Day 32 - 10/06 - To Carmel By-the-Sea and Back

In an effort to avoid the crowds in San Francisco due to Fleet Week, we opted to head to the Pacific Coast for the day (Friday). Our terminus was Carmel By-the-Sea, a beautiful and unique neighborhood within the city of Carmel about 60 miles southwest of the campground.

We located the the Visitor Center and got a map which included a self-guided, walking tour of the historic area. The list included the many courtyards and passageways which exists throughout the twelve-block neighborhood. 

The hand-painted tiles of this stairway is an

example of the varieties of decor and building styles

found throughout the historic district.

The unique characteristics of Carmel By-the-Sea are

the old buildings of mixed styles interspersed by

courtyards and passageways filled with flowers,

vines, and decorative plants.

The courtyards originated in the 1920s when Hugh Comstock’s fairy-tale houses (Hansel and Gretel style) and shops were built. The architectural style is subtlely evident. Each of the 41 passageways and courtyards (distributed throughout the commercial area), are different in shape and landscaping. They separate the unique shops, galleries, and restaurants.

The “Hansel and Gretel” houses and building

are interesting. Their roofs are of slate instead

of thatch but that doesn’t keep them from being wavy.

A gallery owner has pictures displayed in a nearby

passage way. Stone walks and varieties of flora

and fauna abound.

The United Methodist church reflects some of the

mission architecture also found in Carmel-by-the-sea.

The simpler style of Cypress Inn reflects some

aspects of the mission style of building.

We spent a little more than an hour exploring some of these delightful passageways, courtyards, and historic buildings before stopping for lunch. We ate at Flaherty’s Seafood and Oyster Restaurant for a lunch of English fish and chips.

After lunch, we drove along Scenic Road and found a parking spot, We descended some stone steps to the beach and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Houses of all kinds of designs are along the narrow streets. The yards are all meticulously landscaped and maintained. The trees? There were many varieties ranging in age with many being quite old.

Would you like the job of washing the windows

on this beach house in Carmel By-the-Sea

with a view overlooking Monterey Bay?

From Scenic Road, we made our way around to the 17-Mile Drive at Pebble Beach. The 17-Mile Drive is one of the most famous scenic drives in the world. It winds through the impressive Del Monte Forest where large homes and golf courses are interspersed among the trees. There are 17 points of interest at Pebble Beach and within Del Monte Forest. We didn’t stop at all 17 points, but a few of the highlights were:

• Pebble Beach Visitor Center, which sits on a scenic overlook above the Pebble Beach Golf Links;
• Ghost trees at Pescadero Point (sun-bleached Cypress trees that give a spooky look to the point); and
• Fanshell Beach Overlook, which is one of the primary pupping habitats for harbor seals on the Central Coast. 

The view from the Visitor Center at Pebble Beach was

gorgeous. The bay is quite prominent throughout

the 17-mile trip through the area.

We made it to Pebble Beach. Where are my clubs?

This is the closest Martha will ever come to Tiger.

We made our way back to Fremont and our campground through fields of strawberries and artichokes. Castroville, California is the Artichoke Capital of the world. You can get deep-fried artichokes and artichoke cupcakes at the local fruit stands in the area.

One of Martha’s favorite PGA tournaments to watch on TV is the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach because of the beautiful scenery. It was as beautiful as it appears on TV; the surf, the large rocks, the shallow pools, and the wind-blown shrubs and short trees. It is all beautiful and worth seeing.