Weekend Escape: The Carmel Country Inn

Carmel-by-the-Sea has been a longtime favorite of my family for weekend getaways given its proximity to the Bay Area (~2 hours away from San Francisco), beautiful scenery, and plethora of art galleries. Growing up, we would go at least once a year.

I had the opportunity to spend the weekend at the Carmel Country Inn, a cute bed and breakfast just three blocks  away from Ocean Avenue and a short walk from the beach. This was my first time staying at a bed and breakfast and it was such a cute and unique experience! I took my parents with me and the three of us stayed in a two bedroom and two bathroom suite.

We drove down to Carmel-by-the-Sea Friday evening and stopped at Phil’s Fish Market at Moss Landing for dinner (~30 minutes from the inn). Phil’s is right along the water and has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Definitely get the clam chowder.

The next morning, I attended the Carmel Food Tour. To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for the tour – I feel like I tend not to get the most bang for my buck during food tours but I left at the end of three hours pleasantly surprised and full. The tour included a variety of experiences, from eating crickets (which I did!!) at Cultura to olive oil and balsamic tasting at Trío Carmel. The tour is a great opportunity to try out some of the different dining experiences in Carmel and then return to your favorites for lunch or dinner. They also offer a breakfast tour if that’s more up your alley.

After the food tour was over at around 2pm, I spent the rest of the day at the beach and walking around downtown Carmel. You can’t walk one block without bumping into a winery or an art gallery. I checked out plenty of both. Carmel Wine Walk-by-the-Sea offers a wine tasting passport for $100, which allows for a flight at ten of the fourteen participating wineries. I didn’t finish my passport (I know, tragic) but thankfully, I can still use it on my next trip.

After experiencing Casanova during the food tour, I knew that I had to take my parents back to the restaurant for a meal. It’s an adorable not-so-little French/Italian bistro with a to-die-for gnocchi and amazing mussels. I ordered the harissa mussels and ended up drinking the remaining broth by the spoonful #noshame. They have the table where Van Gogh enjoyed his meals at the Auberge Revoux. Pro tip: have your server take you down to their wine cellar after your meal. The cellar holds up to 30,000 bottles.

While I love eating, drinking, and laying on the beach as much as the next person, reality beckons. Always a pleasure, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Thanks Carmel Country Inn for hosting me!