Whoosh-boom! Whoosh-boom!

The waves crashed the beach relentlessly, regardless of time or tide.

Whoosh-boom! Whoosh-boom!

Nature was speaking. Were we getting the message?

The waves played a two-note tune, a hypnotic lullaby and antidote to rush-hour traffic, crowded malls, ringing phones, yet more e-mail and other annoying pieces of our pop-culture jigsaw puzzle. The sound of the waves became our theme song as we beachcombed for sand dollars, flew kites to dizzying heights, examined long ropes of washed-up kelp, chased after shorebirds and photographed dolphins arcing just beyond the break line.

It was October and the morning fog had burned off, leaving the sky an electric blue.

We were strolling the beach at Pajaro Dunes, a 1½-mile-long cluster of wood-shingled condominiums, townhomes and houses that sits on Monterey Bay. It was our base during a mini-vacation that took us day-tripping to Santa Cruz, Moss Landing, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel and beyond. We returned for a few days in December, too, and plan to go back later this month or February. You should, too.

Wait a minute! Did I just suggest vacationing in the Monterey area in the winter months?

Sure did -- and here's why: For one thing, the weather is much better than you might anticipate.

"Outside of occasional storms, the Monterey Peninsula gets better weather in the winter than it normally gets in the summer," said Jim Vanderzwaan, the lead forecaster for Salinas-based KSBW-TV, the area's NBC affiliate. "With La Nina (now active), odds are better than even that we'll have a calm winter and mostly clear weather."

Also, winter is the time when hotels, restaurants and attractions offer money-saving deals.

And there's this: The tourists who crowd the peninsula in the high season will be absent. That means you'll actually be able to tour the Monterey Bay Aquarium, find a parking space in Carmel, book a dinner reservation before 9:30 p.m. and ride on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail without getting entangled in a six-bicycle pile-up.

(Warning: Stay out of town the week of Feb. 4. That's when the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf championship takes place.)

Santa Cruz

Three events had lasting impacts on the beachside town: the opening of the Boardwalk complex a century ago (it put Santa Cruz on the map), the arrival of the University of California in 1965 (injecting a dose of liberalism) and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake (resulting in the rebuilding and emergence of a vital downtown).

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz; 831-423-5590, 831-426-7433 and www.beachboardwalk.com:

The laid-back town is partly defined by the surfing scene and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a California historical landmark and the sole surviving full-size seaside amusement park on the Pacific Coast.

The must-ride is the Giant Dipper (1924), one of the few remaining coasters originally built with steel running rails on top of a wooden track, giving it a distinct edginess.

The Boardwalk will be open for limited operation from noon to 5 p.m. weekends in January, February and March. Daily operation resumes in April.

Perfumer's Apprentice, 1319 Pacific Ave., 831 466-0288: Historical perfumist Linda Andrews guides her customers as they mix natural oils (from more than 300) to create their "signature compositions" -- that is, perfumes and colognes. Before you visit, rent the creepy movie "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" with Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman and Ben Whishaw.

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, 701 West Cliff Drive, 831-420-6289, www.santacruzsurfingmuseum.org: It's housed inside the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, set above the Steamer Lane surfing corridor. The history of local surfing is chronicled via surfing footage on TV sets, and displays of surfboards, wet suits and other memorabilia.

Moss Landing

The tiny port town was named after Capt. Charles Moss, an adventurer who arrived in the area in the 1850s with the notion of turning the settlement into a lively seaport. But the Southern Pacific Railroad showed up in the 1870s and usurped ocean shipping as the best way to move goods in a hurry.

Elkhorn Slough Safari Nature Tours, Moss Landing Marina, 831-633-5555 and www.elkhornslough.com: We made reservations two weeks out for the two-hour ride on the 27-foot-long pontoon boat skippered by naturalist and former naval officer Capt. Yohn Gideon.

We cruised through the harbor, spotting barking sea lions and a well-fed colony of sea otters. Then we went 4½ miles up the seven-mile-long Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve. A colony of harbor seals lolled on the muddy banks and a steady procession of kayakers paddled by. Capt. Gideon delivered an informative narration about the passing fauna and flora.

