I am on a road trip down the California coast, and one of the towns I visited for the first time in years is worthy of mention as a place you’re not likely to share your visit with many kids…
Carmel. What a charming little town, and one of the best little stretches of beaches in California, in my humble opinion. Here are just three must do’s in Carmel:
1. The obvious–walk a good stretch of the beach, or do the whole thing. It is not that long. On the north end you will have the backdrop of the famous golf course here (if you are into that). Going south, it’s backed by bluffs and big cypress trees and amazing homes. My morning beach walks spotted very few if any kids.
2. Eat well! And it is easy to do that. I like breakfast at one of Carmel’s oldest restaurants, Em Le’s, lunch at A.W. Schuck’s (yes, it’s an oyster bar and more) for their “ruby” chowder (an interesting blend of white and Manhattan style made fresh), and the famous Hog’s Breath for dinner. Although Clint Eastwood sold it years ago now, his spirit remains, and the food still great.
3. Do an art gallery crawl. Known for its art galleries, the north side of Ocean Ave. seems to have more of the galleries, and one I especially like is Dawson Cole Fine Art. Check out sculptor Richard MacDonald’s work they have showing there now. This guy is into the human body, does wild things to bronze to give it interesting color, and his work is world renowned.
Of course there are slews of high end shops, but find myself drifting off the main center and checking out the neighborhoods instead. If you are into home architecture the eclectic range will delight. I am sure families with children do live here, but in the neighborhood near the center I get more of a feel of residents who, if they had kids, are done raising them, and are on to other chapters in life.
Visitors are from all over the world, and the lion’s share, at least during my visit-were certainly an adult crowd enjoying this fantastic spot.
What other California destinations do you know of that would tend to be less “family with kids” oriented–your experience please!
I have been living in the bay area since 2006 and never once visited the town of Carmel. Must do soon, at least for the love of seeing elegant home architectures. Thanks for the fantastic writeup.
I know this may sound silly, but Carmel is one of the places I’ve been wanting to see ever since I was 12-13 and reading Danielle Steel Novels. Her characters always seemed to end up in Carmel. Now I see why.
I can she why too..what a beautiful place, and like I wrote, the homes are really something to see–even if you think that’s not your thing, I think just about anyone would love looking at many of them anyway!