After four days of non-stop escapades in San Francisco, Carmel-by-the-Sea was the perfect travel oasis!

Carmel, which it is commonly referred as, was ideal for rejuvenating while basking aside the Pacific… 

resting through peaceful strolls (and daily naps)…

and reconnecting to ourselves and the Universe through the surrounding beauty and serenity.

After a murky, foggy, twisty drive down Hwy 101, we arrived in Carmel exhausted and a bit stressed. Upon stepping out of the Escape Mobile, we immediately felt the city’s calming energy relax over us and welcome us with this view…

Once settled into our hotel, we walked to the nearest restaurant, Casanova for an amazing Italian dinner complete with romantic ambiance…

another welcoming gift from the Universe…

Morning arrived with temperate ocean breezes and a gorgeous cloudless sky.

So of course, we walked straight to the beach where watched a pod of dolphin fishing along the shore…

and a scattering of humans out for their morning walks.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is small and picturesque, a perfect town to explore by foot and bicycle so the Escape Mobile remained parked for the duration of our stay.

We bicycled to the southern edge of town to the Basilica of San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission, the second of California’s 21 missions.

The Carmel Mission was dedicated as a basilica in 1797, and is the fourth and last basilica we visited on our six-month U.S. tour. It was also the most humble – the one we sensed as the most authentic and sacred.

The grounds and structures are modest and peaceful and while we arrived too late for a tour, Trey and I enjoyed the special gift of watching the setting sun’s light play off the basilica’s chapel and gardens.

Near Carmel Mission, there’s access to parks, beaches, and several hiking trails including some that climb up and along the rocky shoreline. Since we were on bicycles, we opted to enjoy the views and laugh at grazing sheep instead.

Everything about this area is charming!

We loved exploring Carmel’s art galleries, streets, and its unique mix of architecture and styles, from streamlined cliff-side mansions to adorable tiny cottages.

Even our hotel was cute…

Our second morning relaxing at the beach was cut short after cutting my foot on a piece of driftwood buried in the sand.

It wasn’t a terrible cut, but bad enough to avoid exposing it to sand and ocean bacteria. Following a generous slab of antibiotic ointment, a wrap, and elevating it for an hour, my foot was well enough for the next venture… the wine circuit.

Nearby Carmel Valley is home to thriving vineyards. Conveniently, many wineries also have tasting rooms in Carmel-by-the-Sea. We spent the afternoon sampling wines and bought five bottles: a red blend and Barbera from Silverstri; a Pinot Gris and Pino Nior from Manzoni; and a rosé from Dawn’s Dream.

Carmel Valley wines are excellent! We are not aficionados, but it’s our opinion that they can hold their own against California’s top rated regions.

Carmel Food

In addition to Casanova’s mentioned above, we enjoyed several other great food experiences. For dinner, Flaherty’s Seafood Grill was recommended by some fellow travelers from Australia and did not disappoint. Jack London’s Pub has since closed, but its onion rings were some of the best we’ve eaten.

 

And Em Le’s for breakfast was as quaint as is was good, but sadly it has also since closed.

Out of necessity, out last morning in Carmel was spent doing laundry and packing & shipping wine home to Austin.

A fire along CA Hwy 140 required us to change our route and add a 70-mile detour through Fresno in order to access or next destination…

Yosemite!

Read about the basilicas of Montreal, Ottawa and South Bend

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