What are some of the things I’ve missed most about this past year? One thing, obviously, is the feeling of safety, what that means, and how do we accomplish it. It’s been a challenge for myself and my family, but in many ways we are finally seeing the sun through the dark clouds.  Mostly though, I’ve missed travel.  The ability to get in a car, or on a plane and take off on an adventure.  Recently, I found myself traveling back to Carmel by the Sea, thanks to a wonderful invitation.  Just me and my husband, alone, outside of our home, for a full 3 days.  The renewed joy we both felt was overwhelming because it comes with some hesitation and some extra planning.  This new way to travel includes extra precaution and safety measures to follow, but Carmel by the Sea gave us that reassurance that will have us coming back often.

The Hofsas House Hotel welcomed us back with open (safely distanced) arms.  Right off the bat, the signage at the hotel promotes mask wearing and the staff was clad in face coverings.  Their check-in process was the same only with gestures like sanitizer on the desk and the mention that housekeeping will be by with towels as needed, but a full room cleaning doesn’t happen. Perks of the continental breakfast and delightful pastries are still available just with a few simple modifications.

With the health protocol learned, we were off to enjoy our stay in room 36.  Our large balcony looked out over the property, the pool, a new gorgeous mural, and on a clear day a peek at the Pacific.  The room’s door and headboard (and the aforementioned mural) is newly beautified by Marie-Clare Treseder Gorham, the artist-in-residence who has also updated the original mural of Maxine Albro in all of it’s Bavarian-styled glory.

A highlight of our visit was meeting up with owner, Carrie Theis about running a hotel in one of the biggest tourism areas of California during a pandemic.  We’ve met Carrie before and she’s like one of the family.  She was adamant to say that the business had to keep going this past year especially for her employees, as they’ve always been loyal to her.  My eyes stung and I became misty-eyed as this only made me love this precious pink gem of a hotel even more!

Don’t forget to take a walk around the front of the hotel, their flowers are blossoming and just add to the charm!

During our stay, we explored Carmel by the Sea on foot.  Signs along Ocean Avenue will keep visitors aware that masking is required throughout the town, in stores, and restaurants while you’re not eating or drinking.  Sidewalks were busy even during the middle of the week, and distanced lines were marked outside of many shops.  We grabbed some cocktails at one of our favorites, Vesuvio Carmel, here we could head to the rooftop with lots of open space and be warmed by standing heaters.

My husband recommends the Old Fashioned, and if you haven’t tried their meatball lollipops, Sgt. Pepe’s 1944 lasagne, veggie-risotto arancini, or San Vito pizza, get over there as soon as possible you won’t be disappointed!

We visited Cafe Carmel for lunch during our stay and lo and behold, another gorgeous mural by Marie-Clare graces the wall inside!

Their glass partitions, use of distancing markers, sanitizer, and indoor and outdoor seating make it easy to feel comfortable at meal time.  We opted to sit outside in their parklet and enjoy their roast beef sandwich and Primavera panini, both were flavorful and filling, we’d have to come back for their many desserts and coffee!

We belong to two wine clubs in Carmel by the Sea, and one close to the Hofsas is DeTierra Vineyards.  Along with our quarterly wine shipments, my husband and I ordered DeTierra wine regularly to our home.  In a normal year, we’d drive the 40 minutes to pick up our favorite bottles, but we kept a strict close-to-home routine.  This outing was 14 months in the making and we were thrilled at their partial indoor seating arrangement.  One of our favorite things about their tasting room is the two spots near the windows.  Even on cooler days, you can sit by them and they are wide open.  In pre-covid times, a blanket was offered, but now a floor heater can help keep you warm but also let in that fresh sea air we all crave. Servers were masked, tastings were offered in a fun, “scientific” sort of style, and again you see sanitizer and distancing in place.

Our stay in Carmel by the Sea and at the Hofsas House Hotel was incredible and it just gave us that itch to travel again.  The care and mutual respect everyone is paying to the area has us feeling so safe and confident of a wonderful experience. Since that trip, we’ve already returned to the seaside town for a Mother’s Day outing with lunch at the Hog’s Breath.  Next on our list will be dinner at the Baja Cantina and wine tasting at Scheid Vineyards….I really have missed these beloved places!

This post is 100% my honest opinion, we traveled as guests of the Hofsas House Hotel and were hosted at Cafe Carmel, all other expenditures were our own.