Old Monterey Inn

New Additions to the Gardens at our Bed and Breakfast in Monterey!

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:42:04 +0000

We love our gardens here at our bed and breakfast in Monterey, and if any of you are gardeners, you can appreciate the challenges of maintaining harmony between resident wildlife, and the flowers, greenery, and vegetables you work so hard to perfect! Our beautiful gardens are very inviting to our guests, and even more so to our resident deer who view it as a veritable smorgasbord of all of their tasty favorites! While the deer and rabbits are quite charming to watch, they seem intent to devour all of your dedication and hard work!

Last week, I have to admit even I was charmed when the doe came into the garden with her two brand new fawns. Perfect little fur balls with huge brown eyes and big white spots! So cute!!! They are welcome additions to our already enchanting gardens as they harmlessly follow their momma around the property, while she eats every rose she can get her teeth on! For now we feel fortunate to witness these darling additions to the property at our bed and breakfast in Monterey!

The 27th Presentation of the Big Sur Marathon!

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:48:35 +0000

The running of the Big Sur Marathon is this Sunday, April 29th just a hop, skip, and a jump from our Monterey CA Bed and Breakfast! The Big Sur Marathon is considered by marathoners as one of the “Bucket List” races to complete during your running career, and has been named as the “Best Destination Marathon in North America”. Considered one of the top three marathons in the country (along with Boston and New York), Big Sur will host 4,500 runners in the 26.2 mile marathon (sold out year after year), and approximately 11,000 runners all told in the other weekend events which include a marathon relay, 21 miler, 10.6 miler, 9 miler, and a 5K. That’s a lot of people running up the coast by our Monterey Bay bed and breakfast next to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world! I am happy to say I will be one of the 4500 runners competing in the full marathon which begins by Pfeiffer State Park and ends the 26.2 mile jaunt in Carmel (pretty nice place to finish!). This will be my first Big Sur Marathon, and my eighth marathon overall. I am just as nervous every time, but I think I am ready! We would love to have you comecheer us on!

Kayaking near our Monterey Bed and Breakfast

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:28:43 +0000

Well, I just sent a few of our Monterey Bed and Breakfast guests to go Sea Kayaking out at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and decided with the warm weather we are expecting this week and weekend, it was perfect timing to write a few words about! We like to send our guests to the Monterey Bay Kayak company (very helpful and friendly) and there are two main locations you can paddle your kayaks from. One location is out on the Monterey Bay, starting at Monterey Beach by Fisherman’s Wharf, and the other location is the Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing about 20 minutes north of our Monterey Bed and Breakfast. The Elkhorn Slough is the location I have paddled from, and as a beginning kayaker I must say it was absolutely fabulous! The kayak company provides all of the equipment, right down to the waterproof pants and jackets (your feet will get wet though!) and instruction on the beach before you set out. The Slough is one of California’s last remaining tidal estuary reserves, and wildlife is everywhere! The water is crystal clear and calm (and not nearly as cold as I thought!), and the scenery is beautiful! We had sea otters popping up right next to our kayaks, harbor seals sleeping in the sun all along the shores, sea lions barking on the docks and swimming all around us. It is a very fun and memorable experience to take in during your stay at Old Monterey Inn!

We have a great kayak package available at our Monterey Bay Bed and Breakfast, and we would love to see you soon!

Cheers!

Katy

Fantastic Events are Coming Up in the Monterey Area!

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:59:36 +0000

We are so fortunate to have our beautiful Inn in Monterey, California! Not only are we located in one of the most scenic spots on the West Coast, but we are lucky enough to have an ongoing calendar of world class events to enjoy while you are visiting! There really is something for everyone!

First I must mention the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, touted as “The Culinary Event of the Year”, coming to the area April 12 through April 15^th. Sip award winning wines and rub elbows with some of the most famous chefs in the world: Thomas Keller, Jacques Pepin, and Masaharu Morimoto, to name just a few! It is an extravaganza of food and wine in one of the ultimate settings in the world: Pebble Beach, just a few short minutes from our Monterey Bay Inn! It doesn’t get much better than that!

For outdoor recreation enthusiasts, the Sea Otter Classic is held at Laguna Seca Raceway from April 19^th to April 22^nd. Billed as one of the largest cycling events in the world, over 10,000 cyclists (beginner to elite, mountain and road) compete in every cycling category imaginable. Sea Otter is also home to the largest consumer bike expo in North America, and draws close to 50,000 cycling fans. It is a great event to watch or compete in!

