This post is sponsored. All opinions are my own.
My family and I recently had the amazing opportunity to travel on a press trip to the Carmel by the Sea/Monterey area. We hadn’t been away on a vacation as a family of four yet and we were very excited to say the least. I grew up traveling the world with my family and luckily I married a man that also loves travel as much as I do. But unlike anything I have experienced before, traveling with young children is very a unique experience and I have to remind myself that not everything will go as planned. Traveling now as a mom I need to be prepared for everything, but that’s pretty much parenting, whether you are traveling or not, right?
We packed our car to the brim with literally everything but the kitchen sink – I tried but my husband had to cut me off! I am an over-packer my nature, and as a mom, that has only intensified with making sure I have everything I actually need and everything else for “just in case!” We started our journey with a 7 hour road trip up the California Coast with high hopes and lots of snacks and activities to keep everyone busy and entertained. We packed sandwiches the night before to save money and time from stopping for lunch along the way and I even packed some special toys, coloring books, and iPad in case of an emergency!
We weren’t sure how our one year old would do in the car for that long, but he ended up doing better than our four year old daughter, who after about 2 hours kept asking about every five minutes if we were almost there! In her defense, it helped that our son took a two-hour nap along the way, so she technically had a longer ride up than he did. And despite our efforts not to stop along the way, we had to make a quick pit stop to stretch our legs and for a bathroom stop. We did pack the training potty just in case our daughter had to go more often, which came in handy more than once on the trip, but it just didn’t cut it for the adults. May I suggest that if you are on a road trip and want a guaranteed clean and private bathroom/changing table, visit your local Starbucks. That way, you know you will have a quiet space to yourself instead of having to stop at a random gas station, fast food establishment, or rest stop!
We finally arrived at our host inn, The Hofsas House right before sunset. The Hofsas House is a beautiful and quiant boutique style family-owned inn built in 1948 with 38 total rooms in the heart of Carmel-by-the-Sea! When you first drive in you will see the famous mural painted by Maxine Albro in 1957 (see photo above). It is located three blocks north of Ocean Avenue, where the majority of the restaurants, art galleries, and retail boutiques are located. And it is also only eight blocks from the ocean and only one block from a city playground! It is very family friendly and is located in a prime location to walk anywhere you need once you arrive.
Since it is a small intimate inn, you are treated as a priority when you are a guest. The entire staff is very helpful and friendly. The property and the rooms were very quiet and clean, two important things I always look for when traveling with young children. The inn itself also has a complimentary continental breakfast each morning with juice, coffee, fruit, and pastries – my daughter was after my own heart when she picked out a chocolate croissant each morning. There is also a heated swimming pool, which we did take advantage of when we were there, and one of the only swimming pools in the whole area of Carmel because the inn has so much room on their property. They even have a conference room and a mens’ and womens’ dry sauna! There is also free WI-FI, which as a blogger and inn-fluencer, came in quite handy for the trip! And for anyone traveling with their family pet, most rooms are even dog friendly!!
When we arrived we were warmly greeted with a welcome letter, maps of the city, complimentary wine tasting tickets, restaurant vