Search Results for: monterey bay aquarium

Hotel Overview: Portola Hotel and Spa, Monterey

January 14, 2013 by The Mom Jen 10 Comments

Living on the central coast is amazing and heading into the Monterey Bay area to dine, explore, and shop is a family tradition that I’ve kept going since I was a kid. My father is a fisherman and always has loved his seafood so the Fisherman’s Wharf is a favorite place to stroll on the weekends.

At one end of the wharf you’ll find the Portola Hotel & Spa where you’d enjoy a wonderful stay in a room with some amazing coastal and mountain views that will leave you, like me, with amazing memories of this gem in central California. When you arrive you are amazed by the lobby atrium that gives the feel of outside but in, when I visited the Christmas tree was displayed in an utterly gorgeous fashion.

With your room keys, a fresh homemade cookie is given to you and you feel completely welcome, and also want 3 more!

Accommodations are furnished in a nautical and coastal theme that seems to marry the nearby harbor and bring it into each room. Sometimes the little things make a stay away from home special, like the ability for young kids to enjoy a stuffed sea otter to play with and sleep with! The otter stays when you check out, but if a connection was made with your child, they are available for sale.View from different areas of the hotel are lovely even on a rainy afternoon!

If you are looking for a kid-friendly hotel, the Portola Pirates Kids Program is a fun way to get your whole family to the beautiful area and not have anyone saying, “I’m bored!” Kids get their bag of loot at check-in that includes a treasure map for a scavenger hunt, a menu of kid favorites at the hotel’s two affiliated eateries, and a treasure chest full of toys to select from at the end!

Peter B’s Brewpub and Jacks Restaurant are on site to treat you to some delicious local fare and amazing beers! Peter B’s is Monterey’s only microbrewery where you can indulge in a signature drink, play pool, and watch the game if you choose while dining on burgers and fish and chips! Jacks casual elegance offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I can tell you their tortilla soup is to die for!

Spa on the Plaza is available to guests just steps from your room. With 60 treatments, lounge and steam rooms, mani/pedi services, and hair/makeup artists available, take a break from it all and relax, you deserve it! A state-of-the-art fitness center is available along with a gorgeous pool area (heated in the winter) to use and enjoy with your whole family.

With the Wharf and historic downtown within walking distance and a short drive to Cannery Row, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and wonderful wineries surrounding you, Portola Hotel and Spa is definitely a million dollar location with a more affordable price! For more information on making your next family trip to the Monterey area, visit http://www.portolahotel.com/. Can’t wait to book my next “Staycation” at the Portola!

Personal tour, lunch, and gift bag were given, all opinions my own.

Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu Hawaii

September 6, 2011 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

Living in California and within 30 minutes from the coast, our family has always been fascinated by the ocean and animal life. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is actually one of those locations that all 3 of my kids have visited as part of their science curriculum in school. When we were in Oahu, we were excited to experience the Waikiki Aquarium during our stay and see the marine life specific to the area without snorkeling!

Just a short drive from our hotel and the city of Honolulu, the Aquarium, founded in 1904, is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States. A part of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa since 1919, it is located next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline. Waikiki Aquarium exhibits focus on the diversity of aquatic, shoreline and coral reef habitats and living communities of Hawai`i and the tropical Pacific. Among the highlights:

–Corals Are Alive! interactive exhibits showcasing corals, their biology and conservation
–SeaVisions Theatre shows videos that illustrate shoreline conservation and how you can be a responsible reef visitor
–South Pacific Marine Communities features South Pacific habitats and species, including colorful reef corals and fishes, giant clams, groupers and snappers and intriguing partnerships
such as anemonefishes and their host sea anemones

— Hawaiian Marine Communities recreates Hawaiian habitats from wave-swept surge zone to deep reef slopes, and from young to ancient reefs; celebrates distinctive reef life, including the longnose butterflyfish

–Ocean Drifters Gallery features a 1,000-gallon moon jelly tank and a seasonally changing jelly wall that may contain whitespotted jellies, blue blubbers, sea nettles, box jellies and ctenophores

— Hunters on the Reef 35,000-gallon exhibit is home to Hawaiian sharks and jacks; shark interpretive panels introduce shark biology, research, conservation and safety. New Spyball camera provides up close shark encounters in real time on a television screen.

