There will be two opportunities for sightseeing in the Monterey area for attendees of the Spring Meet. To make sure you can go on the tour of your choice, sign-up before you arrive at the Spring Meet. The deadline to register for sightseeing tours is May 4, 2009. To sign up, please complete this form.
Sightseeing Options
Thursday, June 4: 1- 5:30 p.m.
Carmel: by-the-Sea Shopping and Carmel Walks Tour
Discover "#1 Best Ambiance City in the U.S." by Conde Nast Traveler. Stroll with your artist tour guide through secret pathways, hidden courtyards, award-winning gardens and by enchanting fairytale cottages-the homes, haunts and history of famous artists, writers and movie stars. Bring your cameras! Then shop till you drop at Carmel Plaza, where in one square block you will find luxury boutiques, the finest in jewelry, everything-you-can-think-of gourmet equipment and toys, plus great California wines and cheeses. Then relax with a private champagne reception to create a truly unique shopping experience.
National Steinbeck Center/Salinas Rodeo Museum Tour
At the gateway to Steinbeck Country is a multimedia experience of literature, history, agriculture and art. Experience a journey through seven themed theaters with film clips and interactive exhibits which will bring to life the world of Nobel Prize-winning author, John Steinbeck. Next, tour the Queen Anne style Victorian home which was the birthplace and boyhood home of the famed author. Finally, discover the Wild West and 99 years of Salinas Rodeo history. The museum is filled with memorabilia and costumes as well as an impressive collection of photographs and an authentic Wells Fargo stagecoach.
Monterey Movie Tour and High Tea at La Mirada Art Museum
Enjoy this "blockbuster" scenic tour of the Monterey Peninsula including the incredible 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove, Monterey and Carmel while traveling to sites where movies were filmed and view the actual scenes filmed at those locations on overhead monitors inside a luxury tour coach. As you glide past sites made famous on the big screen, you'll hear behind-the-scenes stories of Hollywood glamour. Peek into The Lodge at Pebble Beach and shop at the exclusive collection of shops. A photographic opportunity of a lifetime! Finish your day at the stunning Monterey Museum of Art, La Mirada, an historic stone adobe estate with its magnificent rose garden, which entertained the stars: Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. High tea and refreshments plus VIP tours to include behind the scenes house and galleries.
Salinas Valley Agricultural, Culinary and Wine Tasting Tour
Come enjoy a wonderful afternoon in beautiful Salinas Valley, otherwise known as the "Salad Bowl of the World," touring the local area's fresh vegetable farms and wineries. We will visit Pezzini Farms (artichokes), Gabilan View Farms (strawberries) and Ventana Vineyards (wine tasting). Throughout the tour, we will discuss the relationship of the local hospitality/culinary industry to Monterey County's world famous agriculture and wine industries.
Adventures by the Sea Experience
Kayak, bike or paddle boat...you get to choose your own experience. By SEA; explore the kelp forest and abundant marine life along Cannery Row from an ocean kayak! There's no better way to explore Monterey Bay than with a docent-guided tour which will make your kayaking experience one of discovery and education. By LAND; discover the beautiful Monterey Peninsula pedaling a bicycle along the recreation trail, around the rocky shores of Pacific Grove and onto breathtaking 17-Mile Drive. Our guide will stop at points of interest along the way. This tour is filled with many great photo opportunities! On The SEA; stand up Paddle Boards are the latest recreational craze-it's as close to walking on water as you'll ever get!! It will improve your balance and coordination while you explore the kelp forest along Monterey Bay (all equipment/gear provided).
Saturday, June 6: 2:30-5:30 p.m.
Interactive Cooking Class & Cannery Row Wine Tasting Experience
Taste the flavors of Monterey in this two-hour cooking class taught by Executive Chef Mary Pagan, CEO of the Culinary Center of Monterey and Culinary School of Monterey. Participants will use ingredients indigenous to the area as they cook, eat and quiz the chef while looking out over beautiful Monterey Bay from the Center's state-of-the-art, ocean view kitchens. Then stroll across the street to A Taste of Monterey for a private VIP wine tasting of many Monterey County fine wines along-side an educational Wine Ambassador while they provide expert analysis.
Hot Laps and Race Track Experience
Learn of the colorful history and celebrity status of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca before going out onto the track with world-class drivers from Skip Baber Racing School for a Hot Laps experience. Tour the race track made famous by premier races like the Moto GP World Championship, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Feel the speed like the world-class racers of the past have including Roger Penske, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones and Bobby Rahal. This track has also been further popularized by the PlayStation video game "Gran Turismo."
Exotic Animal Park Tour
Take a Safari on the Monterey Peninsula. Enjoy a VIP tour at Wild Things Exotic Animal Park and Safari Bed & Breakfast which cares for over 100 exotic animals, and operates E.A.R.S., a non-profit African elephant sanctuary. Have a hands-on experience with a 10,000 pound African Elephant, a Capuchin Monkey and a Siberian Lynx while you also visit with other lions, tigers and bears. Tour the most unique overnight accommodations experience where they provide African tent-style bungalows including continental breakfast delivered each morning by an elephant.
Carmel Valley and Village Wine Tasting Tour
Grand Estate Tour of Chateau Julien including the barrel facility, winery, vineyards and cellar operations. Guests will taste six Private Reserve wines with a special sampling of aging wine from a barrel. View a historical collection of fine wines and a variety of wine-related merchandise. All guests take home a keepsake wine glass. Also enjoy Carmel Valley Village as you sample other wineries and learn from a local wine expert about the quaint area and its lively history.
Hit the Links on the Monterey Peninsula (Limited Availability)
Play 9 holes at the Pacific Grove Golf Links located on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula with views of Monterey Bay and Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse on the West Coast. The course was originally designed by Chandler Egan in 1932 and the first nine holes will take you through the forested areas of Pacific Grove. Depending on how fast you play, you may get to experience the back nine, originally designed by Jack Neville, the original designer of the Pebble Beach Golf Links. This course was recently ranked by Zagat Survey as one of America's Best Golf Courses. (Bring your own golf clubs or a limited number of rental sets available).