Manic: Hopefully life is not as manic lately as the school year is winding down, but for a lot of parents, we become a busy travel agent as we launch into planning a summer get-away (ahhh…how nice does that word sound?!).
Managed: Remembering that I did an entire California road trip series on this website last summer and since so many of my readers and subscribers are new this year, I have decided to run a few of those travel pieces from last year. So if you are considering traveling to California, you have got to know about this treasured resort tucked deep into beautiful Carmel, California!
Last summer my family took a scenic road trip that took us from Phoenix through Santa Monica, California up to Carmel, on to San Francisco and then back down again. It was a wonderful trip that our family will never forget, especially our favorite stop in Carmel.
After a scenic, but long drive from the second leg of our 1700 mile road trip, which was from LA to Carmel, we were ready to get there. And all we wanted to do was eat and sleep! So we called the resort two hours before our arrival to confirm that our room was ready and that food was available. We were surprised to learn that this property only has one restaurant and that it closes at 9 p.m. So we ordered over the phone and when we arrived at 9:30 p.m., our food was ready!
And when we did arrive, my family of four got our second wind because the resort was lovely, the grounds were scenic and Carmel was simply beautiful! And the resort that we stayed in….well this is my new favorite place to stay in California! It’s called Carmel Valley Ranch Resort and it quite simply, rocks! I’ll let my pictures tell the rest of the story….
- Arriving at Carmel Valley Ranch Resort
- A welcoming swing greets us in front of the lobby and my daughter is thrilled!
- My favorite road trip picture as we cross the bridge that leads us to our room.
- Our room, which turned out to be more like a spacious apartment! It was awesome!
- Our back porch view. Carmel is beautiful!
- The spacious and beautiful grounds. My camera didn’t capture the wild turkeys and deer we saw in the distance. Very cool!
And this property had a beautiful pool area, incredible food and even a friendly dog named Roxi! And we met some fun and kind folks from Dubai for after dinner drinks for us and marshmallow roasting for the kids! A terrific time was had by all!
- Roxy helping customers. My daughter fell in love with her!
Yep, we loved Carmel Valley Ranch Resort so much that this part of our road trip turned into to days 3, 4 and 5 because we extended our stay here before heading to busy San Francisco. It was relaxing, quiet and beautiful and yet, there were plenty of activities for our kids, too. I highly recommend this resort if you ever visit Carmel.
It is pricy, but we secured a good deal with our American Express card that included free breakfast, a $100 credit towards golf or the spa, a free room upgrade and a 4pm late check-out. Check with your American Express card services about that discount package the next time you plan to travel.
Stay tuned for my next road trip post. I will post another one in a few days from last summer’s road trip adventure to give you some ideas on where to go when you visit the beautiful state of California!
***No compensation was provided in any form whatsoever for this travel piece. The opinions are 100% mine.***
