Addendum to Nov 2009 Edition: Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey

2/4/10 update:

The Bicycling Monterey website, where Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey County was first published, is undergoing redesign as of 2/5/10.  If this is your first time to check out this guide, please click here for the recommended way to proceed.

* * * * *

An online edition of Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey© was published on this site, in a one-document format, in 2009.  The last version in that format was posted on November 5, 2009, with revisions made to it through November 21, 2009.  Any revisions from November 21, 2009 through February 4, 2010 were posted below, in this addendum.

However, you no longer need to refer to this addendum (and tax your brain with how to factor these addendum items into the longer guide).

As of 2/5/10, a new edition of Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey can be found, separated into individual sections, in the right-hand panel of the Bicycling Monterey website.

The addendum info below has already been added to that new edition.

The addendum info remains posted here for two reasons:  (1)  to avoid broken links; and (2) for the convenience of those who like reading the older, November 2009 online guide as one document, along with its addendum.  However, no additional updates will be made here; they will only be found in the new edition of Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey, now separated into individual sections, in the right-hand panel of the Bicycling Monterey website.

Confused? No worries!  Just contact me if you have any questions.   I will be happy to help.   –Mari Lynch, 831/375-6278

* * * * *

Addendum (no longer updated after 2/4/10)

Looking for bike-and-ride options?

Refer to sections 5 and 16 of

“Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey”

* * * * *

1/28/10

MST Bus Info Are you a Twitter user?  For Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST bus) service alerts regarding their routes, you may want to follow them on Twitter! See http://twitter.com/MST_BUS and follow @MST_BUS

Today, for example, you’d have received this helpful notice via your Twitter feed:  1/28/10 1055AM LINE-9 Edgewater 1042am Departure from Laguna Plaza delayed by 23 minutes.

* * * * *

12/24/09

MST Bus Info (section 5, “Bike-and-Ride” and section 16, “Salinas”).

Christmas-New Year’s holidays. Using the MST bike-and-ride program?  Here is the holiday schedule for MST buses for Dec 24, 25, 31, 2009 and Jan 1, 2010.

* * * * *

12/22/09

Salinas (section 16)

Many cyclists travel by train from the San Francisco Bay area to Salinas, the Monterey County seat and home of the National Steinbeck Center.  The Steinbeck Center, along with the Salinas Valley Fish House, Elli’s Great American Restaurant, and LALLA Lounge are among the charter participants in HER Helmet Thursdays. That means they give a discount to cyclists on Thursdays!  For the list of participants/places where you can get a discount for cycling in Salinas and throughout the county, click here.

* * * * *

12/22/09

Train Service/Amtrak (section 5, “Bike-and-Ride”)

A Web link change:  Amtrak has a new link to their bikes-on-the-train info.  At the Amtrak site, at present, it’s under the “Plan” tab, then “Bringing Bicycles Onboard.”

Fun use of Amtrak in Monterey County:  Many cyclists travel by train from the San Francisco Bay area to Salinas, the Monterey County seat and home of the National Steinbeck Center.   As mentioned in the 12/22/09 Salinas updates, The Steinbeck Center, along with the Salinas Valley Fish House, Elli’s Great American Restaurant, and LALLA Lounge are among the charter participants in HER Helmet Thursdays. That means they give a discount to cyclists on Thursdays!  For the list of participants/places where you can get a discount for cycling in Salinas and throughout the county, click here.

* * * * *

12/22/09

Bicycle Storage (section 6, “Bike Security”)

Added info.  If you’re an overnight guest in Monterey County, most lodging businesses have storage rooms designated for bikes, and some even have on-site bicycle lockers!  For those who do not, there may be other options in the community too.  The City of Monterey bike lockers may or may not meet your needs, so please feel free to contact me with your questions about bike storage.

* * * * *

12/06/09

MST Bus Info (section 5, “Bike-and-Ride” and section 16, “Salinas”)

Update for winter/rain season regarding using the bus.

• I went out for a rainy day bike ride on Sunday afternoon, December 6, and again on December 13.  I wanted to doublecheck the responses from individual MST drivers about loading bicycles onto their buses, especially on rainy days, when tension might be higher.  (Driving in rain can be stressful.)  I made a few trips around the Monterey transit center triangle plaza, speaking with individual drivers.  Without exception, each driver I spoke with was pleasant and helpful about loading a bike onto their bus.
• You might like to know:  the smaller MST buses are actually subcontracted out by MST to another company, MV Transportation.  However, the drivers of those smaller buses too are helpful regarding bicycles on their buses.  Although their official policy seems to be that they only put bikes on the racks of these smaller buses, drivers do have flexibility and most often allow buses inside, space permitting.
• With both the large and small MST buses, all drivers simply stated that when it is necessary to bring a bicycle aboard the bus (racks are full), they have no problem with that.  They simply direct the cyclists to keep a firm hold on their bicycle and to keep it out of the aisle.  Reasonable requests, certainly!

* * * * *

11/27/09

New info (section 14, “Hotels, Entertainment Spots, and Restaurants”)

Discounts for cyclists every Thursday:

If you’re cycling in Monterey County on any Thursday, check out “HER Helmet Thursdays” on this blog.  HER=Hotels, and other lodging businesses; Entertainment venues and Educational attractions; and Restaurants and other establishments that serve food and beverages. Participating HER businesses or organizations in all these categories give discounts to cyclists on Thursdays!

• Click here for introduction to HER Helmet Thursdays.
• Click here for an update, with some FAQs .

Watch this program grow! (And when you go back home, you may want to copy the program there too!)

# # #