California
central valley
Stretching four hundred and fifty miles from Northern to Southern California, this fertile valley is one of the biggest producers of fruits and vegetables in the United States. We started along the coast before venturing inland through this region, which lush and scenic.
carmel-by-the-sea
Located on the Monterey peninsula, Carmel-by-the-sea is a small beach town filled with quaint bungalows and locally owned shops. It is home to legendary Pebble Beach Golf Course, which is consistently ranked as the number one public golf course in America as well as a frequent host to US Open Championships. When walking along the beach, it is common to find wayward golf balls from the nearby course, which is situated on a cliff at the far end.
It was fall when we visited so the water was very cold and the beach was overcast, but I personally love beaches like this. A few people were out walking their dogs, but it was overall sparsely populated and serene. While you can swim and surf here in the Summer months, the water only gets to about 65°F at its warmest. The town sits at the edge of the beach, so it’s easy to park your car and walk along the beach or into town.
Actor Clint Eastwood is synonymous with Carmel. Becoming acquainted with the town when filming the movie Play Misty for Me in 1971, he later moved there and was elected mayor in 1986. That same decade, Eastwood purchased Mission Ranch, rescuing the property from becoming a condominium development. The ranch has rooms and cottages for guests to spend the night as well as a restaurant and farmland overlooking the sea where sheep still graze. It is conveniently located right at the edge of town.
where we stayed
- Carmel Mission Inn
- Restaurant: Yes
- Pool: Yes
- Child Friendly: Yes
- Elevator: Yes
- ADA accesible rooms: Yes
- Kitchen: Kitchenette
- Close to: Beach & Town
We stay at a variety of places on our trips including hotels, motels, hostels and Airbnbs. I have a thing for rehabbed roadside motels and inns though, so they will always win out against the competition. My two all time favorites are in California, which we found on this road trip, with Carmel Mission Inn being number one.
This modern mid-century masterpiece has been so tastefully redone that you might forget this is not how it originally looked when first built. The inn encompasses a tranquil oasis courtyard featuring a heated pool, a hot tub and load of chairs and lounging sofas for relaxing outside. The rooms are beautifully decorated, yet comfortable at the same time. I loved that this inn felt a little posh yet completely welcoming to families and children. The unexpected bonus is that it also houses a top-notch restaurant, Shearwater Tavern.
It is very rare that we eat at hotel restaurants. In general, they are just not very good. We would rather find a locally owned place that is unique. We were pleasantly surprised though that a place like this existed inside of the Carmel Mission Inn. With a warm, mid-century vibe that matched the hotel, the dining room was a mix of brown leather and deep blues with a large fireplace in the middle.
I am not exaggerating when I say that everything on their menu looked so good that it was hard for us to decide what to order. They are known for their Parker House Rolls, which were buttery, soft and perfectly baked. The French onion soup loaded with bits of tender short rib was one of the best soups that we have ever tasted. It could have been a meal in itself. We enjoyed our entire meal, but I strongly suggested getting the soup no matter what.
The wine list highlighted local varietals including a Grenache Blanc from nearby Zaca Mesa. I was so enamored with it that we agreed on an unplanned visited to the winery the following day. Even if you are not staying at Carmel Mission Inn, a visit to Shearwater Tavern should be on your dining list when in the Monterey/Carmel area.
We hadn’t planned to visit wineries on this California road trip with our eight year old though were open to it if we found something special. After sampling a Zaca Mesa wine at dinner the night before, we found that it wasn’t too far from highway 101 that we were taking through the Santa Ynez valley. We were lucky because it was rainy earlier that day which made for smaller crowds when we arrived. While the Grenache Blanc that we enjoyed at the previous night’s dinner was not available on the tasting menu, the mix of Rhône-style reds and whites that we sampled were superb. The surroundings are very peaceful with the openness of the tree-studded courtyard full of picnic tables for tastings. The vineyard is family, dog and cyclist-friendly and you can even pack a picnic to bring along.
When visiting wineries in California, it is good to know that they will ship wines to your home (usually for a fee) so that you don’t have to lug them around the rest of your trip or take them on the plane. Unfortunately Indiana has archaic liquor laws with do not allow this (which is where we live), but I believe that most states do.
agriculture
While we are used to being surrounded by farmland living in Indiana, it is mainly corn, soybeans and the occasional wheat field. That is why it was such a treat to see such a wide variety of crops while driving through California’s Central Valley. It was the first time that I have ever seen a fields of artichoke plants. There was a plethora of other produce including strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus, pumpkins, grapes, citrus trees and nuts.
We were there during harvest season, enabling us to see and taste the best of what the valley offered. It was also amazing to see how pristine and orderly the fields were maintained. We even witnessed trucks full of branded romaine boxes being filled with heads of lettuce and strawberries being harvested directly into plastic clam shells, both of which we order for our restaurant. As chefs, it made us feel closer to the food that we prepare when it is out of season for us at home.
Located north of Santa Barbara is the the city of Solvang, also known as the Danish capital of America. Settled by immigrants from Denmark in the early 1900’s, the town still retains its Scandinavian heritage and charm with European style bakeries and its signature windmill. We visited Mortensen’s to get some classic danish, eclairs and coffee that morning. Later in the afternoon, we had a snack at the Red Viking, which serves traditional fare like open faced sandwiches, aebleskivers and sausages. You will feel transported across the pond while visiting this unique city, which is a great day trip or a quick stop off of highway 101.
