Three days in Carmel Valley was just what the doctor ordered! Amy and I may both live in beautiful locations, but after 4+ months stuck at home, we both needed a change of venue. My niece, 15 year old Sophie, was also ready for a much needed break. And our husbands definitely needed a break from us too! 🙂
Where we stayed
Our location selection criteria was pretty simple; we wanted a locale that we could both drive to within a few hours (from the Bay Area and Santa Barbara) and it had to include a pool- we all needed some time lounging by a pool with a book in hand.
Carmel was the winning location! If Santa Barbara is the retreat for Los Angeles, Carmel plays the same role for San Francisco…a good weekend destination with lots of things to do, restaurants, wineries, etc.
There are two major areas of Carmel, and they vary greatly in weather. Carmel By-The-Sea is, as stated in its name, right off the ocean, and it frequently experiences a heavy marine layer. This means it can be chilly, while Carmel Valley is further from the ocean and typically significantly warmer. The two locations are only 25 minutes apart from each other so you can enjoy both! The lesson for visitors is to bring layers- the temperature can range from 85 in the valley to 55 near the beach.
We chose to stay in Carmel Valley; there are a lot more options there and if we were going to be lounging by the pool, we wanted it to be warm. Initially I looked at a couple hotels – Bernardus Lodge and Carmel Valley Ranch. Both of these are beautiful hotels and would have been great spots for us. Unfortunately CVR won’t be open until July 1 and the pool at Bernardus had an unknown opening date when we were choosing lodging. (I believe the pool and spa are now open at Bernardus, but definitely call ahead to check.)
Clearly renting a home was the way to go, and after a little research on Homeaway, I found the perfect vacation rental – Holman Ranch.
Normally Holman Ranch is busy every weekend with weddings, and their cottages are only rented during these events to wedding guests… but since there are no weddings due to COVID-19, there is availability for people like us. (We did think a couple of times that there was no doubt a sad would-be bride and groom somewhere out there who had planned to get married there this weekend…)
We rented an adorable 2 bedroom, 2 bath cottage with a living room and kitchen on the property. The ranch is simply gorgeous with amazing vistas and stunning landscaping. How fun and memorable it must be to get married here or attend a wedding. And of course, there’s a great pool which luckily for us was not used by any of the other guests while we were there.
Carmel Valley activities
Three days in Carmel is just about perfect- just enough to relax and see most of the sights. Amy planned hikes for us each day to get our exercise in because we ate and drank pretty well for these few days! The hikes were challenging but doable. I would definitely recommend hiking shoes. Garland Ranch is the go-to hiking spot nearby; you will see it on your right as you drive up Carmel Valley Road from Highway 1. Lots of hiking options, plenty of parking, and it’s very dog-friendly.
We did venture into Carmel By-The-Sea one day for a couple of lunches and to check out the stores. We walked down to the beach and were in awe of all the people relaxing there though it was quite chilly! I did get a chuckle seeing beachgoers in sweaters, sweatpants and tucked under blankets. We are all a bit desperate to get out of the house.
I was so inspired by our long weekend that I’m already planning a return trip with my husband Steve. It was such a relaxing break with good food and wine. And if you can stay at the Holman Ranch, take advantage of their availability right now. I am sure it will be fully booked with weddings as soon as things are bit back to “normal”.
Amy will follow up later this week with a post on all our restaurants– we ate some great food on this trip!
Have you made any recent trips? How do you feel about getting out of the house during this crazy time?
WOW, ladies. We are also from TX, (Fredericksburg), and moved from CA in 2008. The best part of your adventure, to our way of thinking, was your visit to Holman Ranch. The sweet cabin you stayed in was our home for about 20 years. It looks so adorable now, and we loved the time we spent at Holman. So happy that you enjoyed your visit. It’s the first time we’ve seen our house since we moved, and we remember all the wonderful times we spent there. Thanks for sharing your adventures in CA.
Hi there fellow Texans! Holman Ranch is gorgeous and we loved our time there. We were in Fredericksburg over the holidays and really enjoyed the Hill Country. And of course the amazing BBQ! Thanks for finding our blog! Take care, Amy and Kate
So happy that you enjoyed your visit to CV. Isn’t it interesting that I happened to see your post, and also pretty amazing that we lived in that sweet cottage at Holman Ranch. My husband lived there before we were married and was a ranch hand in the 80’s. Our daughter also got married there! Small world isn’t it? And, we look forward to more of your adventures. Oh yes, and the BBQ is really good here in the Hill Country. Cheers, and hope you come back some day soon. Patty and Chris