Monterey, California

I spent the weekend with family in Monterey, California.  It was beautiful!  We did some of the typical tourist stuff, such as ride a bicycle surrey around Monterey, visited Cannery Row, and some things not so close such as Bixby Bridge, the 17 Mile Drive, Fishermans Wharf, and Garrapata State Beach.  Normally we also go to one of the best aquariums in the world, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but this visit we did not, as we have been there quite often and wanted to spend time doing other things.  If this is your first visit to Monterey, though, it will not be complete unless you spend the day at the aquarium.

Fishermans Wharf has many great places to get a bite to eat, but we spent our time in one of the candy shops found here.  Some of the best candy I have ever eaten!  Try the white and milk chocolate dipped rice krispy with MnM's on it, if you want something sweat and crunchy.

There are plenty of beautiful things to see in Monterey, even if the day is mostly overcast!  Almost all of these pictures were taken when the sky was more cloudy and blue, and we just got lucky finding some blue sky peaking through.  If you are worried about the clouds, often the sun will burn through them by the afternoon, even if the day starts out cloudy and dreary.

This next set of pictures is from random areas around Monterey, such as along the bike path that the 6 seater surrey can take.

 We also visited the San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission in Monterey, too!  This is a beautifully preserved mission founded in 1771 that also doubles as a school today.  They have a museum you can walk through and see some pretty neat historical stuff, as well as extensive grounds with some wonderful gardening.  Something we learned on our visit, if you arrive during/before Mass is about to begin in the church, there is no entry fee, they just ask a donation.

The 17 Mile Drive takes you around world-renowned Pebble Beach as well as several other golf courses and some incredible houses.  Before starting the drive, you can also visit Asilomar State Beach.  Along the 17 Mile Drive, you can also see the Ghost Tree and the Lone Cypress.

Bixby Bridge near Big Sur, CA is another famous landmark along Highway 1.  That is the first image below.  The rest of from some stops along the way.

Finally, one of our last stops was Garrapata State Beach.  This is one of our all-time favorite beaches because it is so incredibly beautiful.  This beach is very large yet remarkably empty no matter when you visit.  There is parking along Highway 1 for this beach, and then you walk down a short trail to some cliffs, where you then proceed down a few sets of stairs to reach the beach.  In the past, the stairs have been washed out, and so we have visited this beach when we were the only people on it.  Be prepared for some massive waves, especially if you visit in the winter.  This is not a good beach for swimming as there is a high chance you will run into rip-tides.  If you walk along the beach, there are several points where the beach narrows and waves can rush up quickly, so don't turn your back to the ocean.  Pass one of these points and you will come within view of a bridge.  The Doud Creek also runs under this bridge and out to the ocean.

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Southern/Mid-Atlantic Travel Itinerary Suggestion

Another assignment from class I thought others might find interesting.  There was a specific set of variables we had to meet/include in our assignment, which is why I selected some of the seemingly random activities below.  This was a final project, and costs are very close to accurate of what they would really be.  A LOT of data below, but the section with images of maps I did not include, because I didn't have time to upload the images here.

Itinerary

Day 1 – 9/20/15, Sunday Fly to Nashville from Oakland
You start your day off by flying to Nashville via a nonstop Southwest Airlines flight.  Your flight departs at 11:05am and arrives in the Nashville International Airport at 5:20pm.  You will pick up your 3 week rental car at the rental car counter of Thrifty Car Rental.  As you are arriving later in the day, no activities are planned.  Instead, why not eat dinner at Joey’s House of Pizza, which currently enjoys a TripAdvisor rating of #1.  This eatery is located at 897 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN.  When you are done eating you can check into your Best Western Plus hotel.
FLIGHT DETAILS: Airline:  Southwest Flight Number: 1XAVFG Departure: 9/20 at Oakland International Airport @ 11:05 AM (Arrive 2-3 hours earlier to allow time for baggage check and security) Arrival: Arrive Nashville @ 5:20 PM
Hotel: Best Western Plus Music Row 1407 Division Street            Nashville, Tennessee Length of Stay: 2 Nights Confirmation #: 145FGHx23 Hotel Phone #: 615-242-1631 Cost: $461.22		Rental Car Company: Thrifty Car Rental Car Type: Mid-Size (Dodge Avenger or similar) Rental Length: 3 weeks (21 days) Confirmation #: ZXY123d5 Rental Car Phone #: (877) 283-0898

