I don't know where to begin except chronologically. So, away we go:
1) Wednesday. Arrive in San Jose. Airport sux schweaty monkey nutz, but you live with it (and they are working on it).
2) Arrive in hotel in Santa Cruz (no hotels under $300/night available in Monterey area during the Historic races and Concours D'Elegance).
3) Go have chipotle prawns and scallops on the pier. Santa Cruz is a nice place to be. Dinner at Pasatiempo resort up the street a ways. Great burger while watching the Olympics.
4) Thursday. Off to Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course--aka 'The Poor Man's Pebble.' Breakfast at Coastie's in Pacific Grove, Brother and I play with a charming older twosome (Mitch and Kitty--just friends, not a couple) and I played like a Casa del Fuego on the back nine (the coastal nine). 1 over on the back--with 3 missed birdie putts within 10 feet--and shot a +5 75 for the round. Hurts because it could have been better, but still could have been a lot worse. What a place.
5) Lunch at Gianni's--great pizza/sandwich joint in Monterey. Two pints of Carmel Wheat, mmmmmmm--great beer if you can get it ( a lot like Samuel Adams Summer Ale).
6) Shoot pool at Easy Street Billiards on Tyler Street in Monterey. I kicked my brother's tucas at 8-ball and then he kicked mine at 9-ball. He owns a pool table though, so overall, I won.
7) Drinks on the patio of Spanish Bay resort. Got a free shot of Laphroig 15 year whiskey. Missed the piper (whimper), but I'll see him next time.
8) Friday. Played Seascape Golf Course in Aptos. Kicked my ass. Kicked the bejeezus out my brother. We probably did about 2 grand in property damage the first nine holes. The second nine was better (less homes) and more dramatic. I recommend golfers play it if they think they can keep it pretty close to straight. Otherwise, pick a different course. It gives the term 'tree-lined' an an entirely different meaning and, if you ever have an even lie, you will know you are on one of the better tee boxes.
9) Nappy time back at the hotel. Mmmmmmmmm.
10) Rally in Carmel. According to my brother, rather boring compared to last year. Still, pretty damn cool. When seeing yet another Ferrari inspires a "huh, not bad," you are at least close to Carmel. Some amazing cars were parked all over the joint--including a 1930 Rolls Royce and (right behind it) a 1959 Bentley. We even saw a chain driven fire truck looking thing from 1918 with inlaid wood on the rear carriage parked behind a 1932 Packard (pics delivered later).
11) Dinner in Carmel at La Dolce Vita. Great setting. Good, but not great, food. Nicest waiter in the world. Excellent sauce on their calamari--I'll give them that for certain.
12) Saturday. Drive down Highway 1 a bit to Rocky Point Restaurant (see pic below). There was a funer....wedding going on at the time, but they made room for us. Food was better than I remembered it. Watched ground squirrels forage for food as the waves crashed against the rocks about 100 feet or so below--all glass walls in this place.
13) Off to the historic races! Imagine every exotic race car you've ever fantasized about seeing and then magnify it by at least 10 if you are a true afficianado--100 if you a pedestrian fan like me. The place is dripping in racing nostalgia. Two cars were taken out of the museum because it was time to race--including a 1978 Lotus and a 1959 Ferrari Testarosa. The winner of the whenever-1933 bracket was a 1932 Alfa Romeo--one of 5 left in the world with the 'original' stamp on it--and he drove it like he stole it. Oh, and the 1978 Lotus was driven by Mario Andriette.
14) Dinner a Chef Lee's in Monterey. Went a bit budget with this one. Service was awful, but food was good for the price.
15) Sunday. Breakfast at Friar Tuck's in Carmel. Wasn't really hungry, but food was good. Setting better.
16) On to the Concours D'Elegance--the premiere car show in the world. Forget what you might think you know about car shows. This show takes all day to see and a lifetime to drink in. Unless you happen to have seen $1.25 million dollar one-of-a-kind cars from 1929 next to the single Pinafiori Cadillac in the world (made in homage to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in 1961) as but a teaser to the real car show, don't try to compare notes with me. Have you ever seen a 1959 Stingray Corvette? The answer should be "no" because it was a concept car in 1959 that never saw production. But it's at the Concours. How about an 1894 Mercedes Benz...ever seen one? I have. Oh, and the setting is the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach! My brother and I were joking that they must have the greenskeeper chained to a bed in a remote part of Southeast Asia. Pebble Beach! The 18th hole! With ancient cars driving on it?! I would need black tar heroin to calm me down if I were the greenskeeper.
So, all in all, not a bad way to spend 4 or 5 days. I recommend it to any who can afford it--budget style or otherwise. And whoever is responsible for that blessed place, be it God, the Dark Lord of Hades, Thor, Quetzalcoatl, Zues, E=mc2, or Colonel Sanders...thank you. You have my undying devotion.
