Weekend in Monterey

My husband Michael and I spent our first anniversary in Monterey. We woke up early on Saturday and started our mini road trip off with Peet's coffee. It is definitely my favorite way to start a road trip. We chose to drive on Highway 1 for a change of pace, and definitely enjoyed it. As you get closer to Monterey Bay the air changes and the fruit stands beside the road increase.

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Monterey. The hotel reminds me of a lodge almost the way it is situated and the exterior colors. The lobby is nice and open with a fireplace, and the check in process was friendly. They had our room ready at 11:00 AM, so that was a nice surprise. The rooms themselves have been recently upgraded with modern amenities, and the bathroom was awesome! Tile shower with half a glass door, large rectangular sink that sat on top of the counter, great lighting... The room was inviting and comfortable. We had a balcony overlooking the pool, so that was a nice feature. We bought a bottle of Monterey County Pinot Noir and enjoyed it on the balcony while talking and watching people swim. It was a nice way to ease into our first night.

The spa is under renovation, but we were able to get massages in our room. The Hyatt arranged two massage therapists to come up to our room, and it was very relaxing. Usually Michael and I like to explore local eateries and stay away from hotel restaurants, but we decided to be very low key the first night and check out the Hyatt's Italian restaurant Tusca. It was a good choice. One entire wall of the restaurant is floor to celing windows over looking the greens of the golf course. We ate as the sun set, and the view was relaxing. I had the chef's special risotto and a perfectly cooked halibut. Delicious!

The next day was the first Sunday of the football season, so we started off the day with Bloody Marys and football at the Hyatt's sports bar Knuckles before heading out to explore Monterey's wine country. The sports bar was a great start to the day, although I would have to say that the Hyatt's breakfast buffet was a bit over priced.

Monterey's Wine Country is gorgeous! If you haven't checked it out you should definitely do so. The best part of the day was the drive to the first winery. The road is so peaceful and gently follows trees and farmland, and eventually you see the first vineyards. The tasting rooms are for the most part small, but with incredible views. Our absolute favorite view was at Hahn's. They are on the top of a hill at the end of a two mile road through rows and rows of grapes. The view from the parking lot alone is worth the drive out there... The soft yellow and greens of the hills and vineyards are in front of a soft blue sky are what California is all about to me.

Monterey's downtown area is fun, too. They have nice restaurants, bookshops, and coffee shops. We kind of stumbled into an Italian Festival while we were there, so we watched people play bocce ball and people watched. The weather was perfect for walking around. It was about 70 degrees and very pleasant.

We didn't travel very far this time, but we did get away from it all. It was relaxing to just hit the road with our ipod and check out the sites.

So, where should we go next? Hmmm... It is not an unpleasant question to ponder!