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I started writing this post from one of the most charming hotels I have stayed at! A majority of this post will be about the wonder that is Green Gables Inn on Ocean View Blvd. in Pacific Grove. Other parts will be about how we started the new year with some amazing views, great food and happy, hopeful hearts.

The drive from Paso Robles to Monterey (near Pacific Grove) was just under two hours. Once again, the route was scenic with puffy white clouds swimming across the vast blue canvas. The weather stayed cool and with the sun out, we didn’t need any layers in the car for the drive over. As soon as we hit Ocean View Blvd, I knew we were in for a treat if the hotel was anywhere on it. Thanks to Summer’s previous stay at one of the Four Sisters properties, we had gotten an excellent deal on Green Gables Inn for this trip. When we actually got to place, I was simply ecstatic.

The inn is a converted Victorian mansion built in 1888 with glasswork reminiscent of the era. It is the first of the Four Sisters properties to be converted into an inn back in the ’70s. As we walked into the lobby, I noticed 4 beautiful, simple chandeliers, each laced with a layer of shells. There is a fireplace, perhaps fed by a gas pipe, but it has the charm of a cabin-in-the-woods fireplace. The instrumental music added to the timeless vibe. Our check-in was easy and the hotel receptionist showed us around explaining the location of all amenities. And then came the icing on the cake. Our room – called the Chapel Room – had a direct view of the ocean before us. It was cozy, clean and the architecture sent us back to another era. The triangular high ceiling with wooden beams going across it made us feel like we were staying in a chapel indeed. Over the next three days, we spent a lot of time listening to the waves and taking in the magnificent view from our room, and from the inn lobby. It’s the kind of view I imagine all the fancy Gilded Age characters had from their Newport mansions.

We started our Pacific Grove vacation by taking a walk to Lighthouse Avenue, one of the cool streets of the area. Here we had lunch at Victorian Corner while taking in the laid-back ambiance of the neighborhood. We then made our way back to Ocean View Blvd where we took a stroll by the ocean. Around dusk, we ended up on Lighthouse Ave. again and Summer showed me the Gosby Inn, another one of the Four Sisters Inns where she had stayed during her last visit. Dinner was at the nearby Pacific Thai Cuisine and it consisted of some warm sake, Pad Thai and Tom Yum soup. Later, we drove around the street and spotted something called the Ice Cream Shoppe playing loud music. Naturally, we were intrigued – not enough to walk in but just enough to Google it. Turns out that it is a shop with a lot of ‘Beatles’ memorabilia and some decent ice cream.

We had breakfast at Green Gables the next morning as it was included in our package. I enjoyed the scrambled eggs, toast, maple syrup and some hot French Roast coffee, while Summer made the healthy choice of oats and fruit. This was followed by a shower in the private bathroom across the hallway (we were given a key) which was well-equipped with a fancy vanity section and cute shower room. We then took a 15-min drive to Carmel as recommended by our brother-in-law, Chris. That afternoon, we walked around some of the fancy streets flanked by humongous trees and trendy stores, had lunch in the patio of a lovely restaurant called Village Corner. It had a fire pit. Here, I tried something called the Mai Tai beer which tasted a lot like a regular IPA. Summer and I split a salad and a pizza while appreciating the European ambiance of this restaurant patio and the quiet streets around it.

Walking around some more, we were excited to spot names of my sisters-in-law and mother-in-law on stores and plaques. We visited Pilgrim Books, something Summer had seen on Instagram, and had a chat with the nice owner. After this, we drove to Asilomar looking for Phoebe’s Cafe but it was closed – we did spot a deer crossing the street though. Later in the evening, it started raining but we kept our dinner reservation at Fandango, one of the fancier places in town, where we had a delicious pasta and dessert.

The rest of our vacation was just spent relaxing, enjoying the marvelous space at the inn, and walking around Pacific Grove by the ocean. We walked to Lovers Point, where Summer saved me from the glare of some wild squirrels. We also took a 10-minute walk to Cannery Row – the more touristy part of this location. One of the highlights there was lunch at A Taste of Monterey. With huge, comfy sofa chairs placed right at the large glass window facing the bay, this restaurant had just the right ambiance for a leisurely vacation lunch. Our waitress, Elyse, was really sweet and also handed us some binoculars, that come attached with a picture sheet of marine life you can spot in the bay right from your seat. As we enjoyed our wine flight, salad and nachos, we were able to spot otters, dolphins, seagulls, pelicans, a row boat and a buoy. The otters were particularly cute, Summer thought. It was also quite magnificent to witness the changing colors of the sky as the weather changed from gloomy to gorgeous.

On our walk back, we visited Lighthouse Books where I picked up “The New Lifetime Reading Plan”. A quick trip to the Reusable Records store turned out to be quite fruitful as I got 4 records from talented artists for our new gramophone at home. I have been listening to these since my return and I can’t get over the beautiful voice of Joanie Sommers and one of my absolute favourites – Jim Croce.

We bid goodbye to the inn the next morning. I knew well that I will miss the natural sound of crashing waves, the extraordinary architecture of the Chapel Room, sights of jogging men and women, e-bikers, happy couples, but mostly – the water turning turquoise to deep blue to gray to pitch black with white waves during the course of the day. I was excited to get back home though, as I felt rejuventaed and ready for the New Year.

We stopped at Solvang for a day where walked around and hit our usual spots – Mortensen’s Bakery, the windmill, the Belgian Cafe for breakfast, and Olsen’s Bakery for some irrestible danishes. A new place we tried this time for dinner was Craft House at Hotel Corque. We quite liked the ambiance, cocktails and the food here. Summer was particularly impressed with the Gnocchi Alfredo.

The drive back to Los Angeles took around 2 hours 45 minutes on account of some traffic soon after we got out of Solvang. It was a plesant drive overall and a wonderful vacation that almost felt like our second honeymoon. I came back, as mentioned in the beginning, with joy in my heart and great energy and enthusiasm for the year to come.

Wishing anyone reading this a fantastic 2024!