Day 2 – 9/21/15, Monday Spend day in Nashville
Enjoy some of the best bluegrass in the nation in this musical hotspot of a city, Nashville. Your Best Western Hotel is only 1 mile from the Downtown Area and less than a quarter of a mile away from Music Row. Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame (222 5th Ave S, Nashville, TN),Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (501 Broadway, Nashville, TN), Fort Nashborough (170 1st Ave. N, Downtown, Nashville, TN 37201), or one of the many eateries that feature live music in this area.
Hotel: Best Western Plus Music Row (Same as previous night hotel)

Day 3 – 9/22/15, Tuesday Drive Nashville à Knoxville, TN
Today you will make a 3 hour (180 mile) drive from Nashville, TN to Knoxville, TN. There are plenty of things to do in this area! Some of the things I suggest are a visit to the Ijams Nature Center during the day, and catch a show at the Tennessee Theater at night. At Ijams Nature Center most activities are free, and there are plenty of trails to get a bit of exercise on that are very picturesque and beautiful. The River Boardwalk in particular is very pretty and a cool experience. While we are a bit too far out to see what the Tennessee Theater has planned for the month of September, there are bound to be some excellent productions for you to see; I will call and let you know the closer we get to September what events are happening here and ticket prices.
Hotel: Fairfield Inn & Suites Knoxville/East 1551 Cracker Barrel Lane Knoxville, Tennessee Length of Stay: 1 Night Confirmation #: DEF123X4 Hotel Phone #: 1-865-971-4033 Cost: $127.80

Day 4 – 9/23/15, Wednesday Drive to Cherokee, NC for your day in Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Today you will drive from Knoxville, TN to Cherokee, North Carolina and explore the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. You will be staying at the Comfort Suites in Cherokee, which is only 3 miles away from the National Park. This hotel also offers complimentary hot breakfast, which fits with your needs. If you need to change or cancel this reservation, you may do so up until Wednesday, September 23, 2015, before 4pm local hotel time. There are many, many things to do in this park, which is why you’ll be spending 2 nights here. You won’t check out of your hotel until Friday, September 25! Explore the hiking trails, participate in some ranger-led programs, view wildlife, see waterfalls...many activities to keep you busy for days. If you are up to a hike, Laurel Falls Trail is one of the most popular in the park to view the 80-foot high Laurel Waterfall. This 2.6 paved mile loop is considered moderate in difficulty and takes about 2 hours to hike.
Hotel: Comfort Suites Cherokee 1223 Tsali Boulevard Cherokee, NC 28719 Length of Stay: 2 Nights Confirmation #: ABC123X4 Hotel Phone #: (828) 497-3500 Cost: $176.78

Day 5 – 9/24/15, Thursday Great Smokey Mountains National Park
If you haven’t done so yet, why not view some of the historic preserved buildings?  Cades Cove offers a great way to do this via an 11 mile driving loop; ask a ranger for driving route instructions.  Allow 2-4 hours to drive this loop or longer, especially if you plan on hiking some of the areas trails.
Hotel: Comfort Suites Cherokee (same as night before)

