carmel has always been a city i've passed through but never stopped in. so this time, we figured we'd give it a try. after all, i've stayed in monterey bay three times now. it was time to try something new…
the hotel we stayed at was carmel mission inn. the above is the patio at the front. all in all, it was a pleasant stay. nothing fancy but we didn't spend much time in the hotel so all i wanted was a nice, clean room and good service. it was middle-class which was good enough for me.
the above photo is the front window of a candy-apple store. i took this photo while thinking of cyn because she often raves of a place in her city which she goes to sometimes after a date with her husband. i wish i had enough room to eat one… but after the dinner i had, we couldn't even find the room to share one between doug and i. so all i could do was take this sad little photo in memory of such a wonderful store.
as for dinner, i wasn't able to get any good photos – they all turned out blurry. we went to the blue moon restaurant which was something we were toying with the last time we were in monterey bay. unfortunately, we made the mistake of picking a very fru-fru restaurant that had very fru-fru prices. and while the food was of good quality, the selection was not very unique and somewhat boring.
at blue moon, i had their dungness crab risotto which was their own creation. oh my goodness – i was full half-way through my dish but it was just too good to not finish. before hand, doug and i shared 1/2 dozen fresh oysters and a bowl of steamed clams. doug ordered a seafood pasta dish in a rose sauce. everything we ordered had fresh seafood from monterey. doug also surprised me with an anniversary card that night – he will forever be the more romantic one of the two of us. π
as mentioned before, we spent all of monday hiking on various trails of various locations along highway one between carmel and big sur (to build our appetite for blue moon restaurant)
the next morning, i wanted something much more leisurely. so we found a place just off of mission ave. called katy's place for brunch. the only complaint i have is that they do not accept credit or debit cards. cash only. in such a place right off of mission st. in carmel by the sea… well, it's just not very convenient. people are there to shop and they do that mainly by plastic.
however, they have 20 different types of eggs benedict. and not only are they tasty, they give THREE poached eggs. not two… but THREE! doug had the dungness crab eggs benedict and i had the lobster benedict. we swapped some of our seafood yummies… and i have to say that either crab or lobster in that hollandaise sauce is complete heaven!
afterwards, we did a bit of shopping. i bought a cute tea-light holder where the candle light flickers behind a turquoise-metal turtle and starfish. it wasn't expensive – $9.95. doug bought a pricey baseball cap with a square leather patch on the front embedded with a cypress tree. the black cap was also embroidered with 'carmel california' on the back. i thought it was a bit pricey at $25.99, compared to some other nice souvenir baseball caps, but the design and style was so unique that i made him spend the extra $13 for it!
before driving back to SF, we went along the scenic road around carmel by the sea, where a lot of beautiful houses were located. these houses were not large but i'm sure they each were in the millions. across the street from the houses was a continuous path with stairs that leads down to the beach (see above). i daydreamed of what it must be like to wake up in the morning and head to this path and the beach for a morning jog, followed by fresh coffee and bagels while sitting in a kitchen with a bay window or deck that over looks such a view of endless beauty…
and what a perfect window for this viewing then this below house… available for monthly rentals (for what i can only imagine for those that have the cash-flow for such a vacation rental):
for the entire photo set – scenes from carmel
.:shy:. 
Well, let this comment serve as a comment on all your recent photoblog entries.All your photos are gorgeous, I loved reading about your trip and seeing it through your photography.
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lovely photos…i can't wait to visit carmel…we always stop at cambria and love it so much that we don't continue up hwy 1.
i'm SO regretting not trying one of those candied apples! especially as now i'm starting back on healthy meals and snacks now that i'm back from our vacation.