Thank you all!
Where are the best views of Big Sur from? Park/restaurant/hike? Kiddos are 10 and 15.

I love Carmel but we live close. We like the lamplighter inn which more of a bed and breakfast spot. In Santa Cruz we like the DreamInn more of a small hotel.

Carmel is a great beach, nice sand, close to Big Sur.

Santa Cruz has the boardwalk, tide pool at natural bridges, sea lions on the wharf, redwoods and ropes courses, and a short drive to Monterey.

If you have kids avoid Carmel. It's nice but people are stuck up there. Enjoy it another time when the kids are older.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you! Any insight into Aptos? Seascape resort?

In santa cruz? no, but santa cruz is fun.

Agree. Love Santa Cruz but it is no Carmel!

If you have base access, hotel at Naval Postgraduate School, Hermann Hall is my favorite place to stay outside of Big Sur. We lived in Monterey for 8 years with 4 kids. It is definitely not a kid-friendly area. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is wonderful though and Big Sur is gorgeous. Our favorite kid hike was Limekiln State Park, loved camping there, it a gorgeous park where you can camp in the redwoods, listen to a stream and the ocean at the same time.
Monterey is going back to masks indoors again starting Friday and depending on how things go this winter,
Could lock down again. They really locked down for a long time and people wear masks at the beaches still.

We stayed at the Martine Inn in Pacific Grove...lovely BNB.

Anonymous wrote:Carmel sounds lovely and the beach is nice but other than the beach, I don't recommend it with young kids. It's very much a town of older couples walking SLOWLY down the narrow sidewalks past very expensive, not very good, white-tablecloth restaurants. Think of the fussiest parts and citizens of Old Town Alexandria but hillier and on the water.

I have been there a lot over the years (family) and always think that each time will be different and it's not. Monterey is junkier/touristier but I think a better choice. Big Sur is drop dead beautiful.

Agree with everything here! My ILs loved going to Carmel with their friends who visited them in CA. They were all 60-70 yr. old.
We enjoy a day or two there, and have stayed in Carmel and also at Pebble Beach.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you! Any insight into Aptos? Seascape resort?

In santa cruz? no, but santa cruz is fun.

Carmel sounds lovely and the beach is nice but other than the beach, I don't recommend it with young kids. It's very much a town of older couples walking SLOWLY down the narrow sidewalks past very expensive, not very good, white-tablecloth restaurants. Think of the fussiest parts and citizens of Old Town Alexandria but hillier and on the water.

I have been there a lot over the years (family) and always think that each time will be different and it's not. Monterey is junkier/touristier but I think a better choice. Big Sur is drop dead beautiful.

Anonymous wrote:It's been a while, but you can't beat the massive Pacific Views from the Tickle Pink Inn. Truly magnificant.

It looks amazing!! Traveling with kiddos-should have mentioned

Thank you! Any insight into Aptos? Seascape resort?

For a really special experience, the Post Ranch Inn - more Big Sur than Monterey but not far.

It's been a while, but you can't beat the massive Pacific Views from the Tickle Pink Inn. Truly magnificant.

i'll just share a don't go - the Hyatt Monterey. Had a not great experience there this summer.

Please share recommendations on places to stay at either of these for 2-3 nights.