Explore Monterey
Memories Are Made of This

May 23rd, 2013
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With its breathtaking shores and beautiful foothills, the Monterey Peninsula has long been known as one of the country’s foremost places for a destination wedding. Thousands of couples, their families and friends flock to Monterey and beyond to celebrate their nuptials and enjoy the wide-ranging choices in location, world class food and other activities. Everyone knows Pebble Beach of course,  and if you are Sean Parker, the founder of Napster and Facebook’s first president you can pretty much build your own venue in Big Sur. (Yes, he is actually doing that to the tune of $10 million!) A special perk, however, for those who make the Peninsula home is the “insider” knowledge about some of the most beautiful locations that fly way under the radar.

 

One of those hidden gems is the Memory Garden located at 20 Custom House Plaza in Monterey. The garden, located just outside the Portola Hotel & Spa, was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead Jr. in 1927 and is enclosed by eight foot adobe walls which gives this venue a peaceful and private tranquility. The Garden is managed by the California State Parks and counts the Monterey State Historic Park office and the historic Pacific House Museum as part of the property. Featuring a 15-foot diameter fountain, a beautiful historic flower garden and a 5×16 foot barbeque, the garden has Southern Magnolia trees throughout the grounds that offer peaceful shade and lend to the park-like quality of the venue. The grounds also include a small dressing room and bathroom, but with its proximity to the Portola Hotel, wedding guests will often make their way directly from the hotel. The natural beauty of the garden juxtaposed with the historic adobe of California’s first state capital create a photographer’s dream and a location that can serve as wedding or reception location, or both!

The staff at the Portola Hotel can provide you with information on group rates for you and your guests and the folks at the State Parks can offer additional information on the Memory Garden itself. So if you are looking for something more intimate than Pebble Beach and don’t quite have the coin to build your own venue in Big Sur, consider the Memory Garden on Monterey’s Custom House Plaza. As the song goes, Memories are made of this!

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Craft Beer
Alvarado Street Raspberry Wheat Release

May 16th, 2013
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Imagine if Michelangelo got to take another crack at the Sistine Chapel or Leonardo Da Vinci repainted the Mona Lisa? It’s not often that an artist gets to recreate a masterpiece, but that is exactly what Peter B’s Brewpub Brewmaster, Kevin Clark has done with his re-release of his award winning Alvarado Street Raspberry Wheat craft beer. After winning silver medal at the BTI World Beer Championship in 2012, Clark figured he could improve on his work and what better week than to re-introduce the beer world to his genius than American Craft Beer Week, 2013.

Clark refined the process and tinkering here and there with the recipe and the outcome is one of the most highly anticipated releases in the area. Clark has become one of the hottest Brewmasters around garnering nine total medals from the World Beer Championships in two years including three bronze, four silver and two gold.

 

Rooted in sustainability, Clark’s process includes locally harvested hops from the Salinas Valley, re-use of salvaged grains for cattle feed and a system that a mad scientist would love that saves 40,000 gallons of water per year by reusing boiled water. With this hometown presence, it is no wonder that the name of his beer is derived from the historic Alvarado Street that ends just outside the Portola Hotel & Spa where Peter B’s is located.

So stop by Peter B’s Brewpub and rediscover the wonderful taste of Kevin Clark’s Alvarado Street Raspberry Wheat and be introduced to a true artist!

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Explore Monterey
Summer Festivals in Monterey

May 10th, 2013
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As many know, the Monterey Peninsula is one of the most beautiful places on earth. From the rugged coastline of Big Sur and the serene inlets of Moss Landing’s Elkhorn Slough to the winding trails of Carmel Valley and the Fort Ord National Monument, there is something for everyone. While those attractions are available throughout the year, some of the Peninsula’s most popular attractions only come around every 365 days.

Monterey and the surrounding area have long been synonymous with music and art of many kinds and nothing exemplifies that better than the summer festivals that make Monterey their home. The granddaddy is the Monterey Jazz Festival September 20-23, 2013. The longest continuously running jazz festival in the world, the MJF has continued to hold its September dates since 1958 and has features some of the biggest names in Jazz and popular music. Not to be outdone is the Carmel Bach Festival which is celebrating its 76th year with 15 days of performances, talks and educational events July 13-27, 2013.

 

Monterey stamped itself on the counterculture scene with the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, which was the blueprint for future musical spectacles like Woodstock and Lollapalooza and continues the tradition today, although with a slightly mellower vibe. The California Roots Music & Arts festival gets the summer started right, Memorial Day Weekend May 24-26, 2013. The good times continue August 9-11, 2013 with the Monterey Bay Reggaefest. In its 18th year, the festival is one of the largest in Northern California and features over 20 performers.

