5 Fun Places to Shop on Cannery Row

I love to shop, but I really don't like malls. While I was visiting Cannery Row in Monterey last month, we had an afternoon free so we could see the area on our own. I love that, because I want to be able to share what it would be like for you to visit the area. I found a couple of fun places to shop, and it didn't take long for me to hit my stride!

Cannery Row has 85 shops, from family-owned to top-selling national name brands. You'll find fun toy stores, candy stores and chocolate shops the kids will love, boutiques, art galleries, antique stores, gourmet food shops, beautiful jewelry shops, as well as clothing for everyone. You could easily spend three days hitting all the stores and still not see it all! Of course, you do have to stop for a bite now and then, and Cannery Row is a treat for foodies! More on that coming soon!

First on my agenda was the Pebble Beach Golf Outlet. I was visiting Cannery Row the first week of June, so Father's Day was right around the corner. My husband was thrilled with all my purchases, and I spent a fraction of what I typically would at an upscale golf store. Score!

If you love wine, check out some of the tastings. I had seen a tweet about Bargetto Winery so I headed there first. Bargetto has been producing hand-crafted wines in the Santa Cruz Mountains since 1933, specializing in estate grown varietals from their Regan Estate Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. You can visit Bargetto Winery 7 days a week, so don't miss it when you're in the area. We enjoyed a glass of Pinot Grigio before we headed off to explore a little more.

While we're talking wine, I have to mention Monterey's Tasty Olive Bar. I love stores where you can taste before you buy, and we found some gems there! With over 50 varieties to choose from, you're sure to find a few (or 10!) that you love!

Though you'll find several art galleries in the area, you've got to stop in and visit Thomas Kincade of Monterey. Have you seen his Disney art? You're probably thinking everything is really expensive, but you'd be surprised at how much is really affordable there. It's not all limited edition art, though you will find that, too. Take a look at the small canvases!

Our guide, who is a local, took us to an adorable little gift shop called La Dolce-Vita Home & Garden Ideas, located at 660 Cannery Row, and we all fell in love! We browsed the clothing, the jewelry, the wallets, as well as the lotions and scrubs. They all smelled heavenly! We really had to pull ourselves away from this store! Just look at the selection in just this little corner of the store!

We had so much fun visiting Cannery Row. It's the perfect destination for a family vacation, girlfriends getaway, or a romantic weekend for couples. By the way, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is an amazing place to spend the afternoon. And if you're looking for a place to stay, we loved the Victorian Inn!  Come back and let me know what you found on Cannery Row!