Any travel suggestions for the central coast of California? With dog.

October 6, 2015 6:42 PM

Need a quick getaway from LA after I meet several deadlines next week. I'm planning to visit a friend in Cambria Friday and Saturday but would like to hit the road and see Monterey, Carmel and/or Santa Cruz (or somewhere else you might suggest in the area) on Sunday.

I plan to stay over somewhere near there Sunday night. I would have Sunday and Monday to look around and then I plan to stay over one more night in Cambria before heading back to LA Tuesday morning. I will have a small, well-behaved dog with me. Any ideas about where to go, what to see and where I should stay on Sunday night that allows dogs?

posted by parkerposey to Travel & Transportation around Bakersfield, CA (7 answers total)

I stayed at the Motel 6 in Marina a couple of weeks ago, with my dog. It was pretty good on the Motel 6 scale, not nearly as expensive as the one in Monterey, and there's a dog-friendly beach just a short drive away. Turn left going out the driveway and go under the freeway, then ignore the sign for Marina State Beach straight ahead of you (no dogs allowed) and turn right on Dunes Drive and go all the way to the end. It's probably a half-mile walk from there to the beach, but both times I was there all I had to do was walk north up the beach a ways to have complete, leash-free solitude (dogs are technically allowed on leashes but the dogs I saw were all off leash except on the walkway).

I was new to the area myself, so I don't really have any advice about what to see besides the sea.
posted by bricoleur at 7:03 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Just FYI, that Motel 6 has sold to someone else and is a little pricier now. I was there about a month ago. The dog-allowing place I really wanted to stay was the Sanctuary Inn, which is also right on the beach...
posted by three_red_balloons at 7:46 PM on October 6, 2015

Actually, never mind, it used to be a Best Western. Now called "Unscripted Monterey Bay." It's right on the beach, and if you stay on the beach side, you hear waves all night long.
posted by three_red_balloons at 7:50 PM on October 6, 2015 [2 favorites]

I have stayed at the Monterey Bay Lodge several times over the years and found it very nice. They allow some small to medium sized dogs in some rooms. Very close to the beach, right between PG and Monterey.
posted by carping demon at 10:26 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

My friend just stayed at the Cobblestone Inn in Carmel with her boyfriend and his dog about two weekends ago; they provided a doggie bed, bowls, a special custom collar tag, treats, and poop bags.
posted by littlemisslaika at 6:51 PM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

I use to live in Santa Cruz and I loved it there!

Downtown Santa Cruz would be nice for a small stroll. On the weekends there are usually some street performers and artists - very entertaining. There's tons of great food as well (I highly recommend Cafe Brasil)! The beach and the boardwalk are both walking distance from downtown. There is a small redwood forest for hiking if you're into that.
posted by Trusted Sidekick at 11:36 PM on October 9, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I ended up staying at Pacific Gardens Inn, as suggested by Primalux. It was spacious, had a fireplace, was clean except for the stains on the carpet (I guess that is par for the course when you allow pets) and there was no pet fee. Also, unlike most places, you can leave your pet in the room unaccompanied, if need be. The setting was beautiful, across from the beach. Was $120 per night including taxes. I didn't try the wine and cheese happy hour but I did enjoy the continental breakfast, which was delicious and ample. Not fancy but perfect for the occasion.
posted by parkerposey at 8:03 PM on October 21, 2015