“Four Benches Park”
Recreation Trail and Playa Avenue,
Sand City
394-3054, www.SandCity.org
The Monterey Peninsula Recreation Trail cuts off through much of Sand City. Don’t let that deter you from finding one of Sand City’s most scenic vistas. It materializes at the Eolian Dunes Preserve, 77 feet above sea level, on the west side of Highway 1, across from the Edgewater Shopping Center in Sand City - you know, Target and Costco. From this leveled “park” with young trees and four concrete benches, you command a sweeping view of the Monterey Peninsula. People like to get married there (for free). It’s more marvelous for its ease of access. Here’s why: The next time you’re looking for a birthday card at Target or clearance shoes at Ross or giant pillows of tortilla chips at Costco, remember that just over that sand dune to the west, a 7-minute walk away (your Starbucks coffee will still stay plenty hot), you can see dolphins riding waves, flocks of seabirds in a feeding frenzy, and whale spouts shooting out of the water. That’s animal kingdom stuff that most of the country only sees on TV.