While we were in Monterey/Pacific Grove, we lived quite close to the beach--a ten minute walk, in fact. Lover's Point was our favorite for sandy sunbathing--very un-crowded and un-buggy (Monterey is home to copious kelp forests, which I hear is magnificent below the surface, but which brings a lot of seaweed to the beach, which brings a lot of bugs). Many blissfully toasty mornings and afternoons were spent on these sands. Just around the point were rockier beaches, ripe with skipping stones.
