A Weekend Getaway That’s Worlds Away

Have a few days to take a trip, check out my 3 day itinerary in Carmel By The Sea

Carmel By The Sea….I love coming back to this little gem of a town. Located about 5 hours north of Los Angeles its nestled amongst the trees along the central coast of California. This sea side city is one of the most charming destinations around and even though it’s a mere 1 square mile there is no lack in interesting things to see and do. If you are looking for a relaxing getaway within driving distance, let me share with you some of our favorite things to do in Carmel by the Sea and the immediate area.

The accommodations are just as unique and charming as you would expect in such a place. Hofsas House Hotel is no exception. We were generously invited to stay as their guests recently to celebrate our 32 wedding anniversary. This was our second visit to the hotel and just as before, it felt like staying with family, you know, the ones you like to visit. They offer 38 rooms, all different in amenities and decor. Carmel By The Sea is known as one of the most dog friendly places in the world so it is only fitting that they offer rooms that accommodate our 4 legged family members as well.

The room we stayed in was one of their suites, room 40 to be exact in case you want this particular one. Perfect for small families or a long weekend stay, it has a huge separate bedroom/bathroom that is completely private from the main room that has 2 daybeds and its own bath. There’s also a cozy fireplace, dining table, kitchenette with sink, fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Being on the top floor it offers the most amazing views of the ocean as well as the trees giving you the feeling of being in a tree house. You also have a private balcony where you can enjoy a continental breakfast and a spectacular sunset.

If you are not familiar with the area or are looking to just free style it, Carrie who is the Co Owner and General manager is THE best at giving you ideas and suggestions. You would be hard pressed to find someone as knowledgeable as Carrie when it comes to the area, so don’t hesitate to ask her anything! We had a solid idea of what we were going to do this trip and with everything so close in proximity, we were able to do so much during our stay. She did give up the most amazing tip on the Land Rover Experience and being huge off road-Land Rover fans added that to our plans. Below I have shared our 3 day itinerary to give you an example of just how much you can enjoy all within a weekend.

Friday Day 1: Left LA area and arrived in Carmel at 1pm. Check into our room and headed out to explored the shops, took in a couple of wine tasting rooms on the Wine Walk (which is kid and dog friendly), enjoyed an early dinner in town. We strolled down to the beach before heading back to our hotel for the evening but not before stopping into a local bakery and grabbing a few treats to enjoy later.

Saturday Day 2: Went to Katy’s Place for breakfast and then headed out to visit the Carmel Mission Basilica which we had missed on our last trip (pictures below), the self guided tour cost $24 for the three of us and was very enjoyable. From there we took the super short drive over to the Quail Lodge Land Rover Experience where we enjoyed a little off roading under the trees. From there we headed back into town the short few miles, stopped into 5th Street Deli for some fresh made sandwiches and munchies and headed to Point Lobos State Park to have a picnic and get in some light hiking in along the shoreline. Dinner plans were in Monterey at Big Fish Grill (recommended to us by Carrie at Hofsas House) it’s right at the very end of the Fisherman’s wharf with water views on 3 sides. The fish was very fresh and cooked perfectly, views right on the water and service was on point.

Sunday Day 3: Grabbed our continental breakfast in the lobby and enjoyed our last morning on our balcony. We decided to take the scenic route home via the 1. This will take you through Big Sir, Herst Castle, Pt. Pedrias Blancas Elephant Seal Trail and finally into Pismo Beach/ Solvang if you desire. We had a killer lunch in Pismo Beach at a little place called The Spoon Table ,can’t recommend it enough! We also checked out the Ostrich Farm in Solvang which was a nice little stop for us as a family and at $11 bucks a steal (feed was $1 a bowl). Solvang itself has sadly become so commercialized for our taste, we did do the trolly tour thought which was interesting but highly doubt we will return. Decided to call it a day and headed back to reality.

So is Carmel By The Sea kid friendly? I say yes! The Monterey Bay Aquarium and pier are just a few miles away, Point Lobos State Park has lots of easy hiking trails, the Mission at Carmel was not only educational but very enjoyable to explore. The beach at Carmel allows fires during the week thru Thursday and you are welcome to take your dogs. There are lots of unique shops, art galleries and for the grown ups there is a wine walk. We basically showed up, parked the car and walked the town which I love doing. We drive so much here in LA.

We truly loved our stay in Carmel, appreciated the generosity of our hostess Carrie at Hofsas House Hotel and the feeling of being home we have always got during our stay in her hotel. ~Cat

Here’s more from our previous visit to Carmel and Monterey