| State
Park Secret - Asilomar at Pacific Grove
A Unique Location For A
Nature-Inspired Family
Vacation
by Jane Haworth Spring break was upon us and spending a
few days at Monterey Bay with
the children
was like going to stay at Nature School. The combination of
Asilomar’s summer camp
ambiance, ocean-side location and Monterey Bay as our
classroom
provided the perfect combination for a few days of fun and learning. This enriching experience
was a great
vacation.
Located between Pacific Grove
and Pebble
Beach,
Asilomar, the conference center,
is open to ‘leisure guests’ as unique bed and
breakfast accommodation. In
contrast to the all too familiar formula
of hotel accommodation, this rustic retreat and historic landmark takes
you back
in time to a 1920’s summer camp.
The 28
lodges offer 314 rooms, with private bathrooms, set within 103 acres of
natural
forest, sand dunes, and coastline.
Asilomar’s
campus was originally built for the YWCA and
opened in 1913 when it housed up to 500 women in canvas tents. The original arts and
crafts style buildings
were designed by Julia Morgan, California’s
first licensed, female architect, and today 16 of these original
buildings
still operate as lodging. Made
famous as
the architect of Hearst Castle,
Morgan designed
the Asilomar buildings as a place for inspiration and relaxation. With her clever use of
natural light, open
spaces and local materials she created a fabulous oasis. This classroom without
walls was the ideal
location to start our journey of learning and exploration.
Early
morning bell tolling signals the start of breakfast
which is served between 7:30- 9am in the Crocker dining complex. Sat together in an
impressive redwood hall under
tall vaulted ceilings, one can exchange vacation tips and stories with
other leisure
guests, around large, communal tables.
Another great gathering place is the lodge which features
an open beam
ceiling, large pebble stone fireplace, and a relaxing seating area. The ping-pong and pool
tables are very
popular. Located
here is the Park Store
which offers snacks, souvenirs, educational materials, and you can hire
bicycles at a day rate of $24 or half day for $16.
They are available between 9-6pm.
The proximity of the coast, 17 mile drive and
the bike path to Monterey
makes this a perfect place to pack a picnic, pedal and explore. Other
activities at Asilomar also include a volley-ball court and year-round
heated
swimming pool.
With
Asilomar’s wonderful location neighboring the dunes,
minutes from the coastal trail and white sand beach, our children loved
being
able to run and splash in the waves, explore the many tide pools or
just dig in
the sand. But with
our commitment to
making this an educational trip we rented, from the store, the
self-guided
audio tour that offers insight into Asilomar’s impressive
history,
architectural significance, natural ecology and wildlife. Along with a map that is
color coded for
different subjects we could wander around together but listen
individually to
the topics we wished to learn more about.
My 9-year-old learned about the wildlife and ecology
sections, I think,
and we all came away with additional knowledge about this charming and
unique
environment.
Without text
books or chalkboards we had fun-family vacation
and came away with more knowledge and appreciation of our environment. The children had nature
and wildlife lessons
which were disguised as day trips and Asilomar at Pacific Grove
was the ideal location for such
a trip.
Asilomar
http://www.VisitAsilomar.com
800 Asilomar
Blvd, Pacific Grove
CA 93950
831
372 8016
Room rates start at $130 for two people including
breakfast.
©2008 Jane Haworth
|