Carmel – February 2021

25 Thursday Feb 2021

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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

Perkins Park – A coastal path with lots of benches with spectacular views

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

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/

Benbow Inn, Garberville – November 2020

17 Tuesday Nov 2020

Posted by danadahling in Garberville, CA, Uncategorized

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#AvenueoftheGiants, #BenbowInn

We visited during the Pandemic in the beginning of November 2020 when the trees were golden. I’ve wanted to stay at the historic Benbow Inn for at least 30 years. We booked a King Fireplace Terrace Room. It was chilly but wonderfully toasty inside. They were offering both inside and outside fine dining, which was delicious. In the mornings they served breakfast burritos. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The bed was comfortable. The rooms with direct outside access are pet friendly, but I didn’t bring my pet. He would have loved it.

Patio set was lovely – overlooked the Eel river

Along the Avenue of the Giants – Yes, we drove thru the tree

Southern Caribbean – Dec 2015

18 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by danadahling in Travel

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Celebrity Cruise Line, Dominica, Hilton Caribe, Martinique, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, Tortola

Pre Cruise Hotel – San Juan Puerto Rico

I took a friend’s recommendation and stayed at the Hilton Caribe. The location was perfect as it was close to both the airport and the cruise terminal. The grounds were beautiful – a protected lagoon on one side and the surf on the other. I was looking forward to relaxing and recovering from my overnight flight on the hammocks, but the rain chased us inside. We were misled by the restaurant staff and overpaid for a buffet style brunch rather than dining a la carte. The updated room in the main tower was very nice, with ample space on the balcony. The balcony overlooked the roof of the lower level, which was a bit of an eyesore. The beds were firm with feather pillows. We enjoyed the rainbow and beach with the lagoon.

Celebrity Summit

The ship, which holds 2158 passengers is over 10 years old and showing signs of rust, etc on the balcony but was overall in great shape. There was an ice bar in the “martini bar” and a specialty coffees. There were restaurants dedicated to only those in the Aqua class, and although we did upgrade to Concierge level to have a better pick of balcony cabins at the time of our late booking, the reviews had not persuaded me to go for the Aqua. Seems the only perk to having a Concierge class is to have a better pick of state rooms available and that they deliver canapé’s to your room each night – but only upon request, and only if you happen to receive the order slip and happen to put it outside your door by a specific time each night. Our balcony was spacious and we had plenty of closet space. The shower also, was larger than I’ve seen on other normal balcony staterooms on Royal Caribbean and Princess. The location of our stateroom was great, just aft – directly under the buffet near the elevators. We had no noise issues and our balcony was completely private with complete coverage above. We did not catch any of the entertainment, as we were part of an organized singles group which had activities nightly. I enjoyed the port intensive itinerary with only one sea day and appreciated the relaxed formal night, which is not “evening chic” (no more tuxedos and formal wear). I have to admit that I expected more from the food – as Celebrity is known for “Top Chef” but there was only one night that was “Top Chef” inspired, and the food that evening was delicious. We also experienced a night of specialty dining at the Normandie – we all had the lobster which was prepared tableside and was fabulous.

Tortola – BVI

We opted for a shore excursion with the cruise line – we “escaped” to Jost Van Dyke and made our way down White Bay beach to the Soggy Dollar where we enjoyed the local drink “The Painkiller” which consists of dark rum, pineapple and orange juices and coconut with nutmeg. Many of us felt we had gone to heaven and we may just want to go back to this place and stay a week.

http://www.soggydollar.com/soggy-dollar-bar/

Martinique

The island of Martinique is French and the reviews indicated that the locals prefer to speak French. I looked for a cruise sponsored shore excursion, knowing how little tolerance the French have for non French speakers. We booked the “Snorkel and Beach” excursion which took us near the famous bat cave. The “beach” was pointed out to us, and if we were strong swimmers we could have taken advantage – but otherwise, we bobbed up and down in the water. Several people were stung by jelly fish and sea creatures. The ride back was a lot more fun when the rum was flowing and the music blasting. We met some fellow cruisers and had a good laugh.

Dominique

This lush island is where Disney filmed the Pirates of the Caribbean. It was absolutely beautiful as we took an exhilarating ride on a ribbed boat in search of whales and dolphins. We were not disappointed as we were able to get up close to sperm whales (3 sightings of 2 separate whales). Our guides were knowledgeable and it was nice to be on a small boat. We were able to take a swim at one of the sites where Disney had filmed. The water was perfect.

