Monterey Peninsula Sunshine

For families with kids ages 11 through 14, or who will eventually reach those ages, here's a list of every middle school in every Monterey Peninsula community. Carmel/Carmel Valley *Carmel Middle School (public) (4380 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel-By-the-Sea, CA, 93923) *Stevenson School (private, pre-K-grade 8) (24800 Dolores St., Carmel-By-The-Sea, 93923) Marina *Learning for Life Charter School (public, grades K-12) (3180 Imjun Rd. Suite 110, Marina, CA, 93933) *Los Arboles Middle School (public) (294 Hillcrest Ave., Marina, CA, 93933) *Marina Christian School (private, grades 1-12) (160 Seaside Ct., Marina, CA, 93933) Monterey *Bay View Academy (private, grades K-8) (222 Casa Verde Way, Monterey, CA, 93940) *San Carlos School (private, pre-K-grade 8) (450 Church St., Monterey, CA, 93940) *Santa Catalina School (private, grades K-12, Upper School is all-girls) (1500 Mark Thomas Dr., Monterey, CA, 93940) *Walter Colton Middle School (public) (Toda Vista, Montere

A block from Monterey Bay is the most popular park in downtown Monterey: El Estero Park, home of the famous Dennis the Menace playground.

For those of us who hail from big cities, the Monterey Peninsula requires some adjustment where moviegoing is concerned. You won't find a theatre every few blocks the way you will in LA or San Francisco. Apart from film festivals and other special screenings that take place in various locations, a movie-lover on the Peninsula has four theatres to choose from. Fortunately, they're all good choices.

We all crave fast food now and then. Some of us rely on it. Some of us have kids who refuse to eat anything else. But on the Monterey Peninsula, it's not always easy to find. In both Carmel and Pacific Grove, most fast food chains have been banned – the one McDonald's (predating the ban) that once stood in Pacific Grove closed in 2016. Fortunately for lovers of McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, and all the other classic chains, the cities of Monterey, Seaside, Sand City and Marina have no such ban. Below is a list of all the places you can go to get your favorite speedy burgers, tacos, fries, shakes, et al. Carmel *Subway (26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, 93923) ( in the Carmel Rancho Shopping Center ) Monterey *McDonald's (601 Del Monte Ave., Monterey, CA, 93940) ( The only McDonald's in the world with black arches – Wikipedia even mentions it ) *Carl's Jr. (902 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey, CA, 93940) *Taco Bell (321 Alva

Families new to the Monterey Peninsula have no shortage of elementary schools to choose from. Here's a complete list. Big Sur Captain Cooper Elementary School (public) (46861 Cabrillo Hwy, Big Sur, CA, 93920) Carmel *Carmel River Elementary School (public) (15th Ave. and Monteverde St., Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, 93923) *Junipero Serra School (private) (3090 Rio Rd., Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, 93923) *Stevenson School (private, pre-K-grade 8) (24800 Dolores St., Carmel-By-The-Sea, 93923) Carmel Valley *All Saints' Day School (private, preschool-grade 8) (8064 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel-By-The-Sea, 93923) *Carmelo School/Child Development Center (public) (8460 Carmel Valley Rd. Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, 93923) *Tularcitos Elementary School (public) (35 Ford Rd., Carmel Valley, CA, 93924) Marina *Crumpton Elementary School (public) (460 Carmel Ave., Marina, CA, 93933) *Learning for Life Charter School (public, grades K-12) (3180 Imjun Rd. Suite 110, Mari

For families with teenagers moving to the Monterey Peninsula, or with children who will eventually be teenagers, here's a list of all the high schools in every community. Carmel *Carmel High School (public) (3600 Ocean Ave., Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, 93923) Carmel Valley *Carmel Valley High School (public) (27335 Schulte Rd., Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, 93923) Marina *Marina High School (public) (298 Patton Pkwy, Marina, CA, 93933) *Marina Christian School (private, grades 1-12) (160 Seaside Ct., Marina, CA, 93933) *Learning for Life Charter School (public, grades K-12) (3180 Imjun Rd. Suite 110, Marina, CA, 93933) Monterey *Monterey High School (public) (101 Hermann Dr., Monterey, CA, 93940) *Trinity Christian High School (private) (680 Belden Rd., Monterey, CA, 93940) *Santa Catalina School (private, grades K-12, Upper School is all-girls) (1500 Mark Thomas Dr., Monterey, CA, 93940) *York School (private, grades 8-12) (9501 York Rd., Monterey, CA, 9394