Last week I was reading Barbara Jacksier's blog and she said she was getting on a plane from New York to San Francisco to go to Carmel for a photo shoot for her book. My thoughts then turned to Carmel...I love Carmel. I couldn't get it out of my mind. I only live an hour away from Carmel and I hadn't been there for a few years. So, Saturday my daughter and I drove to Carmel. We packed a picnic lunch and ate on the beach, walked around town, drove around to take pictures of some cute cottages and then went on the "17 Mile Drive". We even took our dog Beau because Carmel is a very dog friendly town. A lot of the shop owners put bowls of water outside their doors for the dogs. We had a great day and I took a lot of pictures to share with you.
There are a lot of cottages with beautiful wavy roofs like the one below.
It was a really overcast day so the pictures aren't very clear. It was about 68 degrees.
When we were on the "17 Mile Drive" we turned a corner and saw and wedding taking place on the beach (below).
Isn't this full size bronze park bench with an elderly couple cute? Look at her purse sitting next to her.
These white and green hydrangeas were so beautiful. I would have got a closer picture but we were in the car driving by.
Tree art...
If there are hydrangeas in the yard I have to get a picture....
The yard in the picture below was so beautiful.
At the end of the "17 Mile Drive" you come to the Pebble Beach Golf Course.
I think this was a tea room.
There are lots of streets with these little cottages. There were so many for sale, I couldn't believe it. These sell for multi-millions though...even the small ones. If you don't believe me, click here.
There are so many beautiful places in Northern California. I'm going to try to get out more and enjoy them.
Here's Beau on the beach.
40 comments:
I drove through Carmel once (a long time ago!) when we were on a California vacation. It was beautiful...but the price of the homes were outrageous!
Hi Cindy,
That is one of my most favorite places. I love the homes there.
Thanks for such a nice tour. I love that 17 mile drive. My husband loves the golf courses, of course.
Have a great day!
Rosemary
That to is my favorite place to go.I love everything about it. I live in Corona Ca. so I don't go very offten but its truly my favorit place to visit.The last time we were there we stopped at a nursery ( at the edge of Carmel more inland ) and cut our own flowers for our room, it is such a nice memory.Thank- you for sharing
I'm glad I instigated a trip. Your photos are great. The little house IS a tea room. It's called The Tuck Box and it's a must-try. I highly recommend their scones. You'll have to go back!
Another of my favorite stops is the garden at La Playa hotel. Their web site makes the gardens look ordinary -- and they are anything but! I'll try to get some photos from Dan to post in the near future.
Hi Cindy
Thank you for this wonderful post & tour of Carmel. It is definitely on my "to visit one day" dream lists and if I lived only an hour away, I'd be there every weekend with the hopes of meeting Doris Day :-}. Beau looked very happy on the dog friendly beaches of gorgeous Carmel.
OH, Carmel is beautiful! Now I want to visit! But I am too far away! Thank you for taking us on a virtual visit; it looks so charming, and I think it's absolutely sweet that the shop owners leave out water for the pups.
I am having a tea party on my blog today, and I do hope you'll stop by!
:)
Oh My Goodness! What a gorgeous town! Wouldn't you just loooove to live there......*sigh* Hey, wasn't Clint Eastwood the Mayor of Carmel at some stage? My dh is a huge fan of Clint, even our cat was called Clint Eastwood! Another cat was named Bond 007.............lol.
I went to Carmel in May when I was visiting my daughter who is at the Defense Language institute in Monterey. I LOVE California! You are so lucky to live there.
Wow, can we trade Saturdays? Yours sounds like it was so much more fun than mine! ;) I'll take the first cottage pictured, thanks very much. Let me just get my checkbook out...
Mary
Thanks for the picture tour. I haven't been to Carmel in a few years but I love it there. Don't you just adore the 17 mile drive. The houses are so magnificent but the thought of driving that road every day is too much.
Jackie
I drove through a long time ago, to. It is a beautiful place.
In my dreams!!!!!
I do have a teensy weensy fear of earthquakes, though...sigh
Cindy what beautiful photos of all the lovely cottages in Carmel... A picnic lunch on the beach sounds so wonderful. I just know you had a lovely time, and I must make plans to visit...
Have a lovely week...
Beverly :o)
Carmel and the whole Monterey peninsula is one of THE most beautiful places in California. You're so lucky to live just an hour away!
~elaine~
I've always wanted to visit Carmel & now you've settled it--I must go there!
Thanks for the mini-trip! I loved seeing all those pretty homes! Beau is such a sweet looking dog!
My first time here, glad I saw your comment on Barbara Jacksier's blog so I could find you! You have such a wonderful blog and home!
And Carmel, one of my ALL TIME favorite places! Thanks for showing some beautiful photos.
Melissa
CINDY! You only live an hour away from Carmel...where do you live? Because I live in Sacramento, but my husband works as a Correctional Officer in Soledad. I am in Monterey all the time! We are almost neighbors girly!