Pot Stop at Little Baja, 2360 Highway 1, 831-768-7557: Thousands of pots and statuary of all sizes, shapes and designs form corridors through which customers walk. The huge fenced-in yard holds blue, yellow, tan, brown and green vases that are 6 feet tall -- engraved and plain, $300 to $700. They tower over rows of smaller vases and statuary.

Phil's Fish Market & Eatery, 7600 Sandholtd Road, 831-633-2152 and www.philsfishmarket.com: Cross over the bridge by the marina, turn right and drive a few hundred yards to Phil's, a tin-roof-and-weathered-wood kind of place serving and selling local seafood in a casual atmosphere.

The specialty is cioppino, but we went for the excellent fried shrimp "appetizer" (12 big gulfers with tartar sauce), fish 'n' chips (halibut or cod) and steamed clams in a terrific broth.

Monterey

History tells us that Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to discover Monterey Bay, claiming it for Spain in 1542 -- though he never got off his ship and didn't consult the locals. In 1602, another Spanish explorer, Sebastian Vizcaino, became the first European to walk on the peninsula. He named the land "Monterey" in honor of a Spanish nobleman, Count de Monte Rey.

A visit to Monterey usually follows the standard agenda -- the aquarium, an outing on a whale-watching vessel (in the winter months, that is), and visits to the shops and restaurants along Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf.

For something different, stroll Municipal Wharf 2, also called the commercial pier, across the marina from Fisherman's Wharf. You'll find the Monterey Abalone Co. The abalone farm is literally underneath the wharf and not open for tours, but knock on the door to the office if you want to buy some live red abalone.

Willy's Smokehouse BBQ & Grill, 95 Prescott Ave. off Cannery Row, 831-372-8880 or www.willysmoke.com: The handsome, 250-seat 'cue emporium opened a year ago in the middle of seafood territory and quickly became a hit. Which proves you don't have to eat fish and pasta just because you're in a port city with Sicilian, Portuguese and Japanese heritages (among others). We loaded up on tender brisket and baby back pork ribs, with wedges of cilantro-cheddar cornbread, smoky baked beans and ears of fire-roasted corn.

Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove is proud of its attractions: the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, Point Pinos Lighthouse, the Seven Gables Inn (1886), the scenic drive along Oceanview Boulevard, the historic Victorian architecture.

Call us philistines, but among the highlights on our list was the Little Chicken House, 1193 Forest Ave., 831-655-1704. Owners Oscar and Rene Paniagua are brothers from El Salvador and have run the Chicken House for 17 years. They marinate whole chickens, cook them over an open wood fire and then chop them up with a cleaver. Also on the menu: barbecued ribs, brisket, turkey and hot links.

On a more upscale note is Lattitudes at Lover's Point, 631 Ocean View Blvd., 831-658-0880 and www.lattitudesatloverspoint.com. It's owned by local restaurateur and cooking-show host ("Coastal Cuisine") Tene Shake, who grew up working in the family's seafood business on Fisherman's Wharf.

It was too early for dinner, so we opted for seats in front of the fireplace in the relaxing lounge, with a spectacular view (is there another kind?) of the bay. Happy hour offered a dozen "small bites" priced from $3 to $8, along with bargain-priced cocktails and wine (4 to 7 p.m., Mondays through Fridays). The dinner menu features seafood, steaks and pasta. Romance is in the air at this oasis.

Carmel

Carmel-by-the-Sea became an incorporated village in 1916. Its reputation as a cultural center has long been underlined by the many artists, writers, poets, actors and other celebrities who have made it their home.

Each issue of the quaint weekly newspaper the Carmel Pine Cone -- founded in 1915 and headquartered in Pacific Grove -- contains the entertaining "Police Log" feature, which reveals a lot about the local scene.

Pine Inn, Ocean Avenue between Lincoln and Monte Verde streets, 800-228-3851, 831-624-3851 and www.pineinn.com: Unless you ducked into the doorway by accident and walked up the red- carpeted stairway and into the spectacular lobby, you'd never suspect that a delightful old hotel sits on Carmel's main drag, next door to an Il Fornaio restaurant.

