will prime you on the virtues of pour-over versus French press versus Chemex brews. Farther east along Pearl Street, downtown’s main drag, Snooze breaks from Boulder’s stalwart red brick with an orange latter-day Googie design. The puff-pastry breakfast potpie with rosemary-sausage gravy and the pancake flight (make one the sweet potato) have powered plenty of hikes among The Flatirons, the slanted sandstone slabs that loom over Boulder. Trails lead into the Flatirons from the Colorado Chautauqua. The cultural retreat that opened in 1898—historic cottages are available for stays—hosts concerts (Lucinda Williams plays this month), lectures, and even a combination hike and performance of As You Like It. To sample the bakeries, growers, and cheesemakers who supply Boulder’s chefs, graze the Saturday Boulder County Farmers’ Market. During market hours, admission is free at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, which is housed in a vintage storage building by the food stalls. Next door, the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse was a gift from Boulder’s sister city in Tajikistan. With columns and ceiling panels carved and painted by Tajik craftsmen, the teahouse, which serves an array of green and black tea blends, is the only building of its kind in the United States.

Avery Brewing Co.
(303) 440-4324

Boulder Army Store
(303) 442-7616

Boulder B-cycle
(303) 532-4412

Boulder Book Store
(303) 447-2074

Boulder County Farmers’ Market
(303) 910-2236

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
(303) 442-4993

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
(303) 443-2122

The Boulderado
(800) 433-4344; $214-$239

Colorado Chautauqua
(303) 442-3282

Cured
(720) 389-8096

Frasca Food and Wine
(303) 442-6966

The Kitchen [Next Door]
(720) 542-8159

OAK at fourteenth
(303) 444-3622

Ozo Coffee Co.
(303) 645-4885

Pearl Street Mall
(303) 449-3774

Peppercorn
(303) 449-5847

The St Julien Hotel & Spa
(877) 303-0900; $309-$379

Snooze
(303) 225-7344

University Bicycles
(303) 444-4196

Afternoon
Boulder is a magnet for mountain bikers and road cyclists, with foothill trails and paved routes climbing into the Rockies. For an introduction, pedal the Boulder Creek Path, which travels seven miles through the University of Colorado campus past fly fishermen and beneath a forest canopy on its way into Boulder Canyon. You can rent cruisers from the Boulder B-cycle bike-share kiosks along the path and at racks around town. For more intense outings, University Bicycles rents high-performance bikes—or just stop in to check out the collection of vintage rides. A block down Pearl Street, The Kitchen [Next Door] is a spin-off of one of Boulder’s most lauded restaurants, the Kitchen. The soothing gray interior is both modern and rustic, while the menu skews toward updated comfort food (the Sunday special is a breakfast burrito smothered in a sauce of pork and green chiles). A few blocks east, the Pearl Street Mall is Boulder’s counterpart to the 3rd Street Promenade with its covey of buskers. National outdoor and active-gear brands have showcases on Pearl, but everything from knives to flip-flops can be found at the Boulder Army Store, and there’s a big selection of hiking books and nature guides at the Boulder Book Store, which hosts frequent author appearances. Peppercorn is a rambling cookstore, with gourmet foods, cookbooks, and kitchen equipment. In the East Pearl District former Tour de France rider Will Frischkorn and his wife, Coral, oversee a changing selection of local and imported cheeses as well as charcuterie at the gallery-like Cured. Hidden away in an industrial park beyond downtown, the Avery Brewing Co. draws hopheads for tastings of seasonal beers and classics like Ellie’s Brown Ale.

