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   Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 01:38:27 JST Adrianna Tan

   I just posted this at work and it seems like not everyone knows this.

   You can take the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose or LA in the other direction, to the Monterey Bay aquarium. On Amtrak.com, simply put Monterey Bay Aquarium as your destination and when you arrive in Salinas station at 12:20pm (daily), there will be a bus that waits for you and picks you up to send you to the doors of the Aquarium by 1:30pm (usually takes just 20min)

   For a true car-free experience, book a hotel room in New Monterey near the Aquarium, like the Clement Intercontinental, Monterey Plaza, or Wave Street Inn or anything on that side of the tunnel (including Pacific Grove). You can walk / bike the coastal trail.

   Rent a bike from Work Horse bicycles downtown.

   If you bring your own bike on the train (check in without boxing!) you can put it on MST city bus no 20, the bus station is 5 min ride away. Wait at and have a taco at Tacos Don Beto next door. There is a small outdoor area for Covid cautious folks.

   #Transit #Trains #Amtrak #Monterey #BikeTooter

   • Embed this notice
     Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 01:41:37 JST Adrianna Tan

     in reply to

     If you want to rent a car locally, there are lots of options. You could go to Big Sur. Unfortunately transit there between cities is not that great (though you can rely on MST city bus A and B to do most of Sand city, Marina, Seaside, Monterey), and 5 goes to Carmel, but between Monterey and say, Capitola, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Gilroy, you probably need a car.

     There is a shuttle (Groove Transportetion) between SFO and SJC to Marina and Monterey as well and that’s what I take more, but when I have time I take the train.

   • Embed this notice
     Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 01:52:54 JST Adrianna Tan

     in reply to

     I often put folks closer to downtown Monterey, at the Days Inn on Abrego St behind the Denny’s. For an average of $70 a night on week days, not terrible, and close to food and groceries. It’s a 40min walk to the Aquarium from there along the coastal trail. Or you can take bus 1, 2, A or B.

     Downtown; I like the Fieldwork Brewery for outdoor space and NA beers (also regular beers), Captain + Stoker coffee, Turn 12 sports bar (food is surprisingly good and late night.. late for Monterey). Alvarado Street Brewery for good pub style food. Ocean Sushi Deli for takeout sushi and decent curry and tonkatsu rice. Great Wall for the best Chinese downtown (good for veg and GF also, you just have to ask to clarify). Ad Astra for bread and pastries and coffee. Revival ice cream for honeycomb ice cream.

     I prefer eating in Seaside and Marina: Butter house (Filipino American breakfast spot, so pancakes but also fried rice), Ho Wah (best wings and crab Rangoon), Barba Azul (Sinaloan seafood), tacos at Santa Fe (a grocery store). Best halal food at Monterey Halal Market over there too.

     If you have to pick a tourist spot on the wharf just go to Old Fisherman grotto. Very good chowder and seafood.

   • Embed this notice
     Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 01:53:19 JST Adrianna Tan

     in reply to

     • Coach Pāṇini ®

     FYI @paninid

   • Embed this notice
     Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 01:58:12 JST Adrianna Tan

     in reply to

     For veg folks, El Cantaro is an excellent fully vegan taqueria near the aquarium and I like going there often even though I’m not vegan. There’s a vegan taco truck closer to moss landing (I think it’s called Freddie’s). Again, Great Wall downtown has a large veg menu and you can also ask them to recommend fully vegan items or veganize stuff. They speak English.

     Bunch of basic Indian spots around but if you’re used to Indian in South Bay Area, you’ll be shocked at the difference in quality hehe. I had a samosa that looked more like a giant dumpling and I was so mad.

   • Embed this notice
     ClickyMcTicker (clickymcticker@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 02:58:25 JST ClickyMcTicker

     in reply to

     @skinnylatte Yeah… I’m definitely saving this information for later. The Pacific Northwest has been on the agenda for a little while, and trains/bikes are strongly preferred over flights/cars.

   • Embed this notice
     Adrian Cockcroft (adrianco@mastodon.social)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 23:25:24 JST Adrian Cockcroft

     in reply to

     @skinnylatte Very cool info, thanks! I think the bus ride from Salinas to Monterey takes more than 20min, it’s over 20 miles and is more like an hour, depending on traffic.

   • Embed this notice
     Adrianna Tan (skinnylatte@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 04-Apr-2025 23:25:24 JST Adrianna Tan

     in reply to

     • Adrian Cockcroft

     @adrianco the city bus does but the Amtrak bus can be pretty fast