Staying at a bed and breakfast is a great way to meet people and really get to know the personality of the place you visit. The Monterey Bay is stuffed with personality, and it shows in the character-filled bed and breakfast lodgings, many available in historic homes.

In the north, elegant lodgings can be found close to amusement park and beach, while the south offers luxury and Old World charm. Ocean views, antique decorations and fabulous breakfasts come with a price. Expect to pay more than $100, often more than $200, for a night’s lodging, although midweek and off-season deals can be found.

Perhed on the edge of the sea, the Green Gables Inn is spectacular in its views of the bay in Monterey. The Queen Anne Victorian, built in 1888, has been restored with period details, including mahogany accents, gables and canopy bed.

Breakfast is served overlooking the coastline and tea is served in the parlor in the afternoon. A part of the Four Sisters Inns, sister lodgings are located nearby in at the Gosby House in Pacific Grove and the Cobblestone Inn in Carmel. The Gosby House emphasizes fresh breads and lavish breakfasts, featured in the "Four Sisters Inns Cookbook." The Victorian, with fireplaces, private entrances and other attractions, is centrally located in the small town of Pacific Grove. The Cobblestone Inn in Carmel is made with stones from the Carmel River and stones surround the fireplace in each room.

For the feel of historic Monterey, try the lodgings of the Old Monterey Inn. Old-fashioned elegance and spoiling are delivered with breakfast in bed, a tour of the gardens and a cozy fireplace. This four-star inn has lush décor, complete with antiques, and offers peace and relaxation in a location a short drive from attractions.

A bit of whimsy is to be found in Monterey as well. The Jabberwocky Inn, a Craftsman-style home located a short distance from Cannery Row, has views of the bay, a terraced garden and waterfall. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s "Through the Looking Glass," the inn and its owners take a light-hearted approach to hospitality.

If an intimate Victorian isn’t your thing, but you like the idea of those breakfasts, check out the Lighthouse Lodge.

A Cape Cod-style village near Monterey’s city golf course, each suite includes fireplaces and a mini-kitchenette, plus that breakfast and an afternoon barbecue (weather permitting). Accommodations for large groups are available.

In Carmel, hospitality is an art. The small village hosts intimate inns on small streets, including several bed and breakfasts. Many serve expanded continental breakfasts, including the four-star Carriage House, the Sandpiper, Vagabond’s House and Green Lantern, all centrally located.

The Stonehouse Inn throws a full breakfast. Built in 1906 by Josephine Foster (her grandfather had built the Cliff House in San Francisco), Carmel suited her Bohemian lifestyle and she hosted many prominent artists and writers. Artists and inventors later lived in the home until it became a boarding house in 1946. Today, Terri and Kevin Navaille continue the tradition with elegant rooms and hearty breakfasts. Sample menu includes omelettes, banana rice pancakes, orange French toast and other delicacies.