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Carmel and Santa Ynez Valley, CA

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On Thursday morning we picked up our new car rental at San Francisco Airport. This time we got a Kia Sportage. 


We headed south through Santa Cruz and the Monterey peninsula and arrived in Carmel-by-the-Sea in the afternoon. It was lovely to be back there as we really enjoyed it two years ago. It is a small beach city known for its laid-back vibe with lots of galleries, shops and fairy-tale houses on its tree-lined streets. 



Monday night saw a storm hit Carmel so the sea was quite wild the following morning as we walked on its famous white-sand, crescent beach. 








We visited Point Lobos State Nature Reserve, about 5 miles south of Carmel. This has long been considered the “crown jewel” of the California State Park system and is well worth a visit due to its breathtaking beauty and fascinating wildlife. Because the sea was very rough we were unable to see the many sea lions, sea otters, dolphins etc. 





We also drove south along Highway 1 as far as Big Sur and the views were stunning. 


The Bixby Bridge



Sunday morning saw us head inland and south towards the Santa Ynez Valley. We stopped at one of the many pumpkin patches along the way. We had visited this two years ago. 



We spent two nights in Solvang in the heart of the wine country. Solvang means “sunny field” in Danish and was founded in 1911 by three Danish-American educators. Denmark’s farm-style architecture is prominent as are a number of windmills. It is really quaint and you can almost imagine that you are in Denmark and not in California! The temperature reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit without benefit of a breeze!







 The countryside around is full of rolling hills covered in vines or olive trees. We also visited a couple other small towns in the wine country. 
Santa Ynez 

Santa Ynez 


Comments

  1. Phil24 October 2017 at 09:09

    Well ladies your almost homeward bound. What a journey. I went to Point Lobos about 20 years ago and I can still see the otters swimming around. It's one of my go to places when I am in relaxing mode!
    Safe traveling. Phil

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rosaleen26 October 2017 at 16:24

    Stunning photos of stunning places! It's almost as if you have landed in a different country. I wouldn't have thought you'd get those temperatures this late in the year but the autumn colours in Santa Ynez are really beautiful. That whole coastline must be magnificent. lap up all the sunshine you can get and enjoy the last few weeks. We'll all miss the blog! By the way I like the car - very California! Rosaleen

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bernadette30 October 2017 at 17:19

    I enjoyed following your journey through your blog— you really made it very interesting to read & the photos were amazing. Enjoy your last few days relaxing on the beach. Cheers, Bernadette

    ReplyDelete

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