Day 6 – 9/25/15, Friday Blue Ridge Parkway
Today you will drive a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway, 75 miles to be precise.  It will take at least 2 hours to make this drive, and you will undoubtedly stop along the way to see sights and take pictures, so plan on spending all day on this stretch of the parkway between here and your next hotel, a Hampton Inn.  I have provided a small map below, but signs should be posted, and I recommend using your cell phone GPS when you get closer to the hotel.
Hotel: Hampton Inn Brevard 275 Forest Gate Dr Brevard, NC 28768 Length of Stay: 1 Nights Confirmation #: HIBREV123 Hotel Phone #: (828) 541-3700 Cost: $166.51

Day 7 – 9/26/15, Saturday Brevard, NC à Salisbury, NC
Today you will make the 5 hour (231 mile) drive from Brevard, NC to Salisbury, North Carolina. The reason for the long drive today is because taking the blue ridge parkway the day before kind of put you off the beaten path, so to speak. Enjoy the sights along this drive and stop to stretch your lets periodically! If you feel you have time, why not visit the Historic Salisbury National Cemetery (Address: 501 Statesville Blvd., Salisbury, NC 28144 704-636-2661) and peruse the graves in search of long lost family members. If you are hungry for some food, try Sabaidee, the #1 rated Trip Advisor restaurant that serves Sushi/Thai food (Address: 2204 South Main Street, Salisbury, NC).
Hotel: Hampton Inn Salisbury 1001 Klumac Road Salisbury, North Carolina Length of Stay: 2 Nights Confirmation #: FGRE32FG56 Hotel Phone #: 1-704-637-8000 Cost: $305.62

Day 8 – 9/27/15, Sunday Tour around Salisbury
Today is a family history research day; when you have finished researching family history, visit the Dan Nicholas Park, a great place to spend the afternoon and have a picnic, or buy food from one of the vendors at the park (6800 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury, NC).
Hotel: Hampton Inn Salisbury (same as night before)

Day 9 – 9/28/15, Monday Drive to Williamsburg, VA
Today you have a long day of driving ahead of you, but you’ll pass through some beautiful parts of the country. It is a 4.5 hour (278 mile) drive from Salisbury to Williamsburg. On the way, maybe stop for a short break in Durham, NC at the beautiful Sarah P. Duke Gardens (426 Anderson Street, Durham, NC; 919-684-3698). Closer to our destination, you will drive through Petersburg, Virginia, the site of a famous Civil War battle and American revolutionary action. A visit to Petersburg National Battlefield Park (1001 Pecan Avenue Hopewell, VA), Pamplin Historical Park (6125 Boydton Plank Road, Petersburg, VA) or the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier (located at Pamplin Historical Park) are a must see!
Hotel: Cedars of Williamsburg Bed & Breakfast 616 Jamestown Road Williamsburg, VA  Length of Stay: 3 Nights Confirmation #: WVSBRG123 Hotel Phone #: (757) 229-3591 Cost: $501.15

Day 10 – 9/29/15, Tuesday Explore Colonial Williamsburg
Today you can spend your time walking around Colonial Williamsburg (101 Visitor Center Drive Williamsburg, VA), which is within 2 miles of your Bed & Breakfast. Learn from actors what life was back during the revolution and colonial days, and explore this 301 acre restored historic area. There are several museums you can tour that are included in your admission price, too. There are also plenty of places to eat while here; try a historic tavern such as Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, similar to one Thomas Jefferson or George Washington would have eaten at.
Hotel: Cedars of Williamsburg Bed & Breakfast (same as night before)

Day 11 – 9/30/15, Wednesday Explore Williamsburg
Spend today exploring other parts of Williamsburg. Yesterday you visited colonial Williamsburg, so today you can visit Historic Jamestowne (1368 Colonial Parkway, Williamsburg, VA). There is a great walking tour you can do of this site, and your ticket gets you entry to Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown Battlefield, Jamestown Settlement, and Yorktown Victory Center. The National Park Service is partnered with Jamestowne, and the history lessons you learn here are sure to make any history buff happy.
Hotel: Cedars of Williamsburg Bed & Breakfast (same as night before)