1) Wednesday. Arrive in San Jose. Airport sux schweaty monkey nutz, but you live with it (and they are working on it).
2) Arrive in hotel in Santa Cruz (no hotels under $300/night available in Monterey area during the Historic races and Concours D'Elegance).
3) Go have chipotle prawns and scallops on the pier. Santa Cruz is a nice place to be. Dinner at Pasatiempo resort up the street a ways. Great burger while watching the Olympics.
4) Thursday. Off to Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course--aka 'The Poor Man's Pebble.' Breakfast at Coastie's in Pacific Grove, Brother and I play with a charming older twosome (Mitch and Kitty--just friends, not a couple) and I played like a Casa del Fuego on the back nine (the coastal nine). 1 over on the back--with 3 missed birdie putts within 10 feet--and shot a +5 75 for the round. Hurts because it could have been better, but still could have been a lot worse. What a place.
5) Lunch at Gianni's--great pizza/sandwich joint in Monterey. Two pints of Carmel Wheat, mmmmmmm--great beer if you can get it ( a lot like Samuel Adams Summer Ale).
6) Shoot pool at Easy Street Billiards on Tyler Street in Monterey. I kicked my brother's tucas at 8-ball and then he kicked mine at 9-ball. He owns a pool table though, so overall, I won.
7) Drinks on the patio of Spanish Bay resort. Got a free shot of Laphroig 15 year whiskey. Missed the piper (whimper), but I'll see him next time.
8) Friday. Played Seascape Golf Course in Aptos. Kicked my ass. Kicked the bejeezus out my brother. We probably did about 2 grand in property damage the first nine holes. The second nine was better (less homes) and more dramatic. I recommend golfers play it if they think they can keep it pretty close to straight. Otherwise, pick a different course. It gives the term 'tree-lined' an an entirely different meaning and, if you ever have an even lie, you will know you are on one of the better tee boxes.
9) Nappy time back at the hotel. Mmmmmmmmm.
10) Rally in Carmel. According to my brother, rather boring compared to last year. Still, pretty damn cool. When seeing yet another Ferrari inspires a "huh, not bad," you are at least close to Carmel. Some amazing cars were parked all over the joint--including a 1930 Rolls Royce and (right behind it) a 1959 Bentley. We even saw a chain driven fire truck looking thing from 1918 with inlaid wood on the rear carriage parked behind a 1932 Packard (pics delivered later).
11) Dinner in Carmel at La Dolce Vita. Great setting. Good, but not great, food. Nicest waiter in the world. Excellent sauce on their calamari--I'll give them that for certain.
12) Saturday. Drive down Highway 1 a bit to Rocky Point Restaurant (see pic below). There was a funer....wedding going on at the time, but they made room for us. Food was better than I remembered it. Watched ground squirrels forage for food as the waves crashed against the rocks about 100 feet or so below--all glass walls in this place.
13) Off to the historic races! Imagine every exotic race car you've ever fantasized about seeing and then magnify it by at least 10 if you are a true afficianado--100 if you a pedestrian fan like me. The place is dripping in racing nostalgia. Two cars were taken out of the museum because it was time to race--including a 1978 Lotus and a 1959 Ferrari Testarosa. The winner of the whenever-1933 bracket was a 1932 Alfa Romeo--one of 5 left in the world with the 'original' stamp on it--and he drove it like he stole it. Oh, and the 1978 Lotus was driven by Mario Andriette.
14) Dinner a Chef Lee's in Monterey. Went a bit budget with this one. Service was awful, but food was good for the price.
15) Sunday. Breakfast at Friar Tuck's in Carmel. Wasn't really hungry, but food was good. Setting better.
16) On to the Concours D'Elegance--the premiere car show in the world. Forget what you might think you know about car shows. This show takes all day to see and a lifetime to drink in. Unless you happen to have seen $1.25 million dollar one-of-a-kind cars from 1929 next to the single Pinafiori Cadillac in the world (made in homage to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in 1961) as but a teaser to the real car show, don't try to compare notes with me. Have you ever seen a 1959 Stingray Corvette? The answer should be "no" because it was a concept car in 1959 that never saw production. But it's at the Concours. How about an 1894 Mercedes Benz...ever seen one? I have. Oh, and the setting is the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach! My brother and I were joking that they must have the greenskeeper chained to a bed in a remote part of Southeast Asia. Pebble Beach! The 18th hole! With ancient cars driving on it?! I would need black tar heroin to calm me down if I were the greenskeeper.
So, all in all, not a bad way to spend 4 or 5 days. I recommend it to any who can afford it--budget style or otherwise. And whoever is responsible for that blessed place, be it God, the Dark Lord of Hades, Thor, Quetzalcoatl, Zues, E=mc2, or Colonel Sanders...thank you. You have my undying devotion.
