Free And For Me

California girls trip?!   For years, I would be filled with a combination of excitement and hesitation when it came to taking a girls trip.  I was torn because I did not want to leave my kids behind.  This seemed like it was going to be a never-ending internal battle because my reasoning would be, my daughter was too young for me to leave her. When she was older I would think, my son was too young for me to leave him.   I would go on a few trips, but I would feel so guilty or I would miss them terribly.  Now they are 14 and 24 and I am ready to have some fun!

The funny thing is, my 24-year-old daughter somehow manages to join in on some of my girls trips.  That is when she is not with her girls.  I invited her to join me on my most recent all-girls trip to Carmel.  I know Carmel is one of her favorite places to visit and we both love Carrie, the owner of Hofsas House.

Carrie is an amazingly gracious host.  She is very welcoming and warm.  Over the years I have stayed at Hofsas House, a Carmel area hotel,  for a family vacation, my mother’s birthday and a couple of girls trips.   Carrie and her  staff want to make sure your entire trip is enjoyable.  They are eager to help you plan your day and they have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to things to do and places to eat.   Thanks to Carrie, every time I come to Carmel there is never have a dull moment.

We kicked off our weekend in Carmel, by checking into Hofsas House and then hitting the ground running.  Our first stop was an escape room experience at Escape Room 831.  This was absolutely the best escape room I have ever been to.

All of the escape rooms that I have visited in Southern California are not as nice and as cute as this one in Monterey.  Escape Room 831 has the Monterey vibe. I know people do not visit an escape room for the decor, but the decor was fabulous!   As far as the challenges, Alice’s Dream was very challenging.  As we immersed ourselves into the mystery we were all questioning our various educational degrees.   It did not help that a couple of us, who will remain nameless, had enjoyed a glass of welcome wine when we arrived at Hofsas House.  I could not believe it when we actually completed the mystery.

We were on a natural high after leaving Escape Room 831.  Completing the mystery was something to be celebrated.  Having reservations at the Beach House at Lovers Point immediately after was perfect. This is one of the best places to eat in Monterey California.  The escape room was less than five minutes away.  Whenever I dine here, I always order the Fire Cracker Shrimp, for starters.  It is my favorite!

While we waited for our entrees, at our table overlooking Lover’s Point, we enjoyed Fire Cracker Shrimp, Clam Chowder and the freshly baked bread and butter.  This was our vacation and we were allowing ourselves to cheat the entire weekend.  We could not resist ordering the Panko-San Dabs Almodine, Sirloin Steak & Prawns Scampi, and Rigotini with Pesto Cream and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.   It did not end there.  We also made room for dessert.  We were kicking off this girls trip right!

The night did not end there.  We headed to a rooftop restaurant in Carmel by the Sea.  I learned a couple of years ago that there are a couple of places that stay open later.  I learned this when I was not traveling with my son and daughter.  Now that my daughter is an adult she is able to appreciate the Carmel nightlife.

We spent our days visiting the amazing tasting rooms.   The Carmel by the Sea wineries are to be experienced even if you drink wine or not.  Every time I have visited Carmel I have met a few people at the tasting rooms.  Some I have kept in touch with.  During this trip, while visiting one of the tasting rooms, local Council member Tyller Williamson dropped in.

Carmel offers more than wine tastings.  I look forward to tasting olive oil while in Carmel by the Sea.  Everyone laughs when I insist on going to taste olive oil.  The joke is on them.  Each time, they are pleasantly surprised and it becomes there favorite as well.  I have tasted some of the best olive oil in Carmel.  Aside from that, I have learned new ways to enhance my meals.

Over the years, I have discovered the hidden walkways in Carmel.  There is one in particular that I could not remember how to find it.  I called Hofsas House and told them where I was and they guided me.  Mind you, they provided us with a map that we left in our room.  I am telling you, the staff at Hofsas knows everything.  They kept our vacation running smoothly.

You can always find some of the best seafood in Carmel and Monterey.  I had been wanting to try the Fondue dishes at Lugano’s Swiss Bistro but when I saw they had fish and chips on the menu that went out of the window.  I absolutely love fish and chips and had not eaten any during my entire trip.  I was kind of hesitant about ordering fish and chips since I had heard a couple of people say Lugano’s is known for their fondue.   The girls followed suit and ordered fish and chips as well.  When one of the other customers saw what we ordered he loudly and jokingly said, “What!  You did not order fondue!” Slightly embarrassed, I tasted my dish and was very pleased.  I did not care that the guy had loudly called us out.  We had made the right choice.  Next time I guess we will have to try the fondue.  If you are looking for fun restaurants in Carmel, try Lugano’s, even if you do not try the fondue.

Just as I raved about the olive oil tastings, I insisted on watching the sunset.  The sunsets in Carmel are amazingly beautiful.  People come with their beach chairs, blankets or just their bodies on the beach to watch the sunset.   This is when our trip turned into a girls beach getaway.

After the sunset, we headed back to the rooftop restaurant.  Earlier that day we ran into some people that told us about a restaurant that has music until 2:00 am.  We planned on going back to the rooftop first because it closes at 11:00 pm and then we were going to head to the next place.  As soon as the clock struck 11:00 pm we decided we would head back to our room.  We could not keep up with the Carmel nightlife.  Our day of fun had us exhausted.

On this girls trip, we enjoyed beautiful sunsets, wine tasting, delicious food, Carmel restaurants with ocean view and more.  The perfect end to our trip was dining at the California Market at Pacific’s Edge at the Hyatt Carmel. 

We were taken in by the breathtaking views and delicious, melt in your mouth food.  Everything we ate was absolutely delicious.  This was the best Carmel brunch!

This was the part of the trip when we wished we were staying another night.  Everything about our girls trip was amazing.

Carmel by the Sea is like a home away from home.  I discover something new every time.   Not just about the city, but I learn about my friends and family.  It is a great way to bond and is one of the best places for a girlfriend getaway.

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