Day 12 – 10/1/15, Thursday Drive to Washington, DC
Today you will leave Williamsburg and drive to our nation’s capital, Washington DC; this is a 2.5 hour, 155 mile drive. Your hotel, the State Plaza Hotel, is only a half mile walk to the Lincoln Memorial, and a little over 1.5 miles to the various Smithsonian museums. This particular hotel doesn’t serve breakfast in the morning for free, however your room has a kitchenette, so you can cook something up yourself. Spend the day seeing the sites along the way to DC. Stop in the historic town of Fredericksburg, VA and visit Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (120 Chatham Lane, Fredericksburg, VA), and then visit the Battlefield Fredericksburg (9001 Plank Road, Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitors Center, Fredericksburg, VA). Both places are steeped in history and offer an excellent view into our nations past.
Hotel: State Plaza Hotel, 2117 E St NW Washington, DC 20037 Length of Stay: 6 Nights Confirmation #: WASHDC123 Hotel Phone #: (202) 861-8200 Cost: $1082.05

Day 13 – 10/2/15, Friday Explore DC
For your first day in DC, get comfortable with your surroundings and try using the metro; I highly suggest using the metro because parking in DC is extremely limited and can be very costly. For your first trip of the day, you’ll head to a nearby Safeway to buy groceries using the metro. The different routes are color coded in the DC Metro system; I’ve provided the instructions below in a section labeled “Hotel to Safeway”. If you have a phone with GPS capabilities, use it as an extra guide to help you get around; most map systems offer a “walking” or “public transportation” mode. After visiting Safeway, spend your first day walking around and seeing the White House. A little over a half mile walk takes you right to the White House. You can walk around the President’s Park and walk the trail that goes around The Ellipse, seeing various monuments in there. If you are feeling very adventurous, walk to the end of the National Mall and view the Capitol building. This is a 2 mile walk from the hotel, but if you stop and see things on the way, it’s a pleasant walk.
Hotel: State Plaza Hotel (same as night before)

Day 13 – 10/3/15, Saturday Explore DC, Smithsonian National Zoo
Since you are now familiar with the metro, we’ll be using it to take you to the Smithsonian National Zoo; it’s about a 15 minute ride.  You will find metro instructions on how to arrive at the zoo below.  The animal exhibits are open from 10am to 6pm, and you can easily spend a day at this fantastic zoo.  When you get hungry, there are some great dining options here, with options like angus burgers, grilled salmon, bratwurst, salads, paninis, fatoosh salads, chicken, wraps, pizza, and much more.  Try the Panda Overlook and have a great view while enjoying your food.  If you finish early, you can always walk around to some of the national monuments near your hotel; they don’t have closing hours, and it’s a very special experience to see some of them late at night without the crowds...chances are you and the security guard are the only ones there!
Hotel: State Plaza Hotel (same as night before)

Day 14 – 10/4/15, Sunday Air & Space Museum
Today explore the Air and Space Museum; this museum is my personal favorite, because it has lots of neat exhibits and original items from our early days of flight and space.  This museum is open from 10am to 5:30pm.  If you finish a little early, cross the National Mall and check out either the Smithsonian Museum of National History or the Smithsonian Museum of American History.  Both are museums you should visit, and whatever you don’t finish today, finish on a different day.
Hotel: State Plaza Hotel (same as night before)

Day 15 – 10/5/15, Monday Smithsonian’s, Monuments
Finish seeing any Smithsonian’s you missed out on the previous day, and make sure to walk around and see the various monuments, such as Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Korean, Vietnam, WWII, etc. At 2:00pm today you have tickets and a reservation to go to the top of the Washington Monument. The elevator ride up is about 70 seconds long to the top of the 500 foot structure; you are allowed to look around at your leisure, and then descend down about 10 stairs to the museum. When you are ready to leave, board the elevator again.
Hotel: State Plaza Hotel (same as night before)