Our Take: Comparative to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Maui Ocean Center that we’ve been to, this aquarium is small. Though the size is to the benefit to families who want the aquarium experience, the exposure to the marine life up close and personal, but not taking an entire day to do so. All having grown up on Disney’s Finding Nemo, the kids were most thrilled by the anenome and coral reef life. The giant clams outdoors were amazing both in sight and learning about the research, and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal was interesting to watch and sad at the same time.

The kids are animal lovers and knowing that something they can see and watch at this moment can soon be extinct is mind-boggling. Having not too much time/luck with snorkeling this trip, dad narrated the aquarium tour with what he has seen beneath the waters around Hawaii in his experience.

There was a small touch pool with some sea snails (my youngest LOVES regular snails) and that was her highlight of it tickling her palm. In about an hour you can tour the location and really get a feel for what is swimming with us while we’re out in the waters of Oahu.

Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily (except Honolulu Marathon Sunday and Christmas Day), admission is so family friendly at $9 for visitors; $6 for local residents, active duty military with ID,students with ID and senior citizens; $4 for youths ages 13-17 and persons with disabilities; $2 for juniors ages 5 – 12; and free for children 4 and under and Friends of Waikiki Aquarium members.
Our tickets were hosted, all opinions are our own.

Maui Ocean Center: The Hawaiian Aquarium Review

June 7, 2011 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

Living near the California coast we’ve experienced marine life through learning centers, beach experiences, and our local Monterey Bay Aquarium. While in Maui, we were thrilled to experience the acclaimed Maui Ocean Center for a chance to get an up close view of Hawaiian marine life without getting wet. Open since 1998, the gorgeous indoor/outdoor experience beholds the colors of the Pacific that we may not see here in California, but may have experienced on a snorkel or diving experience on the islands.
Ocean Naturalists interpretin Hawaii’s underwater world are trained to use Hawaiian names for the animals as well as popular terms in their presentations as well as participate in Hawaiian culture and language training to create a immersion of sea and rich history.

Over 60 exhibits are vibrant with coral, sea turtles, fish, sharks, rays and sea jellies. There are ocean-view dining options and world class shopping all on site, not to mention the opportunity to dive with sharks (certified scuba divers ages 15 and up only)!

All the animals displayed are collected exclusively from the waters of the Hawaiian Islands. All collection is done under strict government permits and all animals are treated with integrity. The green sea turtles are part of a hatch-and-release program where they are given a strong head start then released to the wild.

The Maui Ocean Center is very kid-friendly with it’s hands-on Tide Pool exhibit with sea stars, helmet shells, urchins, and sea cucumbers and various exhibits for them to explore and learn. Many school groups tour the center with Naturalists on field trips, and birthday parties and sleepover pizza parties are offered for group to learn about what happens under the sea after dark. Before heading to the Ocean Center, there are online scavenger hunts on their website to complete when you visit for a chance at a prize.

Some of the experiences I loved were the 54-foot long acrylic tunnel that takes you inside the 750,000 gallon Open Ocean Exhibit where you encounter and even come eye-to-eye with reef sharks, stingrays, and tropical reef fish. Also in the Marine Mammal Discovery Center, you can walk right into a virtual Bubble Net. You experience what it’s like to be the krill gathered up and eaten by Humpback whales, complete with visual and audio that is truly remarkable.

I’m a jelly fish fan and am incredibly fascinated by their soothing, gentle movement. The floor-to-ceiling cylinder in the gallery had me mesmorized for a good 10 minutes watching the pulsating movement of the brain-less jellies and the flow of the stinging tentacles.

