Carmel-by-the-Sea: A Town with a Paw-sitive Attitude
Some towns reveal their character slowly, one little surprise at a time.
Carmel-by-the-Sea was like that for us.
The more we wandered through its streets, the more we discovered that this was no ordinary town.
Brick-paved lanes led us past cottages with crooked roofs, timbered walls, and gardens spilling over rustic fences.
Much of this fairytale look began in 1924, when local builder Hugh Comstock built a storybook cottage for his wife’s handmade rag dolls.
Who knew a dollhouse could help shape an entire town?
Carmel seemed determined to preserve its special character.
Residents have worked to protect its village feel.
Even today, the town has no streetlights and prohibits neon signs.
With trees lining the streets and hidden courtyards and passageways waiting to be explored, Carmel seems happy to keep the glare and garishness of the modern city at a comfortable distance.
And then we discovered the poodles!
We seemed to encounter them at every turn, as though Carmel had arranged its own four-legged parade.
One sported pink pom-poms.
When my wife admired another, its friendly owner handed her the leash.
For a moment, she had her very own Carmel poodle.
Our poodle encounters continued in The Carmel Pine Cone, the local newspaper.
Its Sandy Claws column featured Payton, a “nonstandard poodle” who disliked water… even though poodles are generally known for their love of swimming!
And the storybook feeling didn’t stop with the cottages.
Even the fire station, with its handsome stone facade and red doors, looked as though it belonged in the same fairy tale.
In Carmel, it seemed, even a fire station could have character!
Our brunch at Enzo was another delightful surprise.
The Italian restaurant made us feel as though we had stepped into Italy.
Above a crackling fireplace hung a striking Ferrari image, reportedly gifted to the owner by a collector and bearing an autograph.
Nearby, a picture declared, “I don’t need therapy. I just need to go to… ITALY.”
We settled for pizza, but the sentiment was hard to argue with!
I left remembering fairytale cottages, pampered poodles, and a town that was beautiful but also knew how to have fun.
With so many poodles leading the way, perhaps “paw-sitive attitude” was the perfect description!
