The Best of Monterey Bay® represents two decades' worth of readers' polls, editors. picks and insights from Monterey County Weekly.

"The dreamer whose dreams are nonutilitarian has no place in this world", Henry Miller, a Brooklyn boy who fell in love with Big Sur and never turned back, once observed. "In this world the poet is anathema, the thinker a fool, the artist an escapist, the man of vision a criminal." 

Thankfully, Monterey County has been a home to poets, thinkers, artists, visionaries—and criminals—alike, all drawn to its unique mixture of unmatched natural beauty, companionable folks and wide variety of recreational and entertainment opportunities, from high-end Carmel Valley spas and wineries to rodeos in Salinas, monarch butterflies in Pacific Grove and historical missions in Monterey and Carmel. 

Oh yeah, if you feel like it you can also take the trip to the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, a memorial of sorts to the lusty old sod, the Steinbeck Museum in Salinas, or the Center for Photographic Art, founded by Ansel Adams, in Carmel. For the non-artsy crowd, the county has some of the best hiking, golfing and ocean exploration options going. 

This guide provides a shortcut—no Googling required—to the multiplicity of offerings and boundless blessings of this diverse and diverting community. 

For even more up-to-the-minute info on local news, arts, entertainment and outdoor activities, pick up a copy of the Monterey County Weekly, available at over 900 locations throughout the county. Like the Visitor's Guide, the Weekly is free. So's our website, www.montereycountyweekly.com, which offers a comprehensive food and wine database and perpetually updated connections to all sorts of hip happenings. 

Enjoy your visit—and say hi to Henry for us.