Day 16 – 10/6/15, Tuesday Bureau of Engraving and Printing, US Botanic Garden
Take a free 30 minute tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and see how our nation prints paper money; during September no tickets are needed, which is a benefit to you. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is also near the mint, and you might want to spend a couple hours at this moving place as well. You will most likely have time to either visit the US Botanic Garden or one of the other Smithsonian museums you didn’t finish seeing the day before. The US Botanic Garden is very beautiful and located near the Capitol. If you have extra time on any of the above days, visit Mount Vernon (George Washington’s House), Washington DC’s Union Station is also a fun place to visit; not only does it house the train systems like Amtrak and Metro, but it is also a big mall with some very nice architecture on the inside. Plenty of places to shop and eat here, too! (Bureau of Engraving and Printing address: 300 14th St SW, Washington, DC 20228)
Hotel: State Plaza Hotel (same as night before)

Day 18 – 10/7/15, Wednesday Drive to Philadelphia
Check out of your DC hotel and head to Philadelphia; this will be a 2.5 hour drive of 142 miles. Your hotel for the next 4 days has 2 restaurants on site, as well as offering fully equipped kitchens. This is good for you because it doesn’t offer complimentary breakfast, so you can buy some on site or cook your own. It’s also a 4 block walk to the Franklin Institute or the observation deck atop City Hall. You are only 6 blocks from a variety of delicious food at Reading Terminal Market, too. If you arrive early enough, go to the City Hall Observation Deck (Intersection of Broad & Market Sts. Room 121, Philadelphia, PA 19107); your CityPass grants you free access to this site. The Philadelphia City Hall is the largest and tallest in the country! Link: http://www.citypass.com/
Hotel: The Windsor Suites – A Modus Hotel 1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA Length of Stay: 4 Nights Confirmation #: PHILLY123x3 Hotel Phone #: 215.981.5678 Cost: $624.64

Day 19 – 10/8/15, Thursday Philadelphia CityPass – Day 1
You are going to spend the next 2 days using the Philadelphia City Pass. This pass allows you free admission to the Franklin Institute with a planetarium show, adventure aquarium, Philadelphia Trolley Works Tour and Big Bus (with hop-on, hop-off privileges), the National Constitution OR Philadelphia Zoo, the Eastern State Penitentiary OR Please Touch Museum. For the “OR” choices, you will pick one to do today, and the other to do tomorrow. Today, see the National Constitution and the Eastern State Penitentiary (this is a prison that now stands in ruin but heaped in history).
Hotel: The Windsor Suites (same as night before)

Day 20 – 10/9/15, Friday Philadelphia CityPass – Day 2
Along with some of the same things you saw yesterday (don’t feel rushed spending 2 days doing this!), you will see the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. Link: http://www.citypass.com/
Hotel: The Windsor Suites (same as night before)

Day 21 – 10/10/15, Saturday Independence Hall, Liberty Bell
Today you can visit Independence Hall and see the Liberty Bell; this site is operated by the National Park Service and is open from 8:30am to 6:00pm. You will need tickets to see Independence Hall, and you can reserve them ahead of time (which I did for you). Reading Terminal Market (located on Reading Terminal Market, 51 N 12th Street) is a great place to stop and try a large variety of food as well as do some shopping. It’s very busy, so arrive early to make sure you eat at the place you want!
Hotel: The Windsor Suites (same as night before)

Day 21 – 10/11/15, Sunday Fly Home
Today you make the flight home from Philadelphia to Oakland.  Be sure to arrive early enough to drop off your rental car; 2-3 hours ahead of flight departure should do it.
FLIGHT DETAILS: Airline: Southwest Flight Number (Leg 1): PA2DEVx1 Departure: 10/11 at Philadelphia International Airport @ 6:20 AM -Layover in Denver, Colorado and a plane change (Arrive 2-3 hours earlier to allow time for baggage check and security) Flight Number 2 (Leg 2): DEV2OAK Arrival: Arrive Oakland @ 11:30 PM

Reed Custom Itinerary for Southern/Mid-Atlantic – Cost Summary Analysis Sheet

Mr. and Mrs. Reed

Dates of Travel: 9/20/15 – 10/11/15

Below is listed each cost for the different portions of your trip to Nashville, Salisbury, the Great Smokey Mountains, Williamsburg, Washington DC and Philadelphia. 

