Tags
17-Mile-Drive, Carmel, Hogs Breath Inn, Hyatt Regency Carmel Highlands, Pine Inn Carmel, Pt. Lobos State Reserve, Village Corner
My mother and stepfather honeymooned at the Hyatt Highlands in Carmel by the Sea in 1976. I found a brochure she had saved and was inspired to spend a few days relaxing and taking in the view during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Restaurants are open for take out and delivery, although there is only low quality pizza for delivery at the Hyatt Regency Highlands – it is removed from the town of Carmel, just south of Pt. Lobos State Reserve, just on the edge of Big Sur.
We started in Monterey – Pacific Grove, a nice drive down on a perfect sunny day in February. It was T-Shirt weather and no fog! It was a Wednesday afternoon as we arrived for lunch at the start of Cannery Row.
Just south of Cannery Row is an ideal lookout called “Lovers Point” – my jaw was dropping as we drove along looking at ideal B&B’s with gorgeous close up views of the most spectacular rock formations just across the street.
Not far after Lover’s point, we were able to pull over where there is a coastal trail with plenty of park benches and street parking, It was called Perkins’s Park
We selected this route in the afternoon, hoping that any morning haze would have burned off, and if we took 3 hours after lunch to drive the 17 mile drive, it would be check in time at our hotel.
Link to Information on 17 Mile Drive through Pebble Beach
The Hyatt Regency – Carmel Highlands is about 4 miles south of Carmel-By-The-Sea village. The Townhouse style one bedroom spa suite had beautiful views overlooking the swimming pool, but straight out to see the waves crashing. We had a small balcony with two chairs and a little table. There was a row of townhouses, so you are pretty close to others during sunset if you are out there. The king bedroom with huge spa tub is downstairs with a cove view from the bed. It’s equipped with a kitchen, a very comfortable pull out couch, a counter height bistro table and a condo sized kitchen with full sized refrigerator and dishwasher. The upstairs bathroom also had a shower, making this an ideal place to share with even a non romantic room mate and have separation.https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/hyatt-carmel-highlands-overlooking-big-sur-coast-and-highlands-inn-a-hyatt-residence-club/higph
Pt. Lobos State Reserve is just north of the Highlands Inn – it was a beautiful sunny Thursday – we found most of the lots were full and plenty of people had parked along Hwy 1 to avoid the entrance fee.
Link to Information about Pt. Lobos State Reserve
Carmel Beach is a long and flat with beautiful white sand. It’s got plenty of parking at 10:30-11am on a Friday, but then starts to get crowded. Pretty much everyone has a dog, and most of them are beautiful golden retrievers https://ci.carmel.ca.us/beach-parks
Carmel-By-The Sea is a quant artist’s village that feels very European. There are little shops in courtyards and alcoves, art studios, high end stores, restaurants and tasting rooms line a picturesque downtown area. There are no high rise hotels on the beach and I learned there is a law that you cannot wear heals over 2 inches high. Clint Eastwood was the former mayor of the town and had previously owned Hogs Breath Inn restaurant – which he sold to a friend. During Covid-19, many restaurants and tasting rooms have taken over parking places for outdoor service. Luckily, off season is the best weather on the northern California coast and it was beautiful to dine al fresco. For more information on the Village: https://www.carmelcalifornia.com/explore-the-village.htm
Hogs Breath Inn was a must do for dinner – I had made reservations ahead of time which required a credit card to hold – but when I arrived at 6 pm, I got a table right next to the fire. https://www.hogsbreathinn.net/
The goal of Friday was to enjoy Carmel Valley tasting rooms and be able to walk to dinner. We had checked out of the Hyatt earlier in the day and moved in town to the Pine Inn. It was close to everything, and also close to the beach! The Pine Inn had a perfect room for me and my sister to share. There were 2 double beds up on high pedestals, a sitting area with a full size couch and two club chairs and an additional table where you could enjoy breakfast if you had gotten it to-go. There was a huge jetted tub in the oversized marble bathroom. Spa robes were provided too. Everything was extremely comfortable and convenient. https://www.pineinn.com/
We had breakfast at the Village Corner – it deserved the hype from Trip Advisor and Yelp. They open at 8:30 – people start arriving around 8:15 to snag a table. They had plenty of space, the food was delicious and the service prompt and friendly. They say they serve brunch all day. They have a great courtyard with a fire pit and all the designer doggies were there. https://villagecornercarmel.com/
Dana Dahling - a beginner's blog 