"This was the first hotel built in Carmel, in 1889," manager John Lloyd told us. "Around the turn of the century, they decided it needed to be closer to the ocean, so they rolled it down the hill on pine logs to its current location and renamed it from the Hotel Carmelo to the Pine Inn."

The Pine Inn's sister property is the newly renovated Tally-Ho, Monte Verde at Sixth, 800-652-2632, 831-624-2232 and www.tallyho-inn.com. Originally, it was a series of guest cottages that were incorporated into a mansion in the 1940s under the direction of its former owner, cartoonist Jimmy Hatlo ("They'll Do It Every Time").

Each of the 12 spectacular rooms has a view of Monterey Bay, especially dramatic from the private decks. With the whitewashed walls, potted plants and flowers, and NanaWall patio doors, the feel is definitely Mediterranean. The communal outdoor deck is filled with wicker furniture and dominated by a fireplace with an interesting history. Chez Christine, Junipero between Fifth and Sixth, 831-624-0168: We discovered this gem shortly after it opened last January. Dishes are made from scratch, and ordering and paying are done in one easy step.

Christine Richard came to the United States from Normandy, France, 17 years ago and brought with her a trove of family recipes. Breakfast focuses on mini-quiches and omelets; lunch includes carved lamb, pork loin and turkey sandwiches on house-baked baguettes with house-made mayonnaise, along with pāte, onion soup gooey with Gruyere, and clams with garlic butter. Dinner is Fridays and Saturdays only (cassoulet, duck, scallops with dill sauce).

"I grew up in the business and learned to cook in my family's restaurants," Richard said.

Aslan's Garden, Lincoln near Ocean, 831-624-1160: Downtown Carmel is a labyrinth of narrow side streets, hidden alleyways and secluded courtyards. The formerly named Shop in the Garden is an oasis of hanging plants, gurgling fountains, intricate sculpture and other artwork. Its owner, Michael Largent, named it after his golden retriever.

Church of the Wayfarer, Lincoln and Seventh, 831-624-3550: Sometimes, the overwhelming (but tasteful!) commercialism of the shopping district can become tiresome. For a respite, we sat in a pew inside the 103-year-old church, deciphered the stories told in the stained-glass windows, and enjoyed the sweet scent of cedar.

On the way to Big Sur

The section of California's coastline from Carmel to Morro Bay is world-famous for its beaches and the super-dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean as it kisses the cliffs below Highway 1.

Point Lobos State Reserve, three miles south of Carmel on Highway 1, 831-624-4909 and www.pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us: Landscape watercolorist Francis McComas (1875-1938), who lived and worked in and around the Carmel area, once said of Point Lobos, "It is the greatest meeting of land and water in the world." You don't need an artist's eye to see why the 583-acre peninsula is known as the "jewel of the California parks system."

We picked up a map at the ranger kiosk and hiked some of the many trails that meander throughout the park (watch out for poison oak). We especially liked the otherworldly Cypress Grove Trail which, according to the California State Parks Web site, "winds through one of the two naturally growing stands of Monterey cypress trees remaining on Earth. (The other grove is across Carmel Bay at Cypress Point.) These cypresses, which formerly extended over a much wider range, withdrew to these fog-shrouded headlands as the climate changed with the close of the Pleistocene epoch 15,000 years ago."

After our hike, we stopped for lunch at the 60-year-old Rocky Point restaurant, 10 miles south of Carmel on Highway 1, 831-624-2933 and www.rocky-point.com; look for the sign. It's a handsome place where every table has a view. In the summer, tour buses crowd the small parking lot. Our clam chowder and mushroom-avocado burger were fine, but food wasn't really the point.

We went outside to the patio and sat under the gazebo and watched the slate-colored ocean move and shift, back and forth. It filled the horizon.

The voice coming from below us called out, "Whoosh-boom! Whoosh-boom!"

Nature was speaking and we were getting the message.