The weather is great, and we would love to have you join us for any of these events, or just to get away to our Monterey Bed & Breakfast!

- Katy

Discover our New Website, Fun Monterey Activities and More!

admin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:22:26 +0000

Lawrence and I are happy and proud to be writing our first blog post, announcing our brand new website! We want to thank the Jumping Rocks photographers and our website designers, White Stone Marketing! We think they have done a fabulous job with our site, and helping us to ‘show off’ our beautiful Monterey Inn and all of the hard work we have been doing around the property. Thank you! We hope you check it out when you get the chance!

Meanwhile, spring is in the air here in Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. The coastal recreation trail has been packed with runners, cyclists and walkers. What a perfect place to train, or just get out and enjoy the stellar weather we have been having. Lawrence and I enjoyed the beautiful weather and took a quick trip out 17 Mile Drive to Pebble Beach last weekend to enjoy lunch on the patio at the Stillwater Café. The restaurant sits right off the 18^th green at Pebble Beach. The food and service are as phenomenal as the setting! We can highly recommend that as a day trip while you are staying with us here at our bed and breakfast in Monterey, CA.

17-Mile Drive - CC Image courtesy of http2007 on Flickr

We would love to have you join us, as we enjoy spring here in Monterey, and we hope to see you soon. Let us help you plan your visit, as you discover the fantastic Monterey activities around our inn!

Warm Regards,

Katy and Lawrence Havlick

Proprietors

Old Monterey Inn

Romance is in the Air at The Old Monterey Inn

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 02:40:45 +0000

This is a follow up to my blog on January 13, 2010. I know that quite a few of you have been following my story. After being reunited with my high school sweetheart, Teddy, after all these years, we were married on Christmas Eve of 2010. Every day we wake up to laughter and go to bed smiling. As I said, the romance and everlasting love that they write about in all those mushy books is indeed alive and happening at the Old Monterey Inn.

As I said, romance is a big thing at the Old Monterey Inn. At least once a week someone gets engaged here and we love to be a part of the surprise event. We are very good at keeping secrets and helping to plan special ingredients to embellish the surprise! Our Beach Bonfire with the message in a bottle is an example of a unique way to propose!

We also have couples celebrating anniversaries all week long. These happy couples have been returning to the Old Monterey Inn year after year (some for over 20 years) for their special day. Some actually got married on the grounds of the Inn, and yes, our Monterey bed and breakfast is available for for small intimate weddings (20 people or less).

So, if want some of the good vibes to rub off, come and visit us at the Old Monterey Inn, the most romantic bed and breakfast in Monterey, and the #1 rated B&B on Trip Advisor.

Monterey First Night Celebration

admin — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 22:51:18 +0000

Searching for something really great to do on New Year’s Eve? You might want to consider Monterey’s First Night Celebration. It starts at 3 p.m. on December 31 and goes to midnight. There are 25 venues, most indoors, with a theme of Imagine Create Participate. This is the 18th year that Monterey has offered a celebration where art, music, lights sounds and community unite to create a new year. There will be long-time favorite entertainers like the Black Irish Band, I Cantori, Grumbling Ginger and the resolution sculpture – a life size board game – the Game of Life. First Night transforms the streetscapes, parks, buildings, theatres, churches, and concert halls throughout Historic Monterey into a fun and unique celebration site. Check out www.firstnightmonterey.org for the schedule of performers. I know I’ll be there watching the Twilight Procession at 5:30 and taking advantage of all the entertainment and other venues that can be had for only $25 (now that’s a deal!). And I’ll be ringing in the New Year at the Grande Finale!