Evening
Clad in sandstone and with rooms looking out to the Flatirons, the St Julien Hotel & Spa blends contemporary design (slate bathrooms, angular poster beds, modern photos of Boulder scenes, cork wall coverings) and an ideal location near Pearl Street and the Boulder Creek Path. In the lobby locals join guests for Saturday afternoon tea and nightly live music. The city’s original grand hotel is The Boulderado, which opened in 1909. Stop in to admire the cherry wood staircase and stained glass ceiling. There are so many outstanding restaurants in town, singling out a dinner spot is challenging, but splurge on the four-course meal at Frasca Food and Wine. The seasonal cuisine, inspired by the Friuli region of northern Italy, lives up to the restaurant’s buzz; the first bite of ravioli filled with poached egg yolk and creamy Parmigiano-Reggiano is pretty unforgettable. Two Fras-ca alumni opened OAK at fourteenth, where the focus is rustic New American cuisine. Seats along the chef’s bar provide a front-row view of the kitchen action, and even if you don’t eat here, mixologist Bryan Dayton’s creations offer cool comfort on summer nights.

Side Trips
Not that you really need more outdoor recreation options around Boulder, but Rocky Mountain National Park lets you explore a Colorado high country of alpine lakes, wildflower-filled meadows, and waterfalls. Parts of the park are within 45 minutes of Boulder, and while it features more than 300 miles of trails, you can get above timberline on drives along Trail Ridge Road, which tops out at 12,183 feet.

Planning Ahead

Getting there: Boulder is 35 minutes northwest of downtown Denver and about an hour from Denver International Airport. United Airlines has the most nonstops from LAX, but Southwest also has direct flights out of Burbank. Peak time: Expect crowds on July 4 and Labor Day, and also on fall football weekends when the University of Colorado plays at home. If you’re intent on trying a restaurant, definitely make dinner reservations. Weather report: Boulder is at 5,430 feet, with average summer highs in the mid-80s. Afternoon thunderstorms can roll in from the Rockies.

Big Sur, CA

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:55:00 GMT

Photograph by Bill Edwards

Lots of folks go to Big Sur to do nothing. We understand: It’s easy to slip into a catatonic state after driving Highway 1. But if you’re up for a little adventure and are on a budget, try the Big Sur Lodge. Set amid giant oaks and redwoods in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, the cabins are no-frills; the scenery, however, is not. Step onto your porch to watch California condors roost in the trees, or walk along the trail to the 60-foot cascade of Pfeiffer Falls. There are only a couple spots to access Big Sur’s coastline. For the most unforgettable, follow the paved road (easy to miss) to the craggy, windswept shore of Pfeiffer Beach, where the surf crashes through rock arches. Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn serves hearty breakfasts, and the Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant, next to a Shell station, offers wood-fired pizzas topped with eggplant and goat cheese, and bread pudding with vanilla-caramel apples. You’re on vacation.

Points of Interest

Big Sur Lodge
(800) 424-4787
Rates: $204 - $364 (June 1 to September)
No pets allowed

Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn
(831) 667-2377
Rates: $80 - $250
No pets allowed

Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant
(831) 667-0520

Laguna, CA

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:50:00 GMT

Photograph courtesy montagelagunabeach.com

Points of Interest

Montage Laguna Beach
(866) 271-6953
Starting rate: $395

Crystal Cove Beach Cottages
(800) 444-7275
reserveamerica.com to book cottages
Starting rate: $33 per night Booking at least 7 months ahead of time is recommended.

Zinc Cafe & Market
(949) 494-6302

The Stand
(949) 494-8101

Crystal Cove State Park

Sun, sand, and surf come with the territory in Laguna, but so do more than 60 miles of trails that are etched into the stunning coastal canyons and ridges of the San Joaquin Hills. After you’ve tramped along the sage-covered slopes and through sycamore woodlands in Crystal Cove State Park, make a beeline through downtown’s cluster of art galleries and surf shops to the Zinc Cafe & Market for some caffeine while lingering over french toast or a frittata. Keep walking and you’ll find The Stand, a vegan institution where tamales sell out by noon and the sprout-and-avocado sandwiches pair perfectly with the date shake. If you booked, oh, a year ahead, you can kick it in your beach cottage at Crystal Cove. Getting a bluff-top room at The Montage? Pricier, but a hell of a lot easier. Sunny and elegant without being fussy, it’s one of those hotels that others aspire to be.

