Monterey Bay Pre-Retreat Tour
Thursday, October 9, 2025
Join a select group of your fellow retreaters for a
perfect day touring the Monterey Peninsula
Our tour guide will join us at the Lighthouse Lodge and Cottages where we will board our comfortable climate controlled mini-coach bus. The tour will begin in historic Monterey where we’ll visit the oldest Catholic Church in California and the place where the Constitution of California was written and signed. The drive will continue along Cannery Row, made famous by the story of John Steinbeck in his book of that name.
We will proceed along Pacific Grove’s shoreline with its charming Victorian-era architecture that sits in stark contrast with the rugged false bay that challenged the area’s first mariners. We’ll enjoy the area’s abundant bird life and keep a lookout for marine mammals including seals, sea lions, and perhaps even a whale or two.
We continue our tour by driving along the famed 17-Mile Drive as it winds its way between the ocean and the renowned golf courses of SpanishBay, Cypress Point, and Pebble Beach. We will stop at Bird Rock to admire the local marine life and view the iconic Lone Cypress, all while hearing tales of what made this area the playground for the rich and famous.
Next, we’ll take a guided walk in the charming town of Carmel-by-the Sea, viewing its storybook shops and hidden courtyards on our way to lunch at a quaint outdoor bistro. After enjoying our al fresco lunch, we will make our way to a secluded courtyard garden where we will enjoy a private tasting of a variety of alluring and exotic chocolates.
Tour Highlights:
• Historic Monterey and Cannery Row
• 17-Mile Drive, including Lone Cypress
• Hidden courtyards of Carmel-By-The-Sea
• Bistro Lunch
• Private Chocolate Tasting
California Cuisine Shines in the Bistro Lunch Menu
Your choice of:
Organic Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Roasted Almonds, Orange Segments, Wild Arugula, and Apple Blackberry Vinaigrette
Avocado Toast with Avocado, Vine-Ripened Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Sea Salt
Blackened Chicken Sandwich with Lettuce, Vine-Ripened Tomato, Avocado, and Jack Cheese on Ciabatta Bread with Garlic Aioli
Cheeseburger with Certified Angus Beef Brisket/Chuck Blend, Cheese, Red Onions, Lettuce, and Vine-Ripened Tomato Served on a Brioche Bun
The Details
Date: Thursday, October 9, 2025
Tour length: Approximately 6.5 hours. Meet at the hotel at 8:45am for a 9:00am departure. Returning to the hotel at 3:30pm
Availability: Tour registration is limited to attendees of our October 2025 Monterey Bay Knitting Retreat and their traveling companions.
Price: $265 per person. Last day for a refund is August 8, 2025. $20 of the fee is nonrefundable.*
Inclusions: Price includes breakfast (for those staying over the previous night at the hotel), lunch, chocolate tasting, roundtrip transportation from the Lighthouse Lodge via private mini-coach, all admissions and gratuities.
Lunch menu: Choice of Organic Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Avocado Toast with Tomato and Burrata, Blackened Chicken Sandwich, or Angus Beef Cheeseburger, plus your choice of non-alcoholic drink. You will be contacted for your lunch selection prior to the tour. Changes or omissions can be made at that time.
Exclusions: Lodging and alcohol are not included. It is recommended that those coming on the tour reserve lodging Wednesday night at the Lighthouse Lodge and Cottages; our discounted room rates will apply.
Activity level: Our tour will include walking for several blocks and some slight uphill and downhill paths. If you have mobility limitations or concerns, please contact us before registering for the tour.
We reserve the right to adjust tour details if necessary. If the tour does not meet minimum number of participants, it may be cancelled and all monies will be refunded.
*If you become unable to attend after the final cancellation date, you may arrange for a friend to attend in your stead. You must inform us of that change in advance of the start of the retreat, and arrange directly with the hotel for the change of guest. We are not responsible for any additional fees that may be charged by the hotel in such case.