Carmel by the Sea

The most picturesque town in California has to be Carmel by the Sea. Every house and street is simply beautiful and the views of the ocean are second to none. Located a couple hours south of San Francisco, this place is your perfect weekend getaway.

There is a lovely beach, world famous golf courses and plenty of parkland. Needless to say this is a town where only a few thousand wealthy people live and celebrities frequent. At one point Clint Eastwood was the mayor and Brad Pitt lives there. The list of famous residents is long.

One just has to walk around to understand why the uber rich love this place, the town is basically a park where some people live. Because of the Pacific Ocean the weather is very moderate here, as clouds lift up over the coast mountains, it keeps the city in a misty fog which waters the plants.

In mid may, it was foggy every morning. Walking along the beach one needed a light jacket. By mid lunch it was t-shirt weather, at least for a Canadian. Some brave folk were swimming but I wouldn't go in at least not without a wetsuit.

Just beyond this home lies the world famous Pebble Beach golf course. If you watch golf or play video games you would have heard of this place. The stunning coastal views offers the perfect place to play the game. We didn't even ask what a round would cost.

The streets are well maintained as as the day progresses they fill with tourists. Boutique business take pride in their storefronts and excellent dining options line the streets.

They had a little upscale mall with statues, fountains, and cafes. The succulents do not need misting in Carmel by the Sea.

We walked around for as long as we could before it became tiring. Since this is a popular tourist town, not everyone is wealthy. We stayed in nearby Monterey where the options are more similar to any other small city in America.

There are many art galleries and houses that look like they are from a fairy tale in and around Carmel. Choosing where to eat is a challenge as the best places require reservations and there are lineups to get in. There are dozens of excellent options and we came back a few times to try a few.

After walking up, especially up the hill from the sea to the commercial area one works up a good appetite. If you don't get here early, it would be difficult to find free parking. Many of the places have time limits too.

Our favourite restaurant was Bar Napoli, it's the bar area of Little Napoli which was a little too fancy for us. Later I found this is where Barack Obama ate when he visited Carmel in 2021.

I asked for a Margherita pizza and the waited accidentally brought us a Margherita. It was on the house but the pizza was still better. Wood fired Napoli is our favourite type of pizza (I'm getting hungry.)

Here's some street art depicting the name of the town. When walking around you constantly have to dodge people taking pictures. This might very well be the prettiest town in Western North America.