Summers in Carmel

When my husband asked me what I wanted to do for my 60th birthday, I really had to think about it. The idea of celebrating with family and friends sounded wonderful, but I was longing for something a bit different. Life had been hectic lately and I wanted peace and quiet—the kind of peace and quiet that eases your mind and soothes your soul. In other words, I wanted to go to the ocean. When I explained it to my husband, he did what any amazing husband would do, he quickly planned a get-away in Carmel, California. It would be just the two of us, by the sea, for a relaxing weekend. It sounded perfect.

By 10:00 o’clock Saturday morning, we were headed to the coast. We packed our sweatshirts, flip flops, ball caps, books, and an ice chest full of water, snacks, and champagne. Woohoo!

Much to my delight, as soon as we got on the freeway, my husband turned on an audio version of the book “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway. Time seemed to slip away as we drove and listened to William Hurt’s sultry voice narrate brilliantly. As I followed the story, my eyes drifted to the hills that were thick with eucalyptus trees and even though we weren’t quite there yet, I could already smell the clean, coastal air.

Another twenty minutes passed and then, like a beautifully wrapped gift on Christmas morning, the ocean appeared and I could barely contain my excitement. I was overjoyed!

We checked into our hotel, quickly changed clothes, and headed into town. For whatever reason, Carmel was packed with people, so we took a drive along the water, stopped to eat, and had a marvelous afternoon. That night we left the hotel balcony door open so the fresh coastal breeze could lull us to sleep, and it did exactly that. We were the good kind-of-tired, and sleep came easy.

I woke up extra early feeling rested and relaxed—a great start to my first day as a 60-year-old. Typically, when we travel, Darwin’s responsible for our morning coffee, but I was eager to get outside so I volunteered to go. It was a short walk to the lobby but I took my time, enjoying the quiet and morning dew that glistened on the succulents and colorful flowers that were planted everywhere. I was the first customer of the day so the coffee was ready quickly— a tall Americano for Darwin, and a double cappuccino for me. The first sip tasted like heaven.

It was a beautiful morning with high clouds and gray skies. The air was crisp and cool— perfect weather for shorts and a sweatshirt. By 7:30 am we were seated at a booth devouring a delicious breakfast at a diner in Monterey called “The Butter House.” With a name like that, you know the food is good! If you’re ever in the area you should go—they serve breakfast and lunch and have excellent service, fantastic food, and the folks are lovely.

After breakfast, we headed to the beach and walked along the shore in a comfortable silence, enjoying the sounds of birds singing and waves crashing beneath our feet. We stayed for hours and I lost track of time because it didn’t matter what time it was. Eventually we headed back to the hotel, and Darwin napped while I read. We seldom get to enjoy such relaxing afternoons and I was grateful for it. A few wonderfully lazy hours later, we showered, dressed, and headed back into town. It was Sunday, so the crowd that was there on Saturday must have gone home and I was happy about that—I’m not big on crowds.

We moseyed along the streets of Carmel, weaving in and out of the stores, enjoying every bit of the beautiful scenery. Darwin led the way into a bar/restaurant called “A.W. Shucks” and ordered us each a bowl of hot clam chowder that came with the kind of French bread that melts in your mouth. It was toasted, warm, and delicious. There’s something about being at the coast and eating French bread dipped in clam chowder—one of life’s simple pleasures for sure. Side note:  Add A.W. Shucks to the list of places to go along with The Butter House for the next time you’re in the Monterey/Carmel area. You’re welcome!

Back to the story…

We walked and walked and then decided to make our way towards the restaurant Darwin selected for dinner—an Italian place that has a gorgeous rooftop patio and apparently the best spaghetti in the world, but before I talk about our fantastic dinner, let me tell you about the park.

As we were headed to eat the famous spaghetti, something felt oddly familiar about the area where we were walking. I stopped, looked around, smiled, and told Darwin I remembered this place from family vacations when I was a young girl.

Me: “There’s going to be a park up on the left and an Orange Julius on the corner across from the park.”

Darwin: “How do you know that?”

Me: “Because back in the 70’s, Mom and Dad took me and Martha here in the summer, and we stayed in a little cottage up the street. Martha and I hung out at the park with cute boys we met, and I remember going to the Orange Julius every single day.”

