TOP 10 REASONS THE 2025 AIRSHOW WAS GREAT (without the military jets)…read more 1. Airshows are all about flying. Fascination with aircraft, aviation, and the people that make the profession so deserving of respect are the soul of an airshow. Noise, engines on full afterburner, and explosions are neat, but they are like sugar; flying, with or without shock waves, is the meal. 2. For the first time in many years of attendance, I watched the crowd exhibit intense focus and appreciation of the piston powered aerial artistry. Bob Freeman, Vicky Benzing and Folds of Honor were superb. The skydiving, C47, and the T28 and T-24 were fun to watch. And yes, I never saw that many P-51s at once. 3. I've always believed that a latent benefit of attending an airshow is that it compels people to look up at the sky -- instead of down at a phone, for example. This is the first airshow I've attended in decades without afterburners ringing my ears and an odd thing happened. The atmosphere was more like a festival. People were having conversations. It was relaxing and entertaining. There wasn't the panicked bum rush of people to stand in front of others to see the Blues. "That guy" with his butt invading and blocking the view to take super-telephoto-urgent pics was gone. People were friendlier and more mellow. 4. Too often, airshows have been equated with the military. I dedicated years working with the military designing military jet engine components. My father was a war veteran, and I was recruited to attend the Naval Academy. But the level of focus on the military, down to inductions on the airfield, sometimes is over the top and subsumes the focus on aviation. I'd rather a child at an airshow find a love for flight rather than the capabilities of some fighter and where it is being used. This airshow had an interesting and refreshing balance of military and civilian content, especially with the Ryanair performance. 5. The absence of the military, including the Blue Angels, will cause the show organizers to think about lessening risk by reducing reliance on military participation, even for factors such as weather minimums for military team performances. Perhaps the good crowd turnout despite the absence of afterburners tells you something. Something to build on for 2026. 6. The airshow logistics and services were well organized. Even the police onsite were friendlier. Parking was great (although there was something holding up the line of cars entering). The parking fee was raised, but I can understand it with the Blues not showing up. Every single volunteer was friendly, helpful and professional. Bathrooms were clean. Beer was cold, and there was a great selection. The aircraft displays were great. The announcer was excellent and knowledgable -- down to the P-51 boundary layer scoop issue. The main acts didn't show but these folks put on a fine airshow. 7. There were no blaring speakers playing bad music. In fact, I heard a brass band playing Cold Duck Time. A tune written by the great Eddie Harris. At an airshow! And they sounded great. 8. Mr. Alverez. His presentation was moving. The man is a hero. 9. The weather was perfect. Great weekend for an airshow. 10. It's an airshow. There's no such thing as a bad airshow.

$30 to park your vehicle. $70 for a single ticket to the Flight Line Villa. That gets you an…read moreunreserved table in the dirt with a sun shade and a chair. That's it. $12 for a can of beer. A couple of biplanes flying, an Extra 300, and some sports cars driving on the runway. The Blue Angels and the F-16 Demo couldn't have saved this piece of shit. I know it's supposed to be a non-profit but with these absolutely OUTRAGEOUS prices and lack of entertainment and value it's a joke. Won't be back and I suggest attending the Capitol Airshow or Fleet Week for a MUCH better experience.

Such a cute local pumpkin patch, I am so happy I came across this place! It is pretty spacious, the…read moredecorations are very cute, and it is kid friendly. There are plenty of pumpkins to choose from and photo ops. There is parking available and it is surrounded by sunflowers, which is very cute. It is the perfect pumpkin patch to be at during sunset time. This will definitely be my new go to pumpkin patch and definitely recommend for others as well.

The great pumpkin hunt. Tons of pumpkins and squashes to choose from…read more There is also a corn maze behind the parking lot and across the road from the Farm. The prices vary for the pumpkins based on size and weight. The staff is friends and helpful.

YALL. This jazz bar is about to turn into a jazz sports bar! :) Darryl is updating his menu and…read moreexpanding his food menu so everyone should get ready to eat, drink, and be merry here. The music is always popping & I can't get enough of the wings here. Good thing on Thursdays they have 80 cent wings available. One of my fave DJs also plays there on Thursday nights as well sooooo let's get her going ! Sea yall there for some good SOUL food like tri tip, ribs, sweet potatoes, Mac and cheese, and more!

After supporting one of my Pastor friends, we decided to come to a restaurant we've never been…read morebefore. We searched up places near us, and this place had 4 stars. I will just say this was a very disappointing experience. When we arrived, no one was there. When the greeter did come, she hesitantly approached us and handed us a paper printed menu in a dark, empty restaurant, which immediately felt off to us. When our food was served, several items were served cold and lacked flavor. The catfish was barely seasoned and watery, while the chicken had this "special" barbecue sauce but no taste, the Mac and cheese was straight from a box, and was gummy like, and the greens tasted super watered down. The cornbread was extremely hard, and there were white particles floating in the water. Even basic items like the salt container were unusable, sticking to the container. The owner spoke with our group and hyped the restaurant up, but the food and overall experience did not match what was coming out of his mouth. I also noticed everyone else received cornbread with their meal while I did not. Assuming it came with the meal (since me and my brother ordered the exact same thing) I was later charged an extra $6 for it without being informed. Based on the food quality and overall experience, I won't be returning. If zero stars were an option, that's what I'd give.

