Good morning everyone, I hope your weekend is off to a great start.  A few days ago, I received an email from See Monterey, Monterey’s local tourism board, about promoting Monterey County’s “Grab Life By The Moments” campaign.  To me, Monterey is more than just a beautiful place to play golf, go shopping, and enjoy great food; it holds a very special place in my heart full of great memories, amazing views, and lots of fun.  I am very lucky to have visited Monterey many, many times and it’s all thanks to my grandpa.

Every year, my grandpa would rent a big house for Thanksgiving week and we would all stay under the same roof (and by we, I mean all my aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents and even my brother).  Like most family gatherings, we’ve had our fair share of arguments over the years, but we would always make up and have a great time in Monterey.  For every Thanksgiving, my mom and my aunts would prepare a Thanksgiving feast big enough to feed the entire block, so leftovers were a given for the rest of the week.  My aunt would bring up decorations and craft projects for the kids to work on while the parents prepared Thanksgiving dinner.  One year, we made this Thanksgiving turkey decoration – it brings back some very good memories over the year.

I love food and so does my grandpa (which probably explains where I get my sweet tooth from), so we love going out to eat and Carmel/Monterey has so many great restaurants to choose from.  If you want a great breakfast, check out Katy’s Place in Carmel.  Get there early since this place gets very busy and bring cash, since they don’t take credit cards (boo!).  Here is a picture of my brother, grandma, me, and grandpa taken outside Katy’s Place (probably after breakfast since we all look full and happy).

If golf is more your style, you will be hard pressed to find a better golf course anywhere in the world than Pebble Beach Golf Links.  I’m not a golfer (I’m more of a mini golfer, but I digress), but I do appreciate the stunning views of the golf course and the crashing waves below.  I don’t think the Citi Prestige’s free rounds of golf applies here, so be prepared to drop a pretty penny for a once in a lifetime golfing experience.

If you prefer fluffy farm animals, check out the sheep at Mission Ranch Carmel.  You can’t touch the sheep, but you can take some great photos of them grazing.  There is also a Pebble Beach Equestrian Center where you can watch horses run around.  If you are lucky, you might be able to feed them a big carrot or crunchy apple.

If you prefer sand between your toes, check out the endless beaches near 17 Mile Drive.  There is Bird Rock and Sea Lion Rock along with amazing shells and tidepools.  The water is extremely cold, so bring a wetsuit if you plan to go in for a swim.  Here is my mom and dad near Bird Rock.

If you like stunning views and sunsets, Monterey has those in abundance.  Unfortunately, as soon as the sun goes down, the temperatures drop too, so always bring a sweatshirt or jacket if you plan on going out at night.

I’ve eaten Thanksgiving dinner with my cousins probably close to 20 times over the years but this is the best picture I could find.  When we were younger, we would sit on the floor, butts on pillows, and eat Thanksgiving dinner at the “kids table”.  No matter how old we got, we were never old enough to make it to the “adult table,” instead we were perpetually stuck at the “kids table.”  I can probably speak for all my cousins when I say that we all looked forward to Thanksgiving in Monterey every year.  After the trip was over, we would always talk about next year’s trip and were always very excited to return.

I know my experience with Monterey is very different from almost everyone else’s, but it truly is an amazing place, not matter how many times you have been.  If you want to learn more about Monterey County and plan a trip, please check out Monterey County’s “Grab Life By The Moments” campaign.  I believe there is also a contest going on for 2 tickets to the beautiful and world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Have a great weekend everyone!