Monterey Historic Car Races & Cherry’s Jubilee

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:24:10 +0000

The 60th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, locally known as ‘car week’, will soon be upon us. An event that is so popular folks book their lodging as much as a year in advance. First conducted in 1950, the Concours d’Elegance is often said to be the world’s premier celebration of the automobile. The Concours d’Elegance is quite literally an automotive contest of elegance. And, as Ansel Adams said, “From a strictly personal point of view, my definition of an elegant car would be ‘the kind of car I would like to be buried in’”.
One of the truly fun events is at the Laguna Seca Raceway, the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion (formerly known as the Monterey Historics) is a celebration of motorsports history that reunites authentic race cars with a world-class track. You’ll see pre-war Bugattis, Alfa Romeos, and Talbot-Lagos to the more powerful Ferraris, Corvettes, Cobras and Porsches.
This year, for the first time, there will be a Pre-Reunion, a relaxed weekend for the competitors to prepare for their races. The drivers get valuable tract time to shake down their historic cars, test tires, and have fun with their fellow competitors. Fans who want to come to the Pre-Reunion and avoid the hubbub of ‘car week’ can participate in this event on August 7 & 8 for a ticket price of $50 per day. Tickets will only be available for purchase at the gate and include parking. It’s a chance to see those wonderful old cars up close and personal without fighting crowds.
Cherries Jubilee on September 8-12, 2010 – Dubbed the biggest oldies party of the year, the 18th Cherry’s Jubilee is a motorsport festival that takes place in many areas of the Monterey Peninsula as well as at the Laguna Seca Raceway. There’s dancing, eating, wine to be enjoyed but most of all there are those wonderful cars (classics, special interest, muscle cars, something for everyone!).

Our romantic bed and breakfast, the Old Monterey Inn, is perfectly located for all these events. While you’re at it, scroll down and read our earlier blog on experiencing car racing with Skip Barber’s Racing School. If you’ve a need for speed, that is the place to test yourself!

Wine Tasting from the Old Monterey Inn

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:26:24 +0000

I admit it, I’m a wino. There is just no getting around the fact that I love my wine. I truly appreciate wine and, yes, on occasion I’ve been known to overdo just a bit. Monterey County has some excellent wineries and while you are visiting the Monterey Peninsula, why not take a wine tour. It can be a case of so many wineries and not enough days, so I’m going to talk about just a few but please go to www.montereywines.org to see the complete list. The following can be visited by driving yourselves, taking the Wine Trolley or we can arrange for a Luxury Limo so you can imbibe to your heart’s content!
Staying close to home, Carmel Valley offers some very good examples of Monterey County Wines. We are lucky enough to serve Chateau Julien wines during our Wine Hour here at the Inn. They have a beautiful winery with lovely gardens. I especially like their Rosato which is a lovely Rose’ made with Sangiovese grapes. They make a limited amount and don’t normally offer it at their tasting so be bold and ask to taste it. Scrumptious served at lunch or a brunch! It’s also one of the few wineries close by that offers a tour (Mon thru Friday 10:30 & 2:30—Sat & Sun 12:30 & 2:30).
Another really good winery can be found in Carmel Valley Village, Parsonage Village Winery. Each one of their wines is remarkable and don’t miss out on their spiced pecans, irresistible!
If you are interested in staying organic, try Heller Estate Winery. They are very knowledgeable about the art of organic viticulture! Ask to try their Toby’s Port, yum.
If you favor Pinot Noirs, which like our climate here since it’s nice and cool, go to Talbott or Boekenoogen (great name). And Merlots are pretty darn good at Georis Winery; as is their restaurant The Corkscrew. Georis Winery and the Corkscrew restaurant are owned by the folks that own Casanova’s Restaurant in Carmel (another one of my very favorite romantic spots).
Below I’ve listed the 2010 Wine Events & Festivals, we hope you’ll find something irresistible and come to stay at the Old Monterey Inn bed and breakfast. Until then, I toast you all!

2010 EVENTS & FESTIVALS
EVENT ORGANIZATION DATE EMAIL PHONE WEBSITE

The Wine Collector’s Package Michaud Vineyard: Chalone Appellation, Monterey, L’Auberge Carmel and Aubergine Restaurant Call to make reservations dbemore@laubergecarmel.com
831.622.5907

Fromage Friday
Come Join Us Every Friday afternoon for a Wine & Cheese Pairing Taste Morgan Every Friday at our Carmel Tasting Room 3pm – 5pm 831.626.3700

Library Sunday
Come Join Us Every Sunday and taste wines from Morgan Winery’s Library Taste Morgan Every Sunday at our Carmel Tasting Room 2pm – 5pm 831.626.3700

Vintage Affair Chateau Julien Wine Estate

Sunday, April 18th
11am - 4 pm
The Barrel Room opens for a full day of specialty wine tasting, large format bottles, vertical tastings and much more. 831.624.2600

WINE 101 Scheid Vineyards

May 7, 2010
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Do you love wine but don’t have time to become a Certified Sommelier? Have we got a class for you! Wine 101. $50 per person / Vin’s club $40 per person kim@scheidvineyards.com 831.455.9990