Went Friday 10.8.21…read more Tickets the night before were $15 or $25 at the door When I went back online Friday morning, they were now $25 online. My wristband said $20 Friday so their pricing structure needs to be worked on. This show is not worth $25. I don't go to watch the races or anything. Mainly for the vendors. Couldn't find Cliff Bar. Wanted to buy a bunch of different flavors. Also wanted to stop by the Giant booth to test ride their ebikes. Asked the volunteer where Pad 2 and Pad 9 were, but she had never heard of Pads and they weren't on the map. Walked the entire area and didn't find them. Ended up going to REI to get my Clif Bars. New stuff: From 3 years ago, there are more ebikes, a lot more ebikes. There are also tents that fit on top of a car or truck bed, and the industry now seems to have settled on 29ers for wheel size and 1x drivetrains. No more 650B or 27.5" wheels as far as I could tell. I expect this to persist for many years. Cool stuff: Park Tool booth has a ton of tools you would want to buy. No discounts or specials though. Specialized had a rental/demo area A titanium bong for $150 Escapod for $43k Scott's 3 left hand levers, 1 for seat dropper, 1 for locking out fork, 1 for locking out shock. A great idea. Odd no one else does this. Scott also has housed the rear shock inside the frame. This looks cool, but not sure if performance and servicing will be worth this redesign, but at least someone is thinking up new features and designs. Disappointing: Didn't see Rock Shox, Sram, Trek, Giant, Clif Bar, Power Bars, no Specialized Vado 2022 models, $25 entrance fee. Not worth the money. No one was wearing a mask or socially distancing since Monterey County and Sea Otters Covid policy https://www.seaotterclassic.com/safety_protocol/ didn't require vaccinations, masks, or social distancing. If you are in the market to buy a new mountain bike from Fuji, Diamond Back, or Specialized, and want to test ride different sizes and models, then the $25 is a bargain. If you need to try on different brand and size helmets, gloves, knee pads etc, then this show would be a good idea. If not, I'd save your time and money and pass on this show. Note: Unless you are racing or in another event, don't bring your mountain bike since it's a hassle to navigate it around the show. They do have a bike valet though so that's an option. Plan on walking about 3 miles to see the all the vendors. The bike buying frenzy appears to be over after a few visits to local bike shops.

This is such a fun event for bike enthusiasts. Whether you decide to compete or just be a spectator…read moreit's a great place to be. I was amazed at the number of booths selling such a huge array of bike gear. From socks to shirts and everything between. And the prices were unbeatable. Watching the many types of events was fun to. From riding downhill to long distance racers. It's an incredible event

The Steinbeck Museum was a wonderful literary stop in Salinas. We also visited the Steinbeck House…read moredown the street, which made the experience feel more complete. As a tribute to Steinbeck and his connection to the area, the museum was thoughtful, engaging, and well worth the visit. I especially enjoyed the quirky gift shop, always a bonus when a museum shop has personality. The drive into Salinas was also unexpectedly lovely, with so many fields and vegetables growing. It gave the whole visit a strong sense of place and helped connect the landscape to Steinbeck's writing. A great stop for literature lovers, history fans, or anyone looking for something meaningful to do in the area.

While I can't remember the last time that I've read a book by John Steinbeck, I thoroughly enjoyed…read morevisiting the National Steinbeck Center. Unfortunately, reading his books wasn't part of my high school English curriculum; however, my interest in his works was rekindled by visiting this amazing facility! I spent at least a couple hours meandering through the exhibit, beginning with a short film telling the story of his life. It was fascinating to learn how John Steinbeck was both shaped by his hometown, and how much influence he had on the literary landscape during his lifetime. There is so much to look at and discover here! If you're a book nerd, whether a Steinbeck fan or novice like me, check this place out. Ticket prices are reasonable, and they offer discount for locals, veterans, and youth, or if you become a member. I can't wait to visit his childhood home next!

What a great event this is. Always held in a very large venue over several days with plenty for…read moreeveryone. You will find caber tossing, dance competitions, Scottish bag pipers, massive marching bands, and plenty of food The facilities are always so clean and everything is so well planned out. You will find authentic clothing for sale with your families' particular plaid too.

Very sad and disappointing experience. We bough tickets online and paid for parking only to…read morediscover there was only one line to enter the event for both online ticket holders and those needing to purchase tickets at the Gate. There was only one team scanning for security. All this caused a very long line. Folks who walked to enter with online tickets had to turn around and walk back to the end of the line. Not good. I made this mistake once and paid for parking and tickets. I will not make this mistake again. Hope this review will help event planners improve next time for others.

We had a great experience! We had the pleasure of having mariachi Tapatio at my brothers surprise…read more60th birthday and it was the highlight of the night. Thank you so much! We will definitely use them again and highly recommend.

Hired them for our wedding & they were absolutely amazing!! Received lots of compliments from our…read moreguests as they brought so much joy and fun to our cocktail hour and dinner. We are so happy we chose them to be apart of our special day!

The Furious movie was kung fu action packed from start to finish. A must see for martial arts fans.read more

I am all for supporting local businesses, so we chose Maya Cinemas in Salinas for a new movie and…read morewere disappointed from start to finish. First, the phone app disappeared. The kiosk to print online tickets was broken, which meant everyone had to wait in line at the concession stand just to get tickets. Then, since we had not visited in a while, we were not familiar with the layout anymore. Our movie was in Theater 1, but the numbering/signage was unclear. We saw Theater 2, but there was no visible number for Theater 1 nearby, leaving us second guessing whether we were in the right place. Once inside, the theater itself felt very worn down. The seats were so worn they looked dirty, and there were no food trays. I did like how far back the recliners went, but the farther you reclined, the more a barrier in front blocked the bottom portion of the screen. We also paid for the Dolby sound experience because my husband appreciates good audio quality, and he immediately noticed that not all of the surround speakers were being used, particularly the rear speakers. That noticeably took away from the movie experience. Overall, this theater feels neglected and run down. It is disappointing to see what was once a thriving theater decline so much. Unfortunately, we will not be back.