Notes From the Road | Carmel

Welcome to another Notes from the Road! Today I'm sharing our trip to Carmel in California. Carmel-by-the-Sea is such a charming town, it's the perfect weekend trip. The downtown area is so walkable, and it's filled with small boutique shops, cozy restaurants, and beautiful California architecture.

For this trip we stayed at the gorgeous Carmel Valley Ranch Resort. Carmel Valley is just 15 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Carmel, and it is so serene and peaceful.

Mr. FGH and I were celebrating a special anniversary, and it couldn't have been a more perfect stay. The staff at The Carmel Valley Ranch Resort were so amazing! During check in they greeted us with a glass of local wine, upgraded our room to a huge and gorgeous suite, and had a bottle of wine and chocolate dipped strawberries ready for us with a personalized card in our sitting room.

While enjoying a great glass of local Cabernet on our balcony, we were treated to the sight of a whole flock of wild turkeys walking around on the golf course below. I didn't grab my camera quick enough to capture them on film, but they were impressive and really cute.

Our room had a beautiful patio overlooking the golf course and vineyards.

The Carmel Valley Ranch has a working farm that you can visit to see all their animals.

They have a variety of fun things you can sign up for, even a picnic with their Sicilian mini donkeys Pablo and Paco.

Aren't these baby Highland cows so cute?

The fire pit next to the entrance to their main lobby and restaurant is so fun to sit and savor an appetizer and glass of wine!

The Valley Kitchen at the resort is not only cozy, the food is so amazing! We had our anniversary dinner there, every single breakfast, and another dinner. The chefs use as much of their own produce and products that they can, and source everything else locally. The resort grows lots of vegetables, keeps bees, chickens etc. for their own farm fresh eggs, honey and much more.

THINGS TO DO WHILE IN CARMEL

After you have golfed, swam in one of their pools, joined some of the excellent exercise classes, treated yourself to the spa, and gone on a lot of walks to visit all the animals, seen the bees, and everything else the resort offers on their 500 acres, there is so much else to see!

No. 1 Point Lobos State Park.

Always the first on Mr. FGH's list is Point Lobos beach. Just a 15-20 minute drive down the coast, the scenery is amazing! On a lucky day you will see otters or dolphins.

No.2 Downtown Carmel.

So cute, and so walkable. There are art galleries, the most adorable restaurants, and quaint boutique shops. Some look like little hobbit houses!

We ate at the nicest restaurant called Pangaea Grill. It's on Ocean Ave, 5 NE Lincoln Street, in downtown Carmel. It's a fusion grill restaurant, not only was everything delicious, it's beautifully presented with orchid flowers - just gorgeous! There are 15 wine tasting rooms in down town Carmel, which is a fun option if you are in a hotel in the down town area so you can walk 'home'.

You knew I'd get around to it sooner or later didn't you? Carmel has a stunning antique shop, Robertson’s Antiques, on Dolores St. & 7th Ave. The owner is really nice, he knows everything about every single piece he sells.

No. 3 Monterey

Monterey is not too far from Carmel, it's about a 15 minute drive. Its Cannery Row, which was the one-time center of the sardine-packing industry, was immortalized by novelist John Steinbeck. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is there, along with lots of gift shops, seafood restaurants and bars in converted factories.

It was such a glorious day when we visited Monterey, that after visiting the aquarium {Mr. FGH is crazy about aquariums!} we choose a beautiful spot overlooking the ocean to have lunch. Most of the restaurants in Monterey have outdoor seating which kind of 'hang' over the ocean.

No. 4 Carmel Mission Basilica

A lovely mission to visit, the Shrine of Saint Junipero Serra, the Founding Father of California is there. The mission is open to the public from Wed-Sun. It is still an active Catholic church, so parts might be closed for mass or weddings.

The inside of the church is beautiful!

No.5 Visit some vineyards.

Carmel Valley is home to many great vineyards. A favorite is Holman Ranch. You can book a full vineyard tour & wine cave tasting experience ahead of time for $100.- a person. It includes an ATV ride through their vineyards with rarely accessible views of the Santa Lucia Highlands, exploring wine caves, and the history of Carmel Valley. It lasts approximately 1.5 hours and includes a tasting of five of their reserve and library wines.

Honestly, if you are traveling to California, and can squeeze in a visit to Carmel Valley, you won't be disappointed! There is so much to see and do.

Thank you to the Carmel Valley Ranch Resort for making our stay truly spectacular! It was so relaxing, their beautiful resort setting is peaceful and green and just gorgeous. I hope you have enjoyed this Notes from the Road.

What is your favorite weekend destination?