Carmel
Carmel-by-the-Sea is a small beach city on California’s Monterey Peninsula. It is a 15-minute drive south from Monterey. Carmel is known for the museums and library of the historic Carmel Mission, and the fairytale cottages and galleries of its village-like center. The Scenic Bluff Path runs from surf spot Carmel Beach to bird-rich Carmel River State Beach, with a scuba entry point. Further south lie the sea animals and whaling museum of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Clint Eastwood used to be mayor of the town and is a long-time resident.
Carmel is also an excellent shopping destination with beautiful artisan shops and some of the standard high end retailers.
At sunset, everyone heads down Ocean Avenue to the end so they can see the Pacific. And it is stunning!
Carmel is a fine dinning mecca with more restaurants per square mile than any other small town. It is getting more and more crowded, but it is a worth while destination. There are a lot of artisan shops and high-end stores. The main street, Ocean Avenue, is where most of the hustle and bustle takes place. Although I have never stayed overnight, there is an abundance of small quality hotels and B&Bs to choose from. You can’t go wrong with any restaurant or lodging in this town.
One place we always stop when in Carmel is the Carmel Bakery. It opened 1899 and still servers delicious baked goods and coffee.
The sweet pretzel pastry is not to be missed!
Here are a few restaurant suggestions:
Outside of Carmel, take the scenic “17-mile drive“ past Pebble Beach. It is one of the most scenic drives in the world with magical Cyprus trees. You can start in Monterey or Carmel and work your way around the coast. South of Carmel, head out to Point Lobos for vistas that you will never forget.
Mission Ranch
One of my favorite destinations in the Carmel area is Mission Ranch. I love the ambiance, the beautiful meadows with sheep, the excellent food, and the wonderful accommodations. The piano bar in the restaurant reminds me of the classic lounges in the 1970’s and 80’s where you can sit back, have a cocktail and enjoy great music. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner at the restaurant and thought it was reasonably priced. They do not take reservations so you will need to wait in line for a bit.
From their web site: “The historic Mission Ranch sits on 22 acres with spectacular views of Point Lobos, Carmel River Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Once one of the first dairies in California, the rich history of this 1800’s ranch was preserved and restored by former Carmel Mayor, Clint Eastwood. A longtime Carmel resident, Clint Eastwood rescued this landmark resort from condo developers, and renovated the entire property to provide a unique resort experience.”
It is a great location, close to Carmel, the scenic “17-mile drive”, Point Lobos, and is just a nice place to relax.
San Carlos Borromeo de Carmel Mission, founded in 1770, is nearby. It is also known as the Carmel Mission or Mission Carmel, a Roman Catholic mission church. It is open for services and has a museum. California Missions are always a great place to visit to understand the history of the region.
Accommodation
I recommend Mission Ranch hands down. Reasonably priced quaint cottages and rooms in cottages or the barn. They sell out fast so book early!
Another property owned by Mr. Eastwood is The Homestead in downtown Carmel. If I were to stay in the city, this is where I would stay. There are many quality Inns and B&Bs in Carmel, but they have limited parking, which for me is a deal breaker. I can’t risk getting there and not having a parking spot. It is not easy to find parking in Carmel.
A good place to stay 5 minutes outside of Carmel is the Carmel Mission Inn. It is also reasonably priced, the accommodations are nice, and it has plenty of free parking, but the restaurant is mediocre. They serve free wine and snacks at cocktail hour, but I didn’t find the food edible. It’s nice that they offer it, however, it does not help promote the restaurant. Either offer something tasty, or don’t offer it at all as a freebie.
For more photos of California please visit Wonderland Photography. Enjoy your visit to California.
