Central Coast
Head out on The Original Road Trip and explore California’s Central Coast—350 miles of the world's most dramatic coastline. This incomparable region stretches from
Santa Cruz County, south of the San Francisco Bay Area, to Ventura County just north of Los Angeles. Along the way, you'll pass through Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
Monterey Bay Aquarium - Photo Credit: Håkan Dahlström (CC)
by Dave Kendrick, Co-founder DogTrekker.com
A reader recently mentioned that as part of our in-depth coverage of destinations around the state, we should provide tips that locals use to have fun with their dogs in their home towns or regions. Since Cannery Row and Monterey County are DogTrekker.com’s backyard playground, we thought this would be a good time to begin sniffing out how to navigate the local scene.
Tip 1: The Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row is a top attraction for many visitors. Dogs aren’t allowed inside, but that shouldn’t stop you from bringing your pup on a visit to the area. Here are some ways to do that:
• Short-term boarding: a seven-minute walk from the aquarium is Casa de Amigos Animal Hotel, where you can leave you pup (as long as she’s up to date on her vaccines) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a flat fee of $25. Other sitting services are listed here.
• Maya, DogTrekker.com’s Director of Barketing, loves to be pampered while her parents are checking out the latest aquarium exhibits. Close by is a full-service Petco groomer. Others can be found on DogTrekker.com and on the DogTrekker mobile app. more »
Carmel City Beach - Photo Credit: @roux.the.blue
For many visitors with dogs, the primary reason to visit the Monterey Peninsula is to share your dog’s joy in running free on Carmel City Beach, a powdery, mile-long strand that is perhaps the best known leash-free beach in the country. It’s a short drive from Cannery Row and walking distance from stylish Carmel-by-the-Sea with its wealth of dog-friendly lodging and places to eat. Come in early morning to meet the locals, at dusk to enjoy the sunset. more »
Lovers Point, Pacific Grove - Photo Credit: @desiferguson
The most abiding joy to be had on the Monterey Peninsula is simply enjoying the rugged coastal scenery, and there’s no better way to soak it up than on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. This paved, multi-use path stretches 18 miles from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south. To get started, we suggest strolling the segment between Cannery Row and Asilomar State Beach, which will take about an hour at a moderate walking pace. more »
Cannery Row Brewing Company - Photo Credit: @rogan_thecocker
“Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.” So wrote John Steinbeck in his famous 1945 novel. “The Row” gets its name from a string of long-defunct sardine-canning factories, some of which have been converted into dog-friendly restaurants and hotels. Today, it’s Monterey’s main waterfront tourist draw, the gateway to dog-friendly Monterey County and a destination in itself when it comes to dog-friendly things to do. more »
Historically known as the quintessential California beach vacation,
Santa Cruz County is the latest place to set your paws in the sand.
Enter the "Let's Cruz" Vacation Getaway for a chance to win a two-night stay at the renovated AAA four-diamond
Chaminade Resort & Spa located on a spectacular 300-acre Santa Cruz mountaintop.
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