Nicolas ARST

A little bit earlier this year, Ryan and I took a road trip in Norther California. On the way back to Laguna Beach, we stopped by Carmel-by-the-Sea and stayed for a couple of nights at the Carmel Valley Ranch.

Owned by the Hyatt Group, the Carmel Valley Ranch is a 500 acres oasis located in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains near Monterey and the majestic Big Sur.

If the rooms (despite the size of it, our was huge!) and common areas’ furnitures can be a bit outdated, most of the resort, especially the lobby, is absolutely charming and inviting.

The resort offers a bunch of great amenities: pools, spa, golf course, etc. To me, one of the best part of staying at the Ranch was the ubiquitous view of the Carmel Valley. And from the main pool, you can see the vineyards of the property. Oh and this place is dog friendly, Toulouse definitely enjoyed her stay as well!

On top of great amenities, The Ranch offers plenty activities on the property. I strongly recommend the Beekeping in their Organic Garden. The staff were absolutely passionated about their job, which is making the experience even more special. We asked what can be done, at our level, to keep protecting the bees. The staff’s answer was to make sure our garden contains plants that bees can feed on year round. In case you are interested :)

As I mentioned, we only stayed a couple of nights at the Carmel Valley Ranch (the resort is not cheap!) and we took the Pacific Coast Highway to come back home. The light was absolutely fantastic so I could not resist shooting Toulouse in the middle of the “Magic Purple Carpet”. Apparently, this phenomenon happens from April to end of May.

Until next time NorCal!