How to enjoy Carmel on $50 a day
While San Benito County is land-locked, local residents can
enjoy an affordable day at the coast with Carmel at the center for
$50 or less
– all in one day. Though Carmel might be known for its frou-frou
art galleries and expensive shops, it’s a great place to catch an
affordable lunch in between two beautiful scenic spots that offer
the best of California’s coastal views. My friends and I recently
set out to prove it can be done.
How to enjoy Carmel on $50 a day
While San Benito County is land-locked, local residents can enjoy an affordable day at the coast with Carmel at the center for $50 or less – all in one day. Though Carmel might be known for its frou-frou art galleries and expensive shops, it’s a great place to catch an affordable lunch in between two beautiful scenic spots that offer the best of California’s coastal views. My friends and I recently set out to prove it can be done.
Despite rain the day before – and it being mid-November – the skies stayed clear as we entered Monterey County with none of the ordinary morning fog. We arrived at our first stop, the scenic 17-Mile Drive by 9:30 a.m., early enough to miss most of the tourist traffic. Entrance to the private road cost $9 a carload – just $3 a person for my group. While the shopping and golfing is pricey, the sight-seeing is free.
The coastal stops include the famous Lone Cypress, as well as Spanish Bay, China Rock and Pescadero Point. At Cypress Point, visitors learn that it was originally named “Cape Snow” by a Spanish explorer in 1542. Historians say the green forest may have been dotted with snow back then, when temperatures were cooler than now.
Spanish Bay is always a favorite stop along the way with its long, stretch of white sand and a wooden boardwalk along the rockier outcrops. The stop is dog-friendly and even provides free mutt mitts to keep the beach clean of Rover’s messes. The abundance of dogs, however, can scare off other wildlife, especially birds.
One of the fun things about any trip to the Carmel area is admiring – or sometimes gawking – at the million-dollar homes along the cost. After exiting the 17-Mile Drive, my friends and I took a drive up Scenic Road to take in all the eccentric architecture along the road. A Snow White cottage for $2.5 million, anyone?
We stopped in Carmel-by-the-sea for lunch, a good option for those who want a tasty treat of the local fare without paying dinner prices. For lunch we found a bustling corner bistro, The Village Corner, which offered indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for indoor and enjoyed a sandwhich selection for under $9 a person. Our orders included a portabella and fresh mozzarella sandwhich on focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes, a club sandwich and a Greek gyro.
The bright-colored restaurant has a cozy atmosphere complete with fresh flowers on each table and offers a great breakfast menu until 11:30 a.m.
After lunch, and a stop at the Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Co., one of the few coffee stops that didn’t “proudly serve Starbucks coffee,” we continued south along Hwy. 1 to the Point Lobos State Reserve. Again for just $9 a carload, we had access to the miles of hiking trails and all the sites of the coastal reserve.
Point Lobos could easily take up a full day. It is home to a variety of wildlife and native plants. At one spot, we watched sea otters eating a late lunch and rolling with each wave. Trails loop around small parking areas so visitors can enjoy a specific stop or extend their hike for miles. Along the dirt paths, visitors get a closer view of the ocean, native plants and animals. The salty sea air mixed with the smell of fennel and lavender along the path between Hidden Beach and Gibson Beach. While much of the coastline at Point Lobos is rocky and cliff-like, small, sandy alcoves such as Gibson Beach have steep wooden stairs leading to the shore for those brave enough to take them.
All-in-all we had a great lunch, saw the coast on a sunny day, and except for the traffic on the way home, enjoyed a relaxing time away from home.
For more information, visit these Web sites:
17-Mile-Drive
www.pebblebeach.com/
Point Lobos State Reserve
http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us/
Village Corner
www.carmelsbest.com
