{"id":5014,"date":"2026-07-20T16:42:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5014"},"modified":"2026-07-20T16:42:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:42:04","slug":"how-to-play-the-day-away-in-monterey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5014","title":{"rendered":"How to play the day away in Monterey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking for an easy day trip that feels like a complete escape? With a world-class aquarium, family-friendly activities and plenty of fascinating history, Monterey is an obvious \u2014 and, OK, popular \u2014 choice. But here\u2019s why it\u2019s worth the crowds.<\/p>

Read more Taste-Off: Ranking 12 pineapple juice brands from refreshing to overcooked<\/a><\/p>\n

The Aquarium<\/h4>\n

No trip to Monterey would be complete without a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This world-class institution celebrating the sea creatures that live in the ocean depths invariably evokes a sense of wonder \u2014 not just for the kids, but even for the grumpy, stressed-out grown-ups who walk through its doors.<\/p>\n

Start at the kelp forest, a two-story tank where you can easily lose track of time watching fronds of giant kelp undulate in hypnotic patterns as soothing music plays in the background. Once your eyes adjust, you can make an I-spy game out of looking for its inhabitants, like giant sea bass, warty sea cucumbers, sheephead and sharks.<\/p>\n

Follow the chorus of happy squeals and exclamations of \u201cOhmygod they\u2019re so cute!\u201d to the double-decker sea otter exhibit. Below, you can see them slide gracefully through the water, playfully bobbing and weaving around each other. Above, it\u2019s snack time. The otters relish chunks of ice with fish frozen in the middle, holding them up with their paws as they chomp away. Docents dispense fun facts to anyone who\u2019ll listen. Did you know that sea otter fur has up to 1 million hairs per square inch? Neither did we.<\/p>\n

Next up is the Open Sea exhibit, where Pacific mackerel circle and meticulously illuminated jellyfish pulsate. There are frilly purple-striped jellies, feathery-threaded moon jellies and spotted-comb jellies, with shimmering rainbow cilia that look like they\u2019re made from LED lights. Sea nettles glow orange against the deep blue background, and it\u2019s easy to forget these critters are from dear old Planet Earth \u2014 not outer space. A giant tank with dolphinfish, sea turtles, tuna, rays and a hammerhead shark rounds out this area, where you\u2019re most likely to hear a visitor ask, \u201cDo you think you could beat that fish in a fight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s time to check out the sea birds, especially the puffins, bobbing next to the glass. Each bird can eat up to 20 fish per day. At the Deep Sea exhibit, things get really weird. You\u2019ll find mega-size Japanese spider crabs, an unnamed jelly found by an underwater robot, magnificently vibrant bloody-belly comb jellies and giant isopods, which resemble football-sized pill bugs.<\/p>\n

After the haunting stroll past a whale fall, built to showcase the bottom-of-the-sea scavengers who enjoy the feeding bonanza that a whale creates when it dies, it\u2019s time for some lighter exploration. At the touch pools, you\u2019ll get to feel the textures of creatures like bat rays, barnacles, chitons and more.<\/p>\n