24 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
· 0.2 mi
Carmel-by-the-Sea owes its unique character to a combination of factors, beginning with the Carmel Mission, founded in 1771. This drew people to the area, but it was the town's later embrace as an artist's colony that…
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Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
· 0.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This isn't just another pretty church; it's where California's mission system was headquartered. From 1770 until his death in 1784, Saint Junípero Serra, the founder of the California missions, called this place home.…
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Tor House and Hawk Tower
· 0.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine writing some of the most powerful poetry of the 20th century, inspired by the raw beauty of this very coastline. That's what Robinson Jeffers did right here at Tor House and Hawk Tower. In 1919, Jeffers, along…
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Whalers Cabin
· 2.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time to a place where the lives of rugged whalers and skilled fishermen intertwined! This humble cabin whispers tales of a bygone era when the Pacific's bounty drew people from across the globe. Built in…
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17-Mile Drive – Lone Cypress
· 2.8 mi · Historical Marker
Iconic 250-year-old Monterey cypress on a granite headland, one of the most photographed trees in the world.
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17-Mile Drive
· 3.2 mi · Things to Do
A scenic coastal road through Pebble Beach. Lone Cypress and crashing Pacific waves.
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Robert Louis Stevenson House
· 3.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine sharing a roof with a literary legend! This humble building is where Robert Louis Stevenson, author of *Treasure Island* and *Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde*, once lived. In 1879, Stevenson, recovering…
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Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Monterey, California)
· 3.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
You're approaching the heart of early California – the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo, the oldest continuously operating parish in the state. Founded in 1770, the original church was a humble wooden structure. But by…
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Larkin House
· 3.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder where California got its unique architectural style? You're about to see its birthplace! The Larkin House, built in 1835, is considered one of the first two-story homes in California. Thomas O. Larkin, an…
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Old Custom House (Monterey, California)
· 3.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming building is ground zero for modern California. It's the Old Custom House, California's oldest government building. Back in 1846, this was the spot where U.S. Commodore John Drake Sloat planted the…
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El Castillo de Monterey
· 4.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Standing here, you're near a spot that witnessed California's dramatic shift from Spanish to Mexican, and finally, American control. This is where El Castillo de Monterey once stood, a fort built by the Spanish in 1792…
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Cannery Row
· 4.5 mi · Historical Marker
Once the sardine capital of the world, immortalized by John Steinbeck's 1945 novel.
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Pacific Biological Laboratories
· 4.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming spot played a key role in early marine biology research. Pacific Biological Laboratories, or PBL, was a biological supply house that sold preserved animals and microscope slides to schools, museums, and…
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Asilomar Conference Grounds
· 4.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time at Asilomar, where groundbreaking ideas have blossomed along this breathtaking coastline for over a century. Designed by Julia Morgan, the same brilliant mind behind Hearst Castle, Asilomar was…
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Gosby House Inn
· 4.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine stepping back in time to a beautifully preserved Victorian mansion! The Gosby House Inn in Pacific Grove wasn't always so grand. It started as a simple boarding house. In 1887, J.F. Gosby built the original…
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Fort Ord, CA
· 9.8 mi · Local history
Fort Ord looms above the Monterey Bay, a sprawling landscape of scrub and sand that whispers stories of transformation. Established in 1917 as a training ground for infantry during World War I, its purpose quickly…
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Fort Ord
· 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine thousands of soldiers training here, preparing for war. This is Fort Ord. Before it was officially Fort Ord in 1940, this land was used for army training, starting way back in 1917. Soldiers practiced maneuvers…
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Big Sur – Bixby Creek Bridge
· 12.6 mi · Historical Marker
Iconic open-spandrel arch bridge on Highway 1, completed in 1932.
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Salinas, CA
· 16.6 mi · Local history
Salinas, California, owes its identity to the land. Drive through the valley and you’ll see it: endless rows of lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and strawberries stretching out to the horizon. It's a sight that earned the…
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Monterey County Jail
· 16.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming building holds a powerful story of protest and progress. Cesar Chavez, the iconic labor leader, was once held within these walls, using his imprisonment to amplify the voices of farmworkers. In 1970,…
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Point Sur Lighthouse
· 17.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Perched atop a 361-foot rock, this remote lighthouse has warned ships of the treacherous coastline since 1889. In 1889, the Point Sur Lighthouse was established to guide ships along this rugged part of the California…
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Naval Facility Point Sur
· 17.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
During the Cold War, this seemingly isolated spot on the Big Sur coast was a key player in a top-secret operation. In 1958, the U.S. Navy built Naval Facility Point Sur just south of here. It was one of 30 similar sites…
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Republic Cafe
· 17.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder about the rich history hidden behind seemingly ordinary buildings? The Republic Cafe in Salinas was more than just a restaurant; it was a cornerstone of the city's Chinatown. From 1942 to 1988, this Asian…
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USS Macon (ZRS-5)
· 18.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Just offshore from here, rests the ghostly skeleton of a giant: the USS Macon, a marvel of engineering and a bold experiment in naval aviation. The Macon, launched in 1933, was a rigid airship designed to act as a…