The ear has been satisfied, but how about the mouth? The food festival season kicks off with Cooking for Solutions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The three day event, May 17-19, 2013, focuses on sustainability and environmental stewardship in the food and beverage industry.  Also that weekend is the 54th annual Castroville Artichoke Festival. Celebrate California’s newly crowned State Vegetable and soak in a bit of history as the Festival counts a young Marilyn Monroe as one of their first “Artichoke Queens.” Memorial Day weekend features the Great Monterey Clam Chowder & Calamari Festival as two of the peninsula’s favorite seafood dishes collide at Custom House Plaza behind the Portola Hotel & Spa. If you are a wine lover, the area also plays host to the Monterey Wine Festival, June 7-8, 2013 and the Winemaker’s Celebration on August 10, 2013.  Both showcase the best of Monterey County’s vast winemaking region which was recently named one of the “Top 10 Wine Travel Destinations” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Ear; check. Mouth; check, but what about your eyes? Monterey also hosts a number of summertime art festivals and while music and food are certainly considered art, these are the traditional forms are highlighted at events like the Carmel Art Festival May 16-19, 2013. With its origins as a bohemian artist colony, Carmel-By-The-Sea plays host as the 20th annual event that showcases visual arts, sculpture, a judged plein air painting competition and much more. Three weeks later, the Valley gets into the act with the Carmel Valley Art & Wine Festival June 8, 2013. Carmel Valley Village comes alive as over 60 artists and art galleries display their works. Sand City, Monterey County’s hotbed of alternative art and vision hosts the Sand City West End Celebration August 23-25, 2013. Known for its independent and irreverent artistic atmosphere, the West End Celebration features and open air artist’s fair throughout the streets and the public is invited into the many studios and creative spaces that call Sand City home.

So if the dog days of summer are getting you down or you need to break for the coast to beat the heat, cruise into Monterey County and enjoy the eclectically rich summer festival scene. There truly is something for everyone!

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Craft Beer
American Craft Beer Week 2013

May 2nd, 2013
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In the United States, beer has long been synonymous with sports. Whether it is enjoying a couple of cold ones at the ballpark, tailgating with friends and thousands of others at a college or NFL football game or simply kicking back at home, sports equal beer. While dominated by the mass produced mega-brewers for years, Craft Brews and Breweries are quickly becoming a favorite for the sports-crazed American populace. Good times at the game do not have to mean a bad tasting beer.

If a professional football junkie’s nirvana is Superbowl week, then American Craft Beer Week is the equal for the casual and hardcore fans of the Craft Beer movement. May 13-19, 2013, America embraces Craft Beer in all its glory and locally, Peter B’s Brewpub, recently voted as Monterey County’s Best Brewpub and Best Beer is offering a full lineup of awesome events.

Brewmaster Kevin Clark is leading the festivities and the week kicks off in style on Monday the 13th with the release of the highly anticipated Alvarado Street Raspberry Wheat. Tuesday features a Mug Club Mixer from 4-6:30pm and complimentary Raspberry Wheat tasters for all Mug Club members. Pubtalk with the Beer Geek holds down its usual Wednesday place at the pub, but this week is extra special as Host Chris Nelson will feature a special American Craft Beer Week show and giving away two sets of Monterey Beer Garden Tickets (must be present to win). Want more? Peter B’s will also be offering Growler specials and its always popular Firkin Wednesday small batch tastings.

 

The week continues on Thursday the 16th with a 6pm Brewers Dinner featuring guest brewery Bison Brewing and special guest, The Beer Wench! (Reservations are highly recommended – (831) 647-4805) And if that was not enough, Peter B’s celebrates American Craft Beer Week at the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Cooking for Solutions Event on Friday the 17th from 7:15-10:30pm.

Each day, Peter B’s Brewpub will also offer Brewery tours from 4-5:30pm and daily Special Guest Brews featuring $3 pints. With so many great events, it might be hard to choose just one, so why don’t you choose them all. If you love beer, this is the week for you. Cheers!

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Local Events
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Season Preview

April 25th, 2013
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At the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, nothing gets the heart pumping faster than witnessing auto racing’s elite hurtle around the track at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Once again, Spring brings the kings of the hairpin turn to the Monterey Peninsula for a full slate of American Le Mans, MotoGP, Historic Motorsports and Superbike racing.

The season kicks off with the American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patron May 9-11, 2013. This is the 15th year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the world’s premiere sports car racing championship and as a global leader in Green Racing, The American Le Mans Series pushes the drivers and their crews to the limit of human endurance. The weekend offers speed and excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Not to be outdone by their four wheeled friends, supped up cycles descend on the Peninsula during the Red Bull U.S Grand Prix, July 19-21, 2013. In its ninth year at Mazda Raceway and featuring the MotoGP World Championship and a full slate of American Motorcycle Association (AMA) races, this weekend is one of the sport’s most popular events and draws huge crowds to watch 18 separate races over the three days.