Thanks for the picture tour.
Carmel is a dream!
Regina
Cindy,
Thanks for the tour. I was in Carmel years ago and fell in love with it and the whole northern coast line of Cali. Thanks for the memories.
Sue
What a wonderful drive! I live in PA about 40 miles north of Pittsburgh. So, we have no beautiful beaches to enjoy and only a few quaint little towns. I like to go to Volant though.
Some day I'll make it to California. Until that day, keep sending pictures!
Love,
Julie
Those are great pictures! I went to Carmel on my honeymoon! You are lucky to live so close! It has a great atmosphere and is so mych prettier than the beaches in Southern Ca. Have a great week! The new schedules are wearing me out! LOL Lisa :)
That looks like a perfect way to spend a day!
love Carmel. My grandfather lived in Aptos so we would go there alot when we were visiting.
Beautiful, thanks for sharing.
PS: I'd like to copy the picture of your window/mirror to show a friend of mine. I want one built for my new apartment. Please let me know if it is okay
Thanks.
Cindy,
I will just add my appreciation of Carmel to the group. I have only been there once, but it was magical and my dream is to go back and spend a few days just "drinking in" those cottages.
Janet
My brother and sister-in-law used to live in Carmel and it is one of my favorite places!
You're right -- that is a tea room. It is called "The Tuck Box" and it is absolutely lovely. Next time you visit Carmel, you must go in for tea...
I love your blog, Cindy, because you show us all the even though we are on tight budgets (I know I am!), we can have homes every bit as lovely as those we see in magazines and in books. They may have stylists and designers and stagers to make their homes like that, but we can do it too! You are an inspiration to all of us.
I have always wanted to see Carmel. I have a lovely book with photos and information about many of the well known cottages.
My dog is named Beau also!
That was so fun to see. I'm wondering why I didn't take any similar pictures when I visited. I took lots through San Fran but for some reason I don't have any of Carmel. Thanks for sharing, Cindy!
What a lovely town -- and beautiful photos. Since you like hydrangeas, come look at my blog header. We saw the brightest, blue-est hydrangeas when we were visiting Scotland last month. Everyone had to wait for me when I stopped to take pictures, lol.
Oh Cindy, what an awesome post! The cottages are amazing with thier story book roofs. That Tea Room has been painted by Thomas Kinkade as well as one of my all time favorite artists - Marty Bell - it's called Tuck Box Tea Room. I was fortunate enough to meet her in person before she passed a few years back and she graciously signed three of my paintings for me. Although I'm about 5 hours from Carmel, I've never been so thank you for this fabulous tour!
Oh how we loved Carmel and we were AT the sweet tea room!!! It is precious!
It is one of the prettiest places I have ever visited.
Love your photos. All of ours are in albums and I would need to scan them...before digital came into my life!
The 17 mile drive is glorious!
Hugs,
Sue
Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams mentioned your blog and I was so happy to visit and see your pictures of Carmel. I live in the San Joaquin Valley and I haven't been to Carmel in sooo long. That one picture looks like the Hogs Breath Inn. Thank you so much for sharing. I am going to have to convince my hubby to go for a ride soon.
what an amazing place! This post had given me an idea for a blogging party... to be continued1
Oh, I love Carmel! How great that you went. I love it there, and I have many of these same darling (multi million dollar!) homes in my photo files.
I love the 17 mile drive. There is no place on earth like Carmel, and I love Carmel Valley, too!
Glad you had a fun trip.
Lidy
please take a look at www.storybookroofs.co have 50 hand nailed and razor cut shingle story book roofs done over a 30 year period 10 or so on my website. take care thanks steve www.storybookroofs.com
Wow. Carmel is beautiful! I am putting that, along with Tuscany, Italy, on my list of places to go! I am writing a book, ammature...I want to be an author, and my setting is in New York. I just could figure out hwere in New York. So, I found Carmel. that is my official setting. It's wonderful! Thanks for the photos!
hi all, i do storybookroofs.com . fun to see people love romantic homes . glad i found this site . take care happy new year steve
Cindy- thanks for sending me the link to this post on Carmel. I love Carmel. My friends rent a house there for two months every summer. I have an open invite to go but have only been able to go for three years. I'd love to go every year. On my blog Heart Choices, I have a photo I took along 17 Mile Drive as my footer.
Have you been to Mission Ranch owned by Clint Eastwood? Love it. And I love all the shops in town. A Phoenix family opened an antique shop downtown. They have one in Phoenix called Touvre but I'll have to find out what the name of the shop in Carmel is. I'm sure you'd enjoy visiting it, especially as I see many of the photos on your blog.
My friends have a dog and it's such fun walking around with little Jamie. He gets more attention and treats. There's a bed and breakfast that Doris Day owns and they LOVE dogs.
It was so nice visiting with you today. And thanks for sharing these memories with me. I also enjoy your blog.
Debbie
Post a Comment