St. Kitts

The island of St. Kitts offers fabulous views of the Caribbean on one side and the Atlantic on the other. We opted to spend the day at Reggae Beach Bar on Cockleshell beach. We had arranged for Liz Pierra tours for transportation and she also arranged to reserve our beach chairs. The beach has many crushed shells and a lot of sea weed. We enjoyed an aloe massage on the beach and a lobster sandwich with superior service.

http://www.reggaebeachbar.com/

St. Thomas

The famous Megans’ Bay was closed during our trip ,but that allowed us to experience the best beach to date – Coki Beach. We set up in front of Uncle Buddy’s – renting an umbrella and lounge chair for the day. We experienced issues though because he doesn’t take credit cards. There is a lot of completion on the beach – the people who know your taxi driver end up “taking good care of you” throughout the day. Be prepared with cash.. there are 2 vendors who will run a tab on a credit card. The beach has white sand, crystal clear beautiful water and it’s not totally overrun with tourists. You can feed the oversized angel fish and don’t need a snorkel to see them.

Bacardi Factory Tour

We had some time before our flight and took the popular Bicardi Rum Factory Tour. It’s an interesting tour – but it was a bit odd to be drinking so early in the morning before such a long journey home.

Maui Accomodations

13 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by danadahling in Maui, Travel

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Hana, Kaanapali, Kihie, Mama's Fish House, Maui Revealed, Napili, vrbo, Wailea

Many of my coworkers and friends vacation in Maui – I’ve been sending the same links to places for the past few years – Here I offer my experience for the general public, and friends of friends.

Maui Revealed is a great source and guidebook. Link to Maui Revealed – see Resort Arials and Reviews under Free Travel Info I found that Google Earth was also very helpful in orientating myself with the island. I looked for condo rentals on vrbo.com. I was specifically looking for a condo with two bedrooms with doors. Most of the rentals available have an open loft as the second bedroom.

The choice was between the Mana Kai, located at the border of Wailea and Kihei, and Napili Point, in West Maui. Wailea is where the stars vacation and Tiger Woods has a home on the beach. There are long flat beaches to walk. The condo rental afforded 2 seperate bedrooms, but it was a “lock out” situation. The view was of a long flat beach. Napili has a rugged coastline, is located just north of Lahaina, which was originally the capitol of Hawaii. Wailea has shopping for the rich and famous, and so does Lahaina, at the Whaler’s Village in Kaanapalli (northern part of Lahaina). Kihie has strip malls and looks very much like Southern California. I chose Napili for the view.

Link to the 2 bedroom condo where I stayed my first time

I have had friends who stayed in the 1 bedroom ocean front condo in Napili Point and loved it. I’ve also had friends stay at Napili Kai and raved about it. If you have the money to spend, the Napili Kai is a fabulous choice, as it has a restaurant, bar, pool and great beach access. The rates are comparable to the Westin, Hyatt and Sheraton – which are great hotel choices if you are looking for pools on Kaanapali beach. I’ve stayed at the Royal Lahaina in the tower, which have great views, but the pool is a bit dinky.

View from Napili Point Condo

There is another important difference between South Maui and West Maui… and that is rain. Napili gets rain most days whereas South Maui is normally pretty sunny. West Maui is very lush.

The West Maui Mountains are breathtaking, but they separate you from civilization – and the airport. The single road that connects West Maui to the rest of the island is frequently closed due to injury accidents. I was once stuck on the wrong side due to a wild fire. There is no alternate route – going around the other side of the island is only for locals who live in that area, and is extremely treacherous.

The beach at Napili Bay was also a deciding factor in my choice in accommodations. It’s listed in Maui Revealed as the most fun to play. It is certainly not good for walking along the beach hand in hand – it’s always a slope (being a bay) so it’s more like trudging side by side with your partner much higher or lower than you. The beach down in South Maui is much easier to walk into the sunset.

Napili Bay before the tourists wake up

Keawakapu Beach in South Maui is great for walking

Back to accommodations on Maui:
Link to the runner up Mana Kai in South Maui

I have found other great accommodations on later trips to the island. A great deal can be found at the Hotel Wailea, which is up on the hill with great ocean views. You aren’t right on the beach, but the views are pretty nice and the place is relaxing. It has a seventies Japanese flair but very comfortable.

http://www.hotelwailea.com/

Of course, if money is no object, I would have loved to stay at the Grand Wailea

Grand Wailea

Mama’s Fish House is out of this world, spectacular.

The Beach at Mama’s Fish House

I really enjoyed the studio garden cottage. It was so nice not to have to drive after enjoying the fabulous dinner.