Part of the Monterey Peninsula’s Classic Car Week, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 16-18, 2013 offers a glimpse into the past as authentic, race proven; period autos compete in class to determine bragging rights. This year, the featured marque is the American classic Chevrolet Corvette celebrating its 60th anniversary.

The season continues with the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival powered by MAZDA. The September 7-8, 2013 event features the Grand Am-Rolex Sports Car Series as well as the Daytona Prototype class and Grand Touring (GT) competition with some of the most exciting, in close racing this side of NASCAR. This weekend is a true treat for the whole family (You too ladies) as race weekend includes autograph and meet and greet sessions with the drivers that have in the past included Grey’s Anatomy star McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey and other stars of film and television.

The bikes return in the final event on the schedule as the SBK-Eni FIM Superbike World Championship makes it’s only U.S. appearance September 27-29, 2013. Two high speed races are featured over the weekend as teams’ race high-performance bikes from manufacturers like Kawasaki, BMW, Suzuki, Ducati and Honda.

With so many great motor sports events, why not enjoy them even more by booking your stay at the Portola Hotel & Spa. Nautically inspired guestrooms only steps from the Monterey Bay coupled with a location just a short drive from the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway makes the perfect complement to any of these action fueled weekends.

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Explore Monterey
How to Pack For A Monterey Vacation

April 18th, 2013
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Visiting the Monterey Peninsula is one of the country’s great vacations. Whether you are on a weekender from the Bay Area, a mid-week business trip from the East Coast or are traveling internationally and spending a couple of weeks, the wide ranging beauty and landscape of the area make each day a unique adventure. It also, however, makes packing for the Monterey Peninsula somewhat of a challenge.

American author Mark Twain once wrote, “The coldest winter I ever experienced, was the summer I spent in San Francisco.” San Francisco’s location usually means a foggy day on their peninsula and warm sunny one slightly inland and the Monterey Peninsula is no different. In Pebble Beach it could be foggy and windy while in Monterey the conditions could be and sunny and mild. Meanwhile, as you move into Carmel Valley, you could experience clear skies and temperatures in the 80’s!

With so many microclimates within a few miles of each other, what’s a visitor to do? Layers are the key, but more than layers, are multi-functional pieces that can keep you warm on an early morning walk along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, dining al fresco at Jacks Restaurant & Lounge or Peter B’s Brewpub at the Portola Hotel & Spa, but then can easily fit in a backpack as you explore the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A light wind & water resistant jacket is a must, as are a couple of sweater options. Shorts and comfortable pants are also important as visitors often will spend time walking and sightseeing. A good pair of trail sneakers/shoes will be a savior for your feet whether you are hiking at Garland Ranch in Carmel Valley or strolling through Pacific Grove’s historic downtown. Don’t forget to bring a swimsuit. While the water can be chilly, the beaches of the Monterey Peninsula are fantastic and there are many spa options that offer Jacuzzis, saunas and more. Finally, don’t forget to bring something nice to wear. With a fantastic array of nationally recognized restaurants, art galleries and cultural events you’ll want to have the option of dressing up to enjoy your experience.

The Monterey Peninsula has something for everyone and with the some thoughtful packing, visitors can enjoy it all with ease!

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Craft Beer
Pub Talk with the Beer Geek & Friends at Peter B’s Brewpub

April 12th, 2013
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One of the great American pastimes is to pop open a cold brew and have a good talk. Whether the talk is serious or lighthearted, about sports or life, people really like to unwind with a good beer. So what’s better that talking over a beer? How about talking about beer and doing it live from Peter B’s Brewpub located behind the Portola Hotel & Spa?

Chris Nelson, better known as The Beer Geek, talks about beer, life and his lifelong love of beer every Wednesday at 5pm on KRML Radio’s Pub Talk. Chris Nelson and his wife, Merideth started The Beer Geek website(www.thebeergeek.com) in 2005 to help document their extensive travels as they tasted their way around the world, sampling locally brewed beers at their source. As their knowledge and experience grew, so did their following and a book, Teachings from the Tap, and a series of video blog episodes, One Pint At A Time later, they have firmly established themselves as a go to source for information and insight into the rapidly expanding craft brew industry.

Peter B’s Brewpub, recently voted by Monterey County Weekly readers as Monterey’s Best Local Beer & Brewery, hosts Chris and his guests as each week, they explore the world of beer and other topics of interest from around the Monterey Peninsula and the greater Central Coast area. While topics can be far ranging, the sudsy libation is never far from the conversation and with Peter B’s house brewed craft offerings and featured small batch specials, guests are invited to come down to the live broadcast and enjoy the interactive show. So if you are a diehard fan of craft brews or just enjoy a cold one with friends, join Chris Nelson and friends at Peter B’s Brewpub each Wednesday at 5pm on KRML 102.1 FM and 1410 AM for Pub Talk. It’s an experience worth tasting!