MONTEREY WINE AUCTION & GALA
Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association
Auction proceeds benefit the MCVGF Scholarship Foundation for the children in our community and Ag Researc. (501[c](3) non-profit charity)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
call 831.375.9400 for details 831.375.9400

Winemaker’s New Release Party Chateau Julien Wine Estate
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The Estate’s “Vintner’s Collection”
5pm – 7pm 831.624.2600

Santa Lucia Highlands Fling
The Wine Artisans of the Santa Lucia Highlands
May 15, 2010
2pm – 5pm
$85 per person
tickets on line at www.santaluciahighlands.com

The Annual E.A.R.S. Fundraiser
Wild Things
May 15, 2010
heather@wildthingsinc.com
831.455.1901 ext. 3

Sycamore Cellars GRAND OPENING
“Grand Opening of the Sycamore Cellars Tasting Room”
May 29, 2010
cyndi@thesycamorecellars.com
831.674.5670

Wine & Cigar Dinner
Chateau Julien Wine Estate
Friday, June 18, 2010
Reception: 6:30pm, Dinner 7:30pm
831.624.2600

ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT at
Bayonet/Blackhorse Golf Course

Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association (MCVGA) Golf Tournament

Thursday, June 24, 2010
Your chance to play golf with a winemaker! 831.375.9400

WINEMAKERS’ CELEBRATION Winemakes’ Celebration at the Custom House Plaza Saturday, August 7, 2010 831.375.9400

Harvest Dinner Chateau Julien Wine Estate
Friday, September 24, 2010
Grape Crush: 7pm, Dinner: 8pm 831.624.2600

GREAT WINE ESCAPE WEEKEND

Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association
Various locations throughout Carmel, Carmel Valley, Monterey and Salinas Friday through Sunday November 12 – 15, 2010 831.375.9400

Holiday Spectacular Chateau Julien Wine Estate

December 5, 2010 ~ 2:30pm – 5:30pm
The Choral Project, founded by Artistic Director Daniel Hughes in 1996, has developed an international reputation for performing high-level choral literature and bridging the gap between text and music, singer and spectator. Come and hear the 48-voice ensemble in the Chai – Spectacular! 831.624.2600

Valentine’s Day Love Story

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:05:56 +0000

In anticipation of Valentine’s Day which is right around the corner, I thought I would share with everyone my romantic love story. When I was 17 and at one of those notorious high-school-friend parties, I met the love of my life. He was 19 and oh so tall and handsome! We spent many wonderful years together during which the Draft for Vietnam loomed darkly. Finally, Teddy, decided to enlist in the Navy to try to avoid Vietnam. Off he went to Basic Training and then was stationed on an aircraft carrier for 2 ½ years. He was just about to come home on his first long leave (30 days) after 3 years when his leave was cancelled and he had three days to report to Vallejo, California, for Special Forces training to be on a River Patrol Boat in Vietnam. Of course, we were shattered. I was able to spend time with him during his training but always the dark shadow of Vietnam loomed. We were engaged to be married and so afraid of what the next year would bring. As it turned out, Teddy survived the long, frightening year in Vietnam but our relationship did not. Due to family and other outside influences, we didn’t get married. I have to tell you, though, that I loved him all my life. I thought of him every day over the last 40 years and when I was at my darkest, I would sit down and write him a letter pouring my heart out (of course, I never mailed the letters). We both married others and lived our lives as best we could. Two years ago, after I had been divorced for several years and I knew that Teddy was also divorced, I sent him a birthday card. It took a while but he finally contacted me. At first, we just talked for hours on the telephone and made plans to get together. As time went by we realized just how much we really did belong together but here I was in California and Teddy was in Florida. Hence the 5, 6, 7 hour daily phone calls for four long months. So, we started to plan a trip driving from Florida to California. It would take 2 ½ weeks and we would go through Alabama, Louisanna, Texas, New Mexico & Colorado. I can tell you that it was magical. By the end of the trip we knew that we should have never been apart and that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together! Today, Teddy and I are partners at the Old Monterey Inn and we both glow with happiness. On November 2, 2009, we had dinner at Fandango to celebrate what would have been our 40th wedding anniversary. We can testify that storybook romances do happen and people can feel an overwhelming love and connection. Romance is definitely always in the air at the Old Monterey Inn!