Monterey meanderings

Monterey County is vast, stretching south through Big Sur and east through the winery-rich Carmel Valley and into the Santa Lucia Mountains. You and your four-legger are sure to have doggone good times no matter which part of Monterey Wine Country you visit. Suggestions for a yappy day: • Pick up a brochure or let the signs guide you along the River Road Wine Trail. Sniff out Pessagno Winery, where the vineyard dogs come out to greet you; or Wrath Winery, where you and yours can enjoy a picnic and great views of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Another memorable choice is the Hahn/Smith Hook tasting room, featuring an expansive deck with sweeping views of the mountain-rimmed Salinas Valley. Read more.

Pet-friendly monterey wine country

Hungry dog waiting for food under outdoor table

A visit to Carmel Valley takes you right to the center of Monterey Wine Country, where a community of family-owned wineries welcome you and your four-legged friends. Read more.

Coasting right along

Photo by Wikimedia.

Point Pinos Lighthouse Your dog can’t come inside to watch otters cavorting and jellyfish pulsing in their tanks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But that’s OK, because Monterey and the neighboring communities of Pacific Grove and Seaside offer a diverse array of pet-friendly lodging and plenty of things to do with Rover. You’ll need good walking shoes (and a light jacket or windbreaker, even in summer) to wander along the spectacularly scenic Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, which hugs the shore from busy Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey to romantic Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove. Watch for whales in winter and otters and sea lions year-round along this wildlife- and wildflower-rich stretch of shoreline. The trail continues on the west side of the peninsula, where you and yours can inspect the historic Point Pinos Lighthouse and poke around tidepools on the way to gorgeous Asilomar State Beach. Read more.