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Go Green!
Earth Day is Every Day at the Portola Hotel & Spa

April 4th, 2013
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With Earth Day right around the corner, many businesses and organizations start talking about being green. It’s a positive step in the right direction and every little bit helps. The green movement has made its way into the hospitality industry as well. While many hotels are beginning to go green, the Portola Hotel & Spa is one of the most environmentally friendly places to stay not only on the Monterey Peninsula, but throughout California’s Central Coast. As one of Central California’s first Silver LEED®-EB Certified hotels, the Portola has implemented a host of green initiatives focused on the well-being of the environment.

LEED Certification refers to a rating system that considers everything from the materials used to build a building to the way a business disposes of their garbage. Everything is taken into account and the entire staff at the Portola has embraced these initiatives. Some of the more innovative green practices are utilized in housekeeping. These include 100% organic cotton mattresses that are hypoallergenic and an Ozone Laundry System that utilizes an enzyme based laundry detergent for sanitizing linens and towels. They also include a green cleaning program that uses H203 system to clean and disinfect guest rooms without any harsh chemicals and guest room carpets that meet with the Carpet and Rug Institute’s plus program for low VOC material and paint that meets low VOC standards as well.

Not to be outdone is the group sales department. They have implemented the Monterey Green Meetings program that works with meeting and event planners, as well as private parties to plan green events and environmentally conscious team building exercises. Food and Beverage is also heavily involved in the movement by offering sustainably grown, organic and locally sourced ingredients as well as repurposing waste from Peter B’s brewery operation.

The Portola Hotel & Spa is continuing to strive for environmental excellence by going through a LEED recertification process by the U.S. Green Building Council. So as Earth Day draws closer, residents of and visitors to the Monterey Peninsula; can rest assured that one of the area’s premiere hotel and spa destinations, and their restaurants are leaders in the protection of our precious environment.

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Food & Wine
Pebble Beach Food & Wine

March 29th, 2013
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Photo By Patrick Tregenza ©

Not since the days of Bacchus, has a feast so sumptuous, splendid and stupendous been laid out as will be gracing the grounds of Pebble Beach for the 6th Annual Pebble Beach Food and Wine, April 4-7, 2013. Each year, the event seems to top the previous year’s offering and this year will be no different. Take over 100 of the world’s top chefs, mix in world class food and wine, a liberal dash of glitz and glamour and you’ve got the PBF&W. The event, which started as the rebirth of the Masters of Food and Wine, brings food and drink to the forefront through a series of interactive seminars, tastings, dinners, receptions, screenings and demonstrations. From the most revered names in the industry, like Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud to chefs with a style all their own, like Guy Fieri and Morimoto Yamaguchi, Pebble Beach Food & Wine packs more into four days than most people can experience in a lifetime. With events numbering more than weeks in the year, 54 in total, your every need and want can be met and then some, why not take a break from the gastronomic action enjoy a casual walk or bike ride along the Coastal Recreation Trail and breathe in the rejuvenating salt air of the Monterey Bay. Or, if something more relaxing is needed, book a day at the award-winning Portola Hotel’s Spa on the Plaza or tee it up on one of the Peninsula’s many golf courses. This is an amazing event, set against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful places in the world. Make sure you reserve your place at the table!

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Explore Monterey
Sea Otters

March 21st, 2013
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Of all the wonderful and exciting things to experience on the Monterey Peninsula, perhaps one of the most cherished and beloved is the Sea Otter. Standing (well, laying, really) only three and a half feet long and weighing in at about 75 pounds, the Sea Otter is the Monterey Peninsula’s furry mascot, welcome wagon and tourist attraction all rolled into one.

A part of the weasel family and owner of the densest coat of fur in the animal kingdom, the Sea Otter makes it home in the fish rich kelp forests of the Northern Pacific Coasts. A veracious eater, the Sea Otter is widely recognized for their use of tools, using rocks to break open shellfish and crustaceans. Although still an endangered species, the Sea Otter population has rebounded since the early 1900’s making it an important success story for marine and ocean conservation.

One of the greatest joys of visiting the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the many ways to observe our furry fish eating friend. There is of course the Monterey Bay Aquarium where you can not only observe, but learn about this important member of our ecosystem (re-opening their Otter Exhibit March 23!). For the more adventurous, Adventures By The Sea offers kayak and stand up paddle board rentals for individuals and  groups which bring you close enough to see the Otters in their natural habitat without disturbing them. You don’t have to go out of your way, however, to catch a glimpse of the Sea Otter. Simply stroll along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, just outside the Portola Hotel & Spa and with a pair of binoculars or even a sharp pair of eyes, chances are you’ll see an otter or two playing or dining in the kelp beds just off shore. It’s truly an amazing experience and one ALL visitors to the Monterey Peninsula should not miss.

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