Asilomar Conference Grounds

"Hidden gem for families"

Unknown to most tourists, this secluded, rustic, historic resort hides in a pine and
oak forest above beautiful Asilomar State Beach. Conference attendees sometimes
fill up the place, but, when space is available, individuals and families rent rooms, cottages,
and suites here at very reasonable rates that include a bountiful, full breakfast
buffet in a bright, pleasant, if noisy, dining room. Breakfasts, hearty lunches, and dinners
are available both to guests and non guests, and they are a good deal, with discounts
for kids; purchase meal tickets at the reception desk. Rooms are clustered in
small lodges that have a common living room and fireplace; blissfully, no TVs or
phones, except in public areas. Some rooms have private patios or balconies, and
fireplaces.
Bikes are available, and you can take off right from here for the 17-Mile Drive, the
Monterey Bay Aquarium and Fisherman’s Wharf, and the 18-mile Monterey Peninsula
Recreational Trail. There is a heated pool, volleyball, a game room with billiards and table tennis, a
small general store, and easy accessibility to the wonderful tidepools and the wide,
sandy beach, which is unsuitable for swimming or wading. Sixty acres of dunes are
traversed by a 1-mile-long boardwalk, and a trail leads to wild flowery clifftops and
stunning sea views. New are the self-guided, 2-hour walking audio tours, a fascinating
rundown on architecture, history, wildlife and ecology; the cost for the audio rental is
$5.00, and well worth it.