Stop at Morro Bay to snap otters and seals cavorting near haystack-shaped, 576-foot Morro Rock.
Pass towering Monterey pines, and tour late publishing magnate William Randolph Hearsts over-the-topHearst Castle.
(The cheapest tour, of grand ground-floor rooms, costs $25.)
(The area boasts more than 200 wineries, so you could explore for days.)
Rates start at about $100.
Rates are under $150 on select dates.
More affordable: an $8.95 slice of Pink Champagne cake in the cafe.
Have lunch by a picture window atVentana Grill, perched on a cliff above the ocean.
Even better, dine while watching the sun dramatically sink over the Pacific.
