Carmel Again

It‘s not my first time to the dance, but a recent event brought me to Carmel-by-the-Sea again. Its impeccable white-sand beach in the morning never ceases to amaze. Yet, this trip was action-packed with an opening tour of the Carmel Mission, one of California’s preserved treasures dating to 1793, still standing with its Spanish Colonial splendor.

A group of about 100 then ascended to a reception at Hyatt Carmel Highlands, located just south of the awe-inspiring Point Lobos State Reserve. A lobby lounge provided an initial gathering place, followed by a balconied smaller room for food and entertainment—as if the cliff-top views of the Pacific Ocean weren’t enough.

For one dinner, The Forge in the Forest fit the bill with hearty American fare, including Cobb salad, pasta and meatballs, and a three-tier tower with prawns prepared three ways. The restaurant has several rooms and a patio totaling 8,000 sq. ft.

For a final event, many gathered at the Inn at Spanish Bay, known for its over-the-top golf course that entertains the pros each year for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am tournament. The outdoor terrace lounge holds small groups clustered around fire pits. Time it so you catch the bagpiper playing as the sun sets over the links at Spanish Bay.

—Josef Aukee

Image: Carmel Mission