California
Magical Monterey
Program No. 1208RJ
From iconic shorelines to John Steinbeck's homeland, from its world-renowned aquarium to the crown jewel of California state parks, come see all that’s amazing in historic Monterey.
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Participant Reviews
Based on 23 Reviews
SHOWING
This was my first trip with Road Scholars, but certainly not my last! I was so nervous, but everyone was welcoming and friendly, not just staff but fellow guests. I learned so much and had so much fun! Already looking for my next trip.
— Review left February 18, 2025
This program has a variety of activities and presentations plus quite a bit of down time that encourages socialization among the interesting participants. Although the accommodations are rustic, they are as described and adequate. The food was very good.
— Review left November 21, 2024
Magical Monterey was all I hoped for. Loved the people, the presenters and everything about the trip.
— Review left November 18, 2024
The Monterey Bay Area is beautiful and historically interesting. This program offers opportunity to experience some of the major sites, while staying in a peaceful, rustic setting in Carmel Valley.
— Review left November 16, 2024
We enjoyed the program and the general mountainous area so much, we might do it again someday. It all worked seamlessly ... from the tours, the museum, the aquarium, the lectures and concerts, and the good food.
— Review left May 24, 2024
Love these tours! We plan on doing one each year.
— Review left May 6, 2024
We always enjoyed educational vacations where we get to meet people who are of the same mind.
— Review left April 29, 2024
Great experience!
— Review left May 13, 2023
Great program with knowledgeable instructors in a very scenic area. Accommodations are modest but adequate and the food was excellent. Happy Hour with wine and cheese provided each evening before dinner added to the fun!
— Review left May 7, 2023
This program offers a very nice overview of the Monterey, Carmel area. our leader Rene and 'teachers' were very informative and helpful. The activities were varied and offer a good balance of listening and 'doing'. A good trip.
— Review left March 26, 2023
Our magical Monterey Road scholar experience was truly magical!
— Review left March 26, 2023
The Hidden Valley campus is compact, performance and dining hall, stretching venue, lounge all within a minute or two of each other and the dormitory rooms. Musical and dramatic performances of Chopin, Joplin, Steinbeck, London, and Yeats along with field trips to the Steinbeck Museum, Aquarium, and Pt. Lobos, etc., made for a busy and entertaining and also relaxing retreat. Not nearly enough time allotted for the 17 mile drive and not even a short visit to the Morse Botanical Reserve. Plants routinely get short shrift on RS trips, maybe consistent with most participant interests, except for the excellent dinners. Ran concurrently with a RS birding group and their story of a California Condor sighting
— Review left November 23, 2022
The Monterey area is just a fantastically beautiful area to explore. Program offerings were entertaining, educational and fun.
— Review left November 21, 2022
High quality instructors, a varied schedule of activities, and a delightful location. What an extraordinary value!
— Review left May 15, 2022
The beauty of the area is breathtaking. The tour educates and shows you the inner beauty and richness of the Monterey Bay region.
— Review left May 14, 2022
Excellent programming, great people and beautiful area! Hopefully they will ditch the awful box lunches and charge $20 more for better meals on those 2 days. I would recommend this trip. As a single traveler, I was comfortable and happy. I would love a reunion trip with this group!
— Review left April 2, 2022
Great way to get an overview of Monterey+Carmel
— Review left March 27, 2022
DELIGHTFUL, RUSTIC ACCOMMODATIONS WITH A WEALTH OF TERRIFIC PRESENTATIONS, GOOD FOOD, AND INFORMATIVE FIELD TRIPS. This RS trip, my 17th, was a complete change of pace. As advertised and explained thoroughly, this trip was a “retreat” with basic but fully comfortable accommodations amid dramatic scenery. It combined one-after-the-other presentations and field trips and lectures and performances. This was coupled with great food and a lovely, highly-professional staff, who have been doing Elderhostel/Road Scholar programs for decades so they really have everything nailed down. The other enthusiastic reviews paint a complete picture of this truly one-of-a-kind trip (except for the grouchy and irritable two-star reviewer who griped about the weather and the food and the accommodations and left early and promised—good news!—that she would never sign up for another Road Scholar program again). This is a splendid opportunity to see a truly unique part of America.
— Review left February 1, 2022
This is a wonderful program that is located in a very beautiful part of the country (Central Coast of California). It combines nature trips (Point Lobos, Monterey Bay Aquarium) with educational lectures and trips (Steinbeck Center). Every day was different and interesting. Hidden Valley is a beautiful location.
— Review left January 29, 2022
The music of Scott Joplin was a delightful surprise. Very informative and professional.
— Review left November 22, 2021
This tour offers an excellent introduction to and oversight of the Monterey area. It's very good at inspiring one to make a return visit to be done at a slower and even deeper appreciation pace.
— Review left November 21, 2021
I left this trip early. I was in the "add-on" accommodations which I did feel were inadequate in general, especially not in the face of the terrible weather which curtailed the end of the program. The small rooms had no central heat or air, only a small radiator which would heat up the room too much or not enough. The mattress was poor. The food was mediocre, especially for California, which generally has excellent food. The programs were good. However, severe weather felled two trees on the property and worse was to come, so I left early. Even then it took me almost 24 hours to get home.
I feel that although the program was good, the accommodations and food are inadequate for a RoadScholar trip. Fearing that the trip to Baja which I had booked to follow this trip might also be inadequate, I canceled that trip. I feel somewhat wary of future RS trips, and will vet them more thoroughly in the future.
— Review left April 26, 2019
The Magical Monterey program is an excellent introduction to this area. The itinerary includes many area attractions, such as the John Steinbeck Center, the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the 17 Mile Scenic Drive through Pebble Beach. In addition, we visited the Big Sur area, stopping for a brief walk along the bluff above the ocean and having a picnic surrounded by the giant redwood trees. Our sightseeing was supplemented by talks from local experts, musical performances, and even by a visit from John Steinbeck. We appreciated the half-day off, and my friend and I enjoyed our independent exploration of Pt. Lobos and the Carmel Mission. Hidden Valley is surrounded by green hills and is a lovely base for the program. The food, prepared on site, was very good, and the wine was a nice addition to our evening meals. We stayed in the simpler choice of accommodations, and the small rooms were the most basic and smallest that I have ever had on a Road Scholar program. Although the rooms do contain two twin beds, my friend and I were very glad that we chose to pay the single supplement. We did appreciate how close we were to the dining room and the places where we gathered for various programs. The “On Your Feet” activity designation is very accurate. As always, the participants were a welcoming and friendly group that adds so much value to all Road Scholar programs. I have posted pictures from our trip at EllieKnesper.SmugMug.com.
— Review left April 23, 2019