Mama’s Fish House – Fresh Fish straight out of the ocean that morning

Going all the way to Hana – it’s a 3 1/2 hour drive, depending on how many times you stop and who is driving in front of you.

Bring along some mosquito repellent for your stay in Hana. It’s best to get to Ohea Gulch (aka Seven Sacred Pools) before 10:00 am so you can have it to yourself. Also not to be missed is the black sand beach at Wai‘anapanapa and Hamoa Beach.

I enjoyed a condo at the Hana Kai, it had a sleep number bed.

Here’s a link to the Hana Kai website
This is the unit with the Sleep Number Bed

Hamoa Beach

Wai‘anapanapa

Papalani is another beautiful option in Hana

Papalani is like sleeping in the trees in the rain forest

My first trip to Hana was a bit more rustic – the mattress was a bit old, but it was clean and a step up from camping which is available at Wai‘anapanapa State Park with a bit of pre-planning. They also have rustic cabins.

Lani Maka’alae Studio

I have heard that Kahana Sands is a great place to stay, and if you have a family the Westin Villas is a good choice. There are good prices just north of Kaanapali in Honokowai – but Maui Revealed is correct – the beach isn’t all that great, and there’s a smell … also found a smell in North Kihie, so I wouldn’t recommend staying there either.

Dinty Does Yosemite – August 2011

08 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by danadahling in Travel, Yosemite

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Fern Spring, Glacier Point, Half Dome, Happy Isles, Mirror Lake, Sentinal Bridge, Tanaya Lake, Tunnel View, Tuolomne Meadows, Vernal Falls, Yosemite Falls

Back in August, 2011 my 25 year old son was going on a solo adventure to Yosemite. He hesitated bringing any food with him, telling me there was plenty of food available in the valley, and he didn’t want to deal with the bear box situation.

Upon his return from Yosemite, he sent an email with his photos from the trip. I just want to mention here – photo shop was not involved.

“Here are the pictures I took while in Yosemite. At your insisting, I made sure to bring Dinty Moore along with me.”

Dinty arrives at Tunnel View

Dinty taking in Bridalveil Falls

Dinty posing in front of Half Dome on Sentinal Bridge

All Dinty’s siblings hanging at the Village Store

Dinty at Lower Yosemite Falls

Dinty made it to the top of Yosemite Falls!

Dinty relaxing next to the little creek that makes Yosemite Falls after a 5 hour climb

Dinty at Happy Isles

Dinty admiring how much water Vernal Falls has this year

Half Dome and Dinty from a non-reflective Mirror Lake

Another shot of Half Dome from Mirror Lake, this time showing how smoky it was

Dinty at Fern Spring

Dinty with the Grizzly Giant at Mariposa Grove

Dinty at Glacier Point

Another Glacier Point Half Dome picture

Dinty chilling at Tanaya Lake

Dinty taking in the sunset in Tuolomne Meadows

Tuolomne Meadows don’t look very expansive until you get in them

Dinty looking one last time at Half Dome as he reflects on the trip.

Paris Day 14 (Final Day)

23 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by danadahling in France, Paris, Travel

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Champs Elysees, Le Marais, Paris Cafe

I have to admit that my feet are a bit sore, and I’ve climbed many more stairs in these past few weeks than I have climbed in months. The morning was spent lounging about and getting myself organized, printing the boarding pass and kicking back reading. I managed one last lunch out at a cafe – I was actually trying for Quiche Lorraine and wanted a cafe where the view was not of cars. the cute Le Marche’ in Le Marais sits on a lovely square. I tried the Foie Gras and really didn’t like it. I also had the Onion Soup, which was tasty but not something I would order every day. After lunch I did some window shopping at the exclusive designer shops in the 8th, enclosed in the golden triangle formed by avenue des Champs-Elysées, avenue Montaigne and rue François 1er and along rue du Faubourg St-Honoré. A quick stop at the Arc De’Triomph

More info on Arc de Triomphe

There is a special bus that runs only on Sunday afternoons with a route that runs from the Arc
de Triomphe, through Place de la Concorde, through the center of the Louvre, through the Marais and all the way into the Bastille area. As this was my last route through the town of Paris, I shot many photos through the bus windows.

Tonight my host is making Quiche Lorraine for dinner and I will enjoy the last of the Bourgogne Pinot Noir. I have truly enjoyed spending 2 weeks with friends and getting to experience the true Parisian lifestyle.