Flight Costs (for 2)			Total Costs
Airline: Southwest Type of Flight: 2 one-way flights from different locations Oakland àNashville = $247.50 x2 = $495 Philadelphia à Oakland = $269 x 2 = $538 Costs (with tax): $1033			$1033.00
		Total Air Costs	$1033.00

Accommodations (including tax)			Total Costs
Hotel #1: Best Western Plus Music Row 1407 Division Street                  Nashville, Tennessee # of Nights: 2 Costs: $399.98 + $61.24 tax = $461.22			$461.22
Hotel #2: Fairfield Inn & Suites Knoxville/East 1551 Cracker Barrel Lane Knoxville, Tennessee # of Nights: 1 Costs: $109 + $18.80 tax = $127.80			$127.80
Hotel #3: Comfort Suites Cherokee 1223 Tsali Boulevard Cherokee, NC 28719 # of Nights: 2 Costs: $159.98 + $16.80 tax = $176.78			$176.78
Hotel #4: Hampton Inn Brevard 275 Forest Gate Dr Brevard, NC 28768 # of Nights: 1 Costs: $149.00 + $17.51 tax = $166.51			$166.51
Hotel #5: Hampton Inn Salisbury 1001 Klumac Road      Salisbury, North Carolina # of Nights: 2 Costs: $270.30 + $35.32 tax = $305.62			$305.62
Hotel #6: Cedars of Williamsburg Bed & Breakfast 616 Jamestown Road Williamsburg, VA  # of Nights: 3 Costs: $450 + $34.10 tax = $501.15			$501.15
Hotel #7: State Plaza Hotel 2117 E St NW Washington, DC 20037 # of Nights: 6 Costs: $1134+ $164.46 tax = $1082.05			$1082.05
Hotel #8: The Windsor Suites – A Modus Hotel 1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA # of Nights: 4 Costs: $135.20 * 4 = $540.80 + $83.84 tax = $624.64			$624.64
		Total Hotel Costs:	$3445.77

Rental Car Costs			Total Cost
Car: Thrifty Car Rental Rental Length: 3 weeks, one-way rental Costs (with insurance): Weekly rate: ($140.19 * 2) = $280.38 Extra Daily Rate: (7 * $19.94) = $139.58 Tax/One Way Drop Off Fee = 644.36 Collision Damage Coverage (Insurance) (21 x $11.00) = $231.00			$1295.32
		Total Car Rental Costs	$1295.32

Special Attractions			Total Cost
Country Music Hall of Fame 222 Fifth Avenue South Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Cost: $24.95 per person			$49.90
Colonial Williamsburg 101 Visitor Center Drive Williamsburg, VA Cost: $101.98 (for 2)			$101.98
Historic Jamestowne 1368 Colonial Parkway, Williamsburg, VA Cost: $35 each, $70 for 2			$70
Metro Trips: Hotel to Safeway: $2.05 each way per person * 4 = $8.20............................................................. Hotel to Smithsonian National Zoo: $1.75 each way per person * 4 = $7.00.................................			$8.20 $7.00
Washington Monument Reserved tickets for trip up to the top:  $5.85 total			$5.85
Philadelphia CItyPass for 2 days ($72 * 4) = $288 (Link: http://www.citypass.com/ )			$288
Independence Hall Tickets Reservation = $1.50 Each			$3.00
		Total Special Attractions Costs	$533.93

Total Estimated Cost for Trip:

Air	Accommodations	Rental Car	Special Attractions
$1033.00	$3445.77	$1295.32	$533.93
		Grand Total	$6308.02

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