doc on Location

By David P. Diaz

[For more photos of Doc's visit to the cities of Carmel by the Sea and Monterey, be sure to view the Carmel and Monterey Slideshow.]

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article on my trip to the beautiful Carmel Valley Ranch in California and I described my dinners at the Citronelle Restaurant. That exemplary culinary experience at the Citronelle was just one of the highlights of my trip. Besides my stay at the Carmel Valley Ranch and dinners at the Citronelle, I wandered through the quaint coastal city of Carmel by the Sea and walked the Coastal stretch of Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. Both of these cities have much to offer the traveler.

Dick Hardin, Proprietor, Carmel Pipe Shop

CARMEL BY THE SEA

Since check-in time at the Carmel Valley Ranch was 4:30 pm, I decided to start my trip with a quick tour of Carmel and Monterey. Leaving my home at a reasonable hour, I took the easy 3-hour drive up Highway 101 and arrived in Carmel just after the lunch hour. Of course, my first order of business was to find the local tobacconist. Using Google and the Map application on my iPhone I immediately got lost and couldn't find my destination. However, as fate would have it, I walked right past the shop after having given up the chase and settled on window-shopping at the other downtown points of interest.

PHOTO: Cigars on display inside the Carmel Pipe Shop

The Carmel Pipe Shop is not much bigger than a hobbit cubby, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in diversity. You will find all manner of pipes, cigars and accessories. Owner, Dick Hardin, is just the second owner of this shop and he has been in residence for over 30 years. Dick carries pipes and does pipe repairs. In fact, I purchased a nice Savinelli pipe at a very reasonable price. He also has a wide selection of Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan cigars. The Carmel Pipe Shop is easy to find. It's just off the main street: Ocean. You just turn left on Ocean as you head toward the ocean and you'll find the shop in the first block on the right hand side.

PHOTO: the Carmel Hat Company

After leaving the Carmel Pipe Shop I headed back for Ocean Ave and began to look for interesting shops. As many of you may know, I collect hats and am rarely seen without a cap, fedora or panama on my head. So, I was naturally intrigued when I passed the sign for The Carmel Hat Company. This hat shop also resides in a small burrow-like store, but as with the Carmel Pipe Shop, there was a goodly assortment of hat-wear to be found. I ended up buying two hats: a short-brimmed woven summer hat and a beret. If you like interesting hats, be sure to stop by the Carmel Hat Company and look over the many styles and varieties of hats for both men and women.

Another nice stop is The Cheese Shop, located in the Carmel Plaza (lower level). Opened in Carmel in 1975, The Cheese Shop carries a cornucopia of cheeses from around the world, and an equally impressive array of wines, with special emphasis on the great wines made in the Central and Northern California Coasts.

Last year, they also opened a new shop in Santa Barbara, California; located downtown in the Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center on State Street just opposite of Nordstroms & the Men's Banana Republic. The new store carries on The Cheese Shop tradition of providing a wide selection of the finest cheeses and wines in the world. They also offer wine tasting, wines by the glass and cheese plates. And, of course, are happy to ship delectable's right to your door.

Another store that I like to visit when in Carmel, is the Carmel Cutlery. I grew up around knives, since my father was a butcher. My dad had many knives; some for work, some for sport, some for carrying in your pocket. As a result, I have always carried a knife with me and have enjoyed picking up new knives when traveling.

The Carmel Cutlery has been in downtown Carmel (1-block off Ocean) for over 20 years. They carry a very nice selection of production knives including Global, Laguiole, Al Mar, Bowker, Case, and MANY others. They also carry custom knives, cooking knives and other accessories.

Well, with pipe, hat and knife purchases under my belt, and with still a couple of hours to kill before checking in at the resort, I decided to take a quick drive over to Monterey, just 5-10 minutes down the road from Carmel.

MONTEREY: OLD FISHERMAN'S WHARF

Monterey, California is the home of Old Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, and more recently, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But my sightseeing tour was a bit more focused on cigars, food, libations and other hobbies that my wife generically refers to as "guy stuff."

PHOTO: Tourists stroll through Old Fisherman's Wharf

The first order of business was food. I didn't eat much in the morning and by 2:00 pm I was running out of gas in my tank. Fisherman's Wharf is a great place to pick up a bowl of clam chowder, a shrimp cocktail, or even a slice of pizza pie. I took the former as I strolled out among the rest of the tourists to enjoy the view on the Wharf. Having my fill of chowder and site seeing, I set out to find the smoke shops I visited on my last trip to Monterey. Unfortunately, of the two near Fisherman's Wharf, one was no longer in business and the other converted itself into a cigarette store, with a meager supply of stogies. Ah well, such is life; especially in a town whose anti-tobacco restrictions do not allow smoking in public places, with NO EXEMPTIONS for tobacco shops.

PHOTO: "Texas" serving wines at Wine from the Heart

On my way back to the wharf, having struck out for cigar shops thus far, I came across a very promising shop called: Wine from the Heart. This wine shop/tasting room was located just a couple of blocks from the wharf and I couldn't resist the ambiance. With a nicely appointed bar and tasting room, this wine shop looked like it would be a fine place to rest my weary feet and enjoy a taste or two of wine. I met and chatted with "Texas," an amiable and easy-going Texan (ya think?!) who I spent the next couple of hours in conversation with. I like this wine shop, which has bar stools and tables, where you can order wines by the glass or simply try tastes of the different wines available. I stayed until it was just about time to check in at my hotel. I had to leave the rest of Monterey unexplored for the day and, in fact, I didn't return to Monterey for the remainder of my all too short trip.

By the way, there ARE cigar shops still operating in Monterey, like Cool Cat Cigars, though I did not visit them this time around. Still, Carmel by the Sea and Monterey are great places to visit and you would do well not to miss either of these historic and quaint destinations.

PLACES TO VISIT IN CARMEL AND MONTEREY

Cannery Row, Monterey, CA: http://www.canneryrow.com

Carmel Cutlery: http://www.carmelcutlery.com

Carmel Valley Ranch: http://www.carmelvalleyranch.com

Carmel Pipe Shop: (831) 624-9737

Cool Cat Cigars: http://www.coolcatcigars.com

Monterey Bay Aquarium: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org

Old Fisherman's Wharf: http://www.montereywharf.com

The Carmel Hat Company: http://carmelhatcompany.com

The Cheese Shop: http://www.thecheeseshopinc.com

Wines from the Heart: http://www.winesfromtheheart.com

Carmel and Monterey in California

Thursday, July 2, 2009