Carmel Mission Basilica (formal name 'San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo') is one of six minor…read morebasilicas in the state of California (five being former Spanish missions). It is the oldest one, founded in 1770, and elevated to basilica status by Pope John XXIII in 1960. My wife, her mom, and I visited it during a late Sunday afternoon during our first day in Carmel, and found it to be a great, worthwhile experience, especially if one is Roman Catholic. The basilica is still a working parish, so parking during non-mass hours was easy to find. A ticket booth was set-up at the visitor entrance, with cost of $15 per adult ($13 for senior). There is an adjacent gift shop that doesn't require admission and sells all the various religious items that one would expect from a religious tourist attraction. We ended up spending about 90 minutes here (there is a lot of information here, along with a lot to see). -- Founding priest was Junipero Serra ("Apostle of California"). He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, and his shrine/remains are interned here. -- Only U.S. church visited by a pontiff during a papal visit: Pope John Paul II in 1987. He paid homage to Father Serra, and laid flowers at the tomb. This visit is clearly commemorated. -- the Munras Family Heritage Museum is worth going to, to see a short movie about the prominent Monterey family, along with early California artifacts from the family. -- the Nativity scene was one of the most intricate -- the large courtyard is a good place to stop and admire the architecture of a California Spanish mission, along with a thick trunk Cork Oak tree By the time we were leaving, the ticket office had closed (last call is at 16:30, to allow everyone to have enough time before official close at 18:00).

So grateful to been able to attend Sunday Mass. Basilica is so beautiful and it has so much…read morehistory and also they have free museum and a small shop. Sunday mass is full but the have lots of extra chairs in the back outside the church. Parking could be crowded so get there early.

Awesome experience and excellent tour guide in Lucas! It was a windy and overcast Feb day and that…read moremade the tour even more cool. Great history and grounds. Highly recommend for tourists and locals alike. Take the secret staircase up the tower!

Very beautiful location! We had a very informative tour guide who really seemed to enjoy his job!…read moreThe grounds are very well maintained and all of the staff were very kind! Definitely worth a visit!

Very cool place. The taxidermy bird room alone is worth the entrance fee. I will definitely be…read moregoing back the next time I visit.

If you got a Pacific Grove, you need to see the Museum of Natural History. It's a nice little…read moremuseum. Well set up. You can learn about the fishing industry, you can learn about Jade. I found that very interesting. You can also find about the wildlife and birds in the area. They also had some very cool relief, maps of the geography and geology of the Monterey Harriet. They offer a senior discount. It's always good to support museums.

I recommend checking out the museum while hiking around Point Lobos Nature Preserve. You pay $10 to…read morepark in the preserve but the museum is free.

$10 to park. Great free museum. Love seeing the history of the place and great to know so many…read moredifferent ethnic cultures getting along and working together to make a living.

This is my second time using the Sand Guys for a team building event and all I can say is Wow!! I…read morehave referred them many times, and will many more!! This is an amazing team building event for any type of business unit, they are organized, incredibly friendly, and helpful .. in a word .. MAGICAL!! When you arrive, they have an example of what you can build .. folks arrive thinking .."This is so cool" .. "What the heck is Kim making us do??" "Really"?? Rusty the Sand Guy (as I like to call him) began by giving very clear, easy instructions on how to build your base. He got everyone started within their team then he and his partner went to each team individually to provide instruction on how to make a solid foundation, ways to build upon your base. and how to add details! teams began first by compiling a very large pile of sand .. and staring into space .. "what will we do". Within minutes your team is not only collaborating on the best way to execute, but WORKING together to create something really special. I participated the first time, I got to observe and help the second time. I learned so much about my team, who are the leaders, who is the most creative. who can advise and execute. We put this group into teams of people they did not know well, they all created and collaborated to create something very cool. You have about two hours to devise your plan and create. The entire group was fully engaged, everyone designated their own unique way of participating, and no one was left out or let their team down. Did I mention how competitive this became?? such a great day at the beach, and a new skill to show off to your kids and friends. Not only did I get amazing feedback form everyone on the team, I was told by those that laughed and thought it was silly; that it was one for the best team buildings they ever have had. I highly recommend the San Guys, the creativity and camaraderie it inspires is invaluable for all aspects of relationship building!

From the owner: Team building, corporate events, weddings, art & entertainment.read more

Such a great place to go to for all young ages! We've gone with 1-6 year olds and they have all…read moreloved it. Their soft play is perfect for the under two's and they have the section marked off as off limits for the older kids. But the over two's have so many options to choose from: dress up, tree house, sciencey stuff, and crafts! We easily spent half a day here and probably could have stayed longer if there wasn't a nap time to plan for one of them. Something for everyone and as long as it's not too busy, it's relatively easy on the parents to let their kids roam and calmly monitor versus anxiously chasing after!