Yosemite National Park, CA

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:07:00 GMT

Photograph courtesy wikipedia.org

The final flight of stone steps ascending the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall is so steep and narrow, you actually feel like you’ve accomplished something as you stagger onto the vertiginous granite cliff top. Of course millions of visitors to Yosemite National Park have been here before you, so don’t get cocky. Instead buck up and move on to Nevada Fall. You can rest your feet tomorrow on the group ride with Yosemite Valley Stable. If you couldn’t score a room at the Ahwahnee Hotel, at least knock one back at the bar as you drink in the man-made beauty of the historic log beam-and-granite lodge. Your bed is at Curry Village. The tent cabins are well maintained, but the motel-style cabins give you more elbowroom. The trick? You want one near but not too close to the bathrooms.

Points of Interest

Vernal Fall

Yosemite National Park
(209) 372-0200

Yosemite Valley Stable
(209) 372-8348

Ahwahnee Hotel
(801) 559-4949
Dogs are not allowed

Curry Village
(801) 559-5000
Rates: start at $149

June Lake, CA

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:06:00 GMT

Photograph courtesy flickr/alaskandude

Points of Interest

Horsetail Falls

Double Eagle Resort and Spa
(760) 648-7004
Rates: $199-229 (Summer flat rate)
Dogs allowed

High Sierra Jeep Adventures
(760) 924-3333
Rate: $150

June Mountain Ski Resort
(888) 586-3686
Rate: $10

June Meadows Chalet Summer Cafe
(888) 586-3686

Eagle's Landing Restaurant
(760) 648-7004

With trout-filled waters and outcroppings worthy of Yosemite (which is nearby), June Lake is what you want a mountain town to be: remote without being, you know, scary remote. Double Eagle Resort and Spa offers the area’s most ambitious accommodations—low-key cabins and a spiffier pond-side chalet—below the curtain drop of Horsetail Falls and the pine-clad crags of Carson Peak. Trails coil up forested walls past roaring streams and wildflower meadows to lakes glistening at 10,000-plus feet. If you don’t have the lungs, try a High Sierra Jeep Adventures tour or hop the old-school chairlift at June Mountain Ski Resort to June Meadows Chalet Summer Café for a panoramic barbecue. Then poke around the handful of gingerbread shops along June Lake Loop, which flows past three looking-glass lakes on the return to the resort. Get a steak at Eagle’s Landing, where the giant windows frame moonlit peaks.

Palm Springs, CA

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:05:00 GMT

Photograph by Tim Street-Porter

The East Coast has Camp David; California has Sunnylands Estate, a 25,000-square-foot, one-bedroom home that has hosted a raft of dignitaries, including presidents, since it and its three guest houses were built in 1964. Designed by A. Quincy Jones for media magnate-philanthropist Walter Annenberg and his wife, Leonore, the property underwent a $60 million overhaul before debuting in March as a retreat for leading thinkers to work toward world peace. After admiring the period furniture and walking the grounds, settle into one of the simple, colorful rooms at the new Saguaro Hotel, a hippified former Holiday Inn in Palm Springs. Rehydrate at the poolside bar before walking to the hotel’s casual cantina, El Jefe, for short rib tacos from James Beard winner José Garces. Tinto, the more upscale spot here, is where Garces pays tribute to northern Spain with small plates like Ibérico pork loin with green onion and Dungeness crab brioche. Checkout is at noon tomorrow—plenty of time for a morning dip.