Hotel de Bethune Sully

Hotel de Bethune Sully

Onion Soup

Foie gras – I tried two bites and traded with my lunchmate

Capturing the essence of a Sunday afternoon in the Marais

Many people wait to get in to buy a purse, limited one per person per season. You must have a passport

Pretty creepy window display

Some great people watching on this street

Check out the hot pink shoes and purse

I’m leaving Paris with one magnet and a single small eiffel tower which was a special request

A Parisian courtyard

Dire au revoir à cette belle ville. J’ai eu un temps fantastique

Paris Day 13 (only one day left)

22 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by danadahling in France, Paris, Travel

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Montmarte, Rodin Museum

It seems I’ve already seen the major tourist sites here in Paris… so today I went to the Rodin Museum, walked to the Parish St. Germaine and had lunch near there before seeing a Lana Turner movie Imitation of Life from 1959. It was in English with French subtitles. After a nice walk through the red light district, and a night time visit to Sacre’_Coer I had dinner in the Montmarte neighborhood. I was suprised when my fish arrived with a head.

The oldest cafe in Paris where Benjamin Franklin visited

A Perfectly Cheesy Movie from 1958

Beef Stew with Gnocchi

Paris Day 11

20 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by danadahling in France, Paris, Travel

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Le Marais, Luxembourg Gardens, Pantheon, Saint Paul

Today I walked.

First stop – Luxembourg Gardens
Info on the History of Luxembourg Garden (needs translating)

Luxembourg Gardens

Nice day for a nap in the garden (no, I don’t know this person)

Seemed this boat was on a string, not remote control

The Senate Building

The trees are in boxes and are brought inside in the winter

Next stop – The Pantheon, just down the street from Luxembourg Gardens. The crypt here holds the remains of Marie Curie, Victor Hugo and Louise Braille.

Info on the Pantheon

The Pantheon, Paris

Paroisse Saint-Séverin – Saint-Nicolas – noticed the stained glass was modern

Crossing the Seine, here’s a different angle of Notre Dame

Bastille Neighborhood, open air market

La Marais neighborhood by day

Students fill the square

Catholic parish of St Paul – Saint-Louis in Le Marais

St. Paul

These church organs are so impressive

The stained glass at St. Paul is pretty simple

Each row of chairs has a row of kneeling benches

I thought I would pick up some Patte to go with the baguette and burgundy wine I had picked up in the Marais but got so confused I left with none

La Marais Neighborhood

Paris Day 10 – Normandy

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by danadahling in France, Travel

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Honfleur, Jumieges, Normandy, Pont Audemer, Rouen

Normandy has an interesting history. It seems the Vikings invaded so often that France was forced to sign a treaty in 911 granting the land to them. Hence “North Man” became Normandy.

Note – I did not go to the typical tourist spot of the Normandy invasion, instead went to the village where Parisian’s spend time on weekends and followed a picturesque route up the Seine back to Paris.

History of Normandy

Honfleur is a Viking seaside town which is crawling with tourists, and a nice place for lunch and a stroll.
Honfleur link

Honfleur harbour

Normandy does not make wine – they make cider. I tried it and didn’t like it.

Notice the shrimp are served with their eyeballs

I chose the daily special crepe, which turned out to be ham, cheese and egg.

The other selection was mussels

The church and steeple were separated because it was believed the steeple would be more likely to be hit by lightening

The church was built with 2 boats

Still in Honfleur – this church is right on the harbor

Normandy beach

A “drive by” photo of one of many houses with thatched roofs

Following the river Siene back to Paris, we first stop at Pont Audemer – an adorable town with flags flying from all neighboring countries.

History of Pont Audemer, you will need to use translate

Pont Audemer

New age shop

Allianz is everywhere, even in cute Viking villages

The countryside was beautiful

Along the Seine

The next stop was Juieges, hoping to see that Abbey – however they just started closing earlier two days ago. These little towns have so much character and charm.

More information on Jumieges Abbey

Jumieges Tourist Center

What I could see of what was left of the Abbey

Ooozing with charm

The last stop of the day was the larger town of Rouen, in the Siene Valley. This is the spot where Joan of Arc was burned.

More info on Rouen

Even more info on Rouen

This is the actual square where Joan of Arc was burned

Rouen

An old castle in Rouen currently being used as a Prison

This church is being cleaned up nicely in Rouen

Paris Day 9

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by danadahling in France, Paris, Travel

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Pere-Lachaise Cemetery

Père-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

The weather today began sunny, but turned cloudy and fit the mood exactly for a September afternoon at Pere-Lachaise Cemetery. A funeral service was in progress at the chapel while tourists roamed with cameras. The leaves were turning and there was a bit of a breeze, so the leaves were also falling – creating the perfect atmosphere for visiting.

More Info on Père-Lachaise Cemetery