A Charming Day in Carmel

There's a charming little town with a european coastal feel, nestled along the Pacific Coast Highway called Carmel. It's storybook alleys and characteristic architecture make it a must see destination when visiting California and it happens to be one of my favorite places. Each time I go, I discover something new that makes me fall in love with it just a little bit more.

Every year around January, my family and I make a day trip to the coast. My husband and I spent a year and a half living by the ocean when we first got married and ever since then it's held a special place in our soul. We've been on a couple of day trips to Carmel but we've never taken our kids so we thought it would be fun to introduce them to it on this trip.

With our coffees in hand and a car full of beach toys and all of the things you could ever need when traveling with children, we set off on the 4 hour drive. The mundaity of the trip begins to set in around hour 2, but the excitement and antipication begin to ease back into you again the second your eyes set sight on the ocean waves crashing just over the hill as you enter into Monterey. We had the windows down singing songs as our lungs inhaled deep breaths of ocean air.

We arrived around late morning, with welcomed blue skies and spirits ready to adventure. We happened upon Carmel Bakery, a local coffee shop with a display of pastries in the window that would make anyone drool. We decided some drinks and snacks were in order and got a couple of coffees for us and hot chocolate for the kids and per their request one giant gingerbread cookie. With our treats in hand, we began meandering down the streets, searching for little hidden nooks and alleyways (something Carmel is known for). We discovered some that led to other shops and another that had a beautiful pool and water feature in the back of it. We walked through the little park set at the beginning of the town - a peaceful setting with a giant shade tree and some beautiful roses lining the fence and then made our way over to the beach for some lunch and playtime.

My barefeet felt at home the second they sunk into the sand as we trekked our wagon full of beach toys over to a suitable spot. There's a certain way about the ocean and water in general that just makes me feel so connected to this Earth. For the next couple of hours we built sand castles, walked along the shore searching for shells, laughed as my 2 year old dove and rolled around in the sand, and felt a childlike joy watching my daughter run down to the waves and then just as quickly run away from them as fast as she could as they chased after her.

This day is one I will treasure for a lifetime. I often wish we could live closer to the beach again and maybe one day we will. But for now I am grateful for these little getaways where I get to experience it all again and come home with a photobook full of memories.