What a fun place for kids! We were here on vacation and used the ACM reciprocal network and entered…read morefor free. For our 23 month old his favorite was the bottle rocket activity. You crank to build pressure and see the bottle shoot up! Our 5 y/o's favorite was the craft area. What a great way to use her creativity and imagination! She also enjoyed the mini-golf :) and dressing up as a firefighter. All the people working there were also friendly and asked if we had any questions. They truly loved their jobs! When we're visiting this area again we'd definitely want to come back.

For some reason, it didn't upload all the photos and video. So, here it goes again. LOL!!!…read more The Monterey Bay Aquarium is definitely worth checking out at least once in your lifetime. It's one of the better aquariums I've been to. You can definitely make a day of it. There are a ton of things to do in the Monterey area. There are a lot of great restaurants in the area. Plus, Carmel isn't that far away.

Had fun exploring Monterey back in April, and while killing time we decided to stop by the Monterey…read moreBay Aquarium for a couple of hours. This is a multi-level aquarium with an outdoors section, art installations, and interactive exhibits. It's a fun way to kill time, see your favorite marine life buddies, and learn more about the ocean In terms of aquariums I can be a little hard to please in that I've been fortunate to have gone to many around the world, but this one is a particularly nice one. We did go on a weekend and it was during the Bug Sur marathon, so, I expect it was busier than most times Some things I didn't love were just how crowded it was. We waited in a long queue just to get in. While inside it felt like you were in a school of tuna and you couldn't enjoy the views peacefully. It was also especially difficult to find parking Some things I did like were the collections of beautiful sea life. I think they did a great job of displaying and showcasing each exhibit. They have one of my favorite aquarium features, and that's where you can pet sting rays. Also, the kelp Forrest, the open sea exhibit, and the rescued otter habitats are incredible If you're in the area, you should definitely check it out! Some tips: If you're an aquarium enthusiasts I would definitely check out the Atlanta Aquarium. This is one of my absolute favorites. One of my favorite past times is just sitting in the viewing area and watching a few whale sharks and other marine life swim past the glass Also, we went to Point Lobos (in the general area) for a mini hike, and we saw many seals, various groups of sea otters, and plenty of flora and fauna There's some great history and museums in this general area. You can also find great sea food for lunch or dinner in the area. Note: the food and drinks at the aquarium are quite pricey. I had a tall boy beer that was close to $15 Cheers!!

Many of the local artists featured in this gallery are foundational to understanding Carmel's…read moreartistic origins. Nothing wrong with people wanting to spend their money on fancy clothes and whatnot, but other than the beautiful natural area, the local artists is what's it's all about! Deep selection in the stacks, not just what's on the walls.

This place is the best gallery in Carmel! No matter what kind of art you love, you are likely to…read morefind it here. The Carmel Art Association has been a tradition, a gathering place for artists and art lovers for almost one hundred years. Their heritage collection contains past famous artists and their current membership contains su h luminaries as Lucas Bloc and Richard Tette. Quite amazing!

My review is not for the active San Carlos Cathedral church services. Instead it's for the Royal…read morePresidio Chapel historic federal landmark. They are both the same building. Currently the San Carlos Cathedral Catholic Church uses the Presidio Chapel. When services are not occurring, visitors can explore the interior and outside facade. There is no charge to walk about, it's free. The present sandstone chapel construction was completed in 1795. The native Americans labors built the chapel. The Monterey Presidio was founded in 1770 as the second of four Spanish Presidios. At that time, the presidio's chapel served for the Spanish soldiers and dignitaries. It's the oldest stone building in California. When walking about the exterior of the chapel take note of the marked lines to the right of the building. Those lines indicate chapel construction (where, what, and when). The current building is shaped as a cross. Directly in the back there is a plaque memorializing where the Oak tree stood in 1770 where Father Junipero Serra broke ground for the chapel construction. The tree was removed in 1905 when it was damaged. But the tree holds important place in Monterey history. In 1602, it is said that Spanish explorer Vizcaíno followed the creek from the Bay and noticed this majestic oak tree. Under that tree he and with the friars, traveling in his expedition, held Mass under the tree and claimed the area for Spain. Father Serra followed Vizcaino's directions to the site in 1770 to establish a mission and presidio. But a year or two later he decided to build the mission in Carmel instead. But the presidio continued with building the chapel. Pieces of the grand tree have been preserved and are located in various local museums. Now let's talk about out the interior. The church doors are left open during the day welcoming all inside. Inside there are paintings and statues including are originals such as the Stations of the Cross, St John, Sorrowful Mother, and Spanish Madonna. As you enter the church, look up and the exterior and take notice of the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue; it's still the original making it the oldest non-indigenous statue in California. Also throwing it out there that there are cameras all over and everything is monitored. So don't be a doofus. Just enjoy and soak in the history.

The homilies are introspectively conducted. It is a beautiful Cathedral in a beautiful, small town.read more