Monterey Bay (note that the spelling isn't "Monteray"!) is on the coast in northern California, about 110 miles south of San Francisco, a two hour drive. Monterey Bay: features for families
Monterey Bay is a popular tourist spot, and deservedly so, home to Cannery Row (made famous in John Steinbeck's novel) and Fisherman's Wharf: walking from one spot to the other takes about half an hour and on the way you'll probably see sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters.
Also nearby is the Monterey Bay Aquarium which houses over 350,000 sea-creatures inside a former cannery. Read more about Monterey Bayat About's site for California for Visitors. (And by the way: if you've every wondered where Monterey Jack cheese came from-- you've found the place.)
Older kids would surely enjoy an on-the-water outing such as sea kayaking, which could double as a whale-watching opportunity during the months of March, April, and May.
Monterey is also close to legendary Big Sur: one of the world's most scenic drives is down the Big Sur Coast. The beaches are beautiful, but warn the kids: that water's cold. According to the Big Sur site, gray whales can be seen from the highway turnouts from December through April: whale-watching can't get more convenient than that. From December to early February, the whales are migrating south; starting in February, you begin to see whales heading north again with newborns. More about Visiting Monterey: Find out more about Monterey Bay:
About.com's Guide for California Travel has info on Monterey Vacations, incluidng where to stay, best things to do, best time to go; also, photos of Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
