Wisetrips Travel Blog

We haven't been to Carmel-by-the-Sea in a while, so we decided to revisit it on Saturday.  We met up with our friends at our favorite  Mad Dogs & Englishmen Cafe , which has nice bicycle sidecars on display. After sampling a few pastries and enjoying delicious cappuccinos, we walked down to the beach. Although it was mid-October, the weather was beautiful and a bit hot (reaching 85 Fahrenheit). We saw packs of …

Sunday, September 28, 2025 Inna had one more Birthday surprise for me - a visit to the Refuge Spa at the Carmel Valley Athletic Club. After an early wake-up at 07:00, we showered and dressed. We walked downstairs to another delicious breakfast at the Stilwell Hotel. There was a wide variety of small prepared items, and I enjoyed some eggs, yogurt, and pastries. We decided to stroll to the beach before packing and …

Friday, September 26, 2025 For my birthday, Inna arranged a weekend getaway to Carmel-by-the-Sea with tickets to the Monterey Jazz Festival on Saturday (a big, unexpected surprise for me). We finished work early, packed our suitcases, and started the drive to Carmel-by-the-Sea. Usually, it takes about 75 minutes to reach Carmel, but there was heavy traffic with multiple slowdowns. We eventually reached Carmel at 6:20 p.m.,…

Inna made one-day hotel reservations at the Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay  for the April 5 - 6 weekend. She wanted us to explore Monterey, Carmel, and Point Lobos Natural Reserve. Saturday, April 5, 2025 At around 09:30, we started our long drive to Monterey via US-101. Traffic was relatively light, and we arrived at the Alta Bakery & Cafe  at 10:35. We parked our Tesla Model Y and sat at an outdoor table nea…

We haven't been to Carmel-by-the-Sea in a while, so we decided to revisit it on Saturday.  After getting ready, we drove to Monterey at 09:30. We stopped for coffee and breakfast at the Alta Bakery & Cafe . We arrived at 10:30, parked nearby, and walked over. A long line stretched to the door, so we queued up. About twenty minutes later, we ordered a croissant sandwich with pastrami and sauerkraut ,  along with  …

On Sunday morning, Inn and I decided to visit Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. After packing our Tesla Model Y, Inna started the 80-minute drive to Monterey along Highway 101. Traffic was reasonably light, and we arrived in Monterey right on time, stopping for coffee at Captain + Stoker Cafe . There were excellent tennis courts nearby, and people were playing on them. I should have brought my tennis gear! After l…