Finally, we loved getting close (closer) up with the fish we’d previously experienced on our snorkel trip the previous day. Putting names and fish together completed our experience and seeing their colors under black lighting make them look even more spectacular.

Adult day passes are $25.50, children $18.50 ages 3-12, under 3 is free. The whole center can be viewed in a few hours so it’s a great stop for couples or families in Ma’alea Harbor Village in Maui. Our children love seeing our photos from the trip and insist we take them next time we are in Maui. I am in complete agreement, I did feel that they were the one component missing during our tour.

We were treated to passes to experience the Maui Ocean Center for our honest review. All opinions are our own.

Best Western Victorian Inn, Monterey: Fabulous for a Romantic Getaway and Perfect for Families!

June 15, 2010 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

We are so very lucky to live on the Central Coast in California. The summers are warm, yet cool by the ocean, and the lanscape is just fabulous. Heading to Monterey for the weekend, you can walk on the wharf, shop on Cannery Row, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and at the end of the day, relax in your hotel room. If you are bringing your children with you on your trip, you must stay at the Best Western Victorian Inn on Foam Street!! On a recent trip, our family enjoyed this boutique hotel with it’s focus on quiet-comfort and added money-saving benefits.Located just two blocks from the famous Cannery Row, their underground garage will host your car while you can walk to food, drinks, beach, Ghirardelli, Bubba Gumps, or shopping!

We were thrilled to learn they offer a family suite in the hotel. Five of us in a standard room gets crowded quickly. The family suite offers a master bedroom/bathroom separated by a door into the living room (pull out double bed), kitchenette, and patio. The kitchenette is great when you want to bring snacks like popcorn or microwave meals to cut costs on your trip. There’s silverware, plates, and bowls available as well. There’s a television is a beautiful armoir for the kids to enjoy their show, as well as a fireplace for cozy evenings.

The master was amazing! A second patio, second fireplace, second television and mini-bar (added fee) make this space perfect for parents. Two club chairs are great for reading while anyone needing to do some business can sit at the desk and use wireless or wired internet access. The king bed was very comfortable, and if you have a little one like us…3 fit in this bed if need be ;). The bathroom is split into two rooms, one hosts the toilet, shower/tub, and a sink, while just outside that door there is a vanity area for multiple people to get ready at once.

Room service is available, but if you’d like to enjoy local wines without the big price tag, the Victorian offers complimentary nightly cocktail receptions in the parlor. Ventana Vineyards wines in red and white are featured, as is cheese, crackers, and grapes with coffee, tea, and lemonade. My husband and I enjoyed the Ventana Chardonnay, it was very good! If you are looking for a great dinner out, in the parlor you’ll find an enormous book of menus for many great local (Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey) restaurants.

Because you walked all around Monterey, you’ll be ready for the hot tub located in the garden area of the hotel. Sunken down a bit and surrounded by walls to block the wind, parents or couples can wind down. My oldest daughter and I dipped our feet and it was hot and soothing after a long day walking through the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Wake up in the morning and enjoy the continental breakfast included in your room fee. Delicious fruits, muffins, cereals, waffles, juice and coffee fill you up and keep more money in your pocket!

Thank you to the staff, who were always helpful and friendly. The hotel is clean, the area it’s located in is beautiful, there is much attention to detail and we will stay there again when we want a getaway that has all-inclusive accommodations. Next time, a couple’s weekend!

The opinions are my experience and was not influenced by any source. We were offered a compensated room in exchange for this honest post.

Enjoy the Monterey Bay

November 2, 2009 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

When we want to getaway but want a “staycation” close to home, we love to stay at the Monterey Beach Resort in Monterey, CA…

Who know a thing or two about amazing marketing, I wanted these for the logo alone!

The view from the hotel is the best around!

After checking in you can head to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or the nearby Fisherman’s Wharf.

Oh the scents of fresh seafood and the intoxicating Carousel Candies….think taffy, chocolate, and newly-spun cotton candy!