As Darwin and I walked through the park, the memories came flooding in…

Martha and I were young—she was in junior high and I was in 6th grade the first time we went. Dad was a teacher, so when summer came, we usually drove across the states to visit family in Texas, or for shorter trips, we spent a week in a little cottage they rented here in Carmel. I remember Martha and I shared a room with two twin beds, and the kitchen was small and bright with lots of windows. Martha and I did as we pleased and would leave in the morning for an entire day of adventure. On the first trip there, we met a group of boys that were nice and fun to hang out with. Every time we visited, the boys showed up and we always looked forward to seeing them.

I remember spending too much time and energy trying to tame my hair because it would get extra poofy and frizzy from the ocean air. And I remember laughing a lot. Martha and I used to get uncontrollable giggles and it annoyed our parents but we didn’t care, we just kept laughing. Everything seemed funny back then! We smoked things we shouldn’t have smoked, sipped on beer, and I remember those delicious Orange Julius drinks that tasted like creamsicles in a cup. And there was one particular night I will never forget—on a dare, me, my sister, and the boys decided to pick up a Volkswagen bug that was parked on the street and lift it onto the grass at the park. I don’t know why we did it, but I remember laughing the entire time. I think we were all surprised that we managed to lift it. Once the tires hit the grass, everyone looked a bit surprised and then, as if the realization hit that we might actually get in trouble, we all scattered like thieves in the night. The next morning, we met at our usual place in the park, and the Volkswagen was gone. Everyone seemed a bit nervous at first, but soon we were all laughing, wishing we could have seen the owner’s face when they saw their car in the park. (Note: This was obviously a terrible idea and if, by chance, the owner of that Volkswagen happens to read this, we are so sorry!) #oopsie

Still walking through the park with Darwin, I sent Martha a text…

Me: “I’m at the park in Carmel by the Orange Julius that is now an indoor motorcycle shop.”

Martha: “Are the boys still there?!”

Martha again: “Remember when we picked up that car off the street and put it in the park?!”

Me, laughing now: “YESSSSSS. I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU REMEMBER!”

Martha: “YES! Did we go every summer for years, or just a few times?”

Me: “I have no idea. I just remember the cottage, the park, the boys, Orange Julius, and my frizzy hair.”

Martha: “Same.”

Martha and I exchanged a few more texts and I was struck by the fact that we both held the same memories. Was it because we had so much fun? Was it that memorable? Or was it just a special time in our lives that we never wanted to forget? I couldn’t help but laugh because here I am, 60 years old, walking through the same park and remembering that we were once young girls without a care in the world. The thought of those times spread warmth throughout my body like the sun peeking through the clouds on a cold, winter day. It felt good and special and even though we made bad decisions and did massively foolish things, there was an innocence that I remember. We weren’t worried about anything; we were just a bunch of kids having fun. Can you imagine if we could capture that feeling to bring with us into our adult years? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

The gentle tug of Darwin’s hand brought me back into the present and I was grateful for it because I didn’t want to miss a thing. As we walked, I slipped my phone into my purse, and tucked my memories back into my heart so I could soak in every moment of this beautiful evening with my husband.

We climbed the stairs up to the rooftop patio that was lavishly draped with green vines full of pink and white flowers that framed the view of the street perfectly. We sat at a high table for two, but there were couches and chairs thoughtfully arranged around fire pits with heated electric flames that flickered yellow and blue. I watched as couples and families seemed to be really enjoying themselves and noticed a mother and daughter sharing a plate full of pizza, drinking champagne, and having a grand time. The atmosphere was lively and joy filled the air. I was having so much fun I didn’t want the evening to end.

All that to say, I had an incredible birthday. Oh, and I ended up ordering the crab ravioli—Darwin got the spaghetti and shared it with me. Mom’s spaghetti will always be my favorite, so I can’t say this dish was THE best spaghetti in the world, but let me tell you, it was really good. Actually, it was better than really good, it was absolutely delicious and so were my raviolis. Be sure to add “The Vesuvio” to your list of restaurants if you’re ever in Carmel—I promise you will love it.

Cheers to weekend get-aways, mom’s spaghetti, cute boys, treasured memories, delicious food, and to the glorious ocean that always soothes my soul.