I looked online... thats a seven hour drive for me!!!
oh my goodness.... :eek:
So here's what I want to know... is it something that WILL take two days to see?
Not that I relish the idea of 14 hours in a car in one day.. but still.
If it takes 1 1/2 days, is there something else up there to do with a young child?
I had heard so much about it, so I assumed it was close.

Monterey is a great area to relax and unwind. Pretty scenery. There's some shopping down by the old Cannery Row area. The aquarium could definitely fill more than a day. There are great hands-on activities for kids so if you have more than one day you won't feel like you have to rush to fit it all in. How young is your youngster? You might also consider some beach time, or sea kayaking.

I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium two years ago. I also drove there from the San Diego area and it took me nearly 8 hours to get there. Monterey is a very scenic, beautiful area to visit and the aquarium is huge. There is a lot to see there, it took me a full day to take in most of it. Maybe a day and a half would work out for you. I got about 90% of the aquarium in on my one day trip there. There's a lot of shopping and restaurants there on Cannery Row, but the parking is a little tricky, as I recall. I got there around 10 am and it took me a while to find a space, so I'd recommend getting to the aquarium a little earlier than I did, especially if you are going on a weekend day like I did. It got very busy in that whole Cannery Row area where the aquarium is located. But, it's a fantastic aquarium and I'd recommend it if you also are planning to extend your time in Monterey and see a few other things, visit the beaches, etc. I don't know if I'd make that kind of 7-8 hour drive again just to see the aquarium. I just happened to be in the Monterey area for a long weekend so I added the aquarium in as just one of my activies. It's a long ride for anyone, especially for a child. See if you can make a weekend out of it or something. :)