Points of Interest

Saguaro Hotel
(760) 323-1711
Rates: start at $149 (through May 31); $109 (beginning June 1)

Sunnylands Estate
(760) 328- 2829

Austin, TX

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:03:00 GMT

Photograph courtesy flickr/eschipul

Points of Interest

Hotel San José
(800) 574-8897
Rates: start at $175
Dogs allowed (2 dog limit per room. $10 fee per dog per night)

socospaces
(512) 496-2612
Rate: $199 per night, except during festivals; no rate changes by season
Dogs allowed (must notify beforehand)

Guero's Taco Bar
(512) 447-7688

Botticelli's
(512) 916-1315

Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar
(512) 291-7300

Barton Springs Pool
(512) 867-3080

Continental Club
(512) 441-2444

It’s not only the barbecue joints and music haunts that make Austinites so dang happy. They know how to appreciate the great outdoors, too. Go local by camping out near South Congress Avenue, which is lined with the town’s coolest shops, clubs, and restaurants. The tranquilly stylish Hotel San José is right on the avenue, and the five cute, bright houses managed by socospaces are within walking distance in Travis Heights. Between stops at Güero’s Taco Bar (cantina Mexican), Botticelli’s (cozy Italian), and Perla’s (fresh oysters and seafood), rent a canoe to glide along the beautifully restored Lady Bird Lake, the reservoir along the Colorado River that bisects Austin. Bikes are also available if you want to circle the ten-mile shoreline. On hot days a $3 dip in Barton Springs Pool at Zilker Park is mandatory before sampling another kind of cool: the cheap beer (and dependable lineup) at the Continental Club.

Pioneertown, CA

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:01:00 GMT

Photograph courtesy wikipedia.org

Points of Interest

Pioneertown Posse

Pappy & Harriet’s
(760) 365-5956

Pioneertown Motel
(760) 365-7001
Rates: $70-$100
Dogs allowed ($15 per night)

Sky Village Swap Meet
(760) 365-2104

Willie Boy’s Saloon & Dance Hall
(760) 363-3343

Those guys with the tall hats and the guns don’t mean you any harm. The Pioneertown Posse’s “Mane Street” shoot-out is a Saturday ritual in Pioneertown, a former Wild West movie set 32 miles from Palm Springs that for years has been a bivouac for music fans. They file into Pappy & Harriet’s to catch acts big (Robert Plant’s performed here) and indie (rock twanger James McMurtry plays in June)—and to soak up Bloody Marys with the honky-tonk’s mesquite-smoked tri-tip. The Pioneertown Motel, built with the set in the 1940s by the likes of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, is bare-bones but clean and comfortable. Six miles away in Yucca Valley, go prospecting at the Sky Village Swap Meet or test your spine on the mechanical bull at Willie Boy’s Saloon & Dance Hall. On Sunday nights there’s line dancing.

Carmel, CA

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Photograph courtesy flickr/vtsr

Points of Interest

Carmel City Beach
(831) 620-2020

Weston Gallery
(831) 624-4453
Tor House
(831) 624-2776 $195-550
Dogs allowed
Dametra Café
(831) 622-7766

Even if you find Carmel-by-the-Sea a wee twee, it’s futile to resist the beauty that turned this village into a bayside bohemia in the early 1900s. Meander through streets of vintage cottages to white-sand Carmel City Beach, where you can see from the greens of Pebble Beach to the untamed headlands at Point Lobos. It’s clear why Carmel attracted so many artists. Weston Gallery offers works by the Westons (Edward, Brett, and Cole) as well as by longtime local Ansel Adams, while tours at Tor House take you inside the stone compound hand built by poet Robinson Jeffers. Located near the heart of downtown, Tradewinds Carmel lets you escape from the village’s storybook excesses in spacious rooms with Balinese and Asian furnishings and design details. A few blocks away along Ocean Avenue, the main drag, Dametra Café’s menu spans the Mediterranean—and comes with spontaneous sides of loud music and dancing.

Redirected: Weekender

Monterey

HOTELS

RESTAURANTS

BAR

STORE

OUTDOORS

SITES

SIDE TRIPS

Planning Ahead

Boulder

Planning Ahead

Big Sur, CA

Points of Interest

Laguna, CA

Points of Interest

Yosemite National Park, CA

Points of Interest

June Lake, CA

Points of Interest

Palm Springs, CA

Points of Interest

Austin, TX

Points of Interest

Pioneertown, CA

Points of Interest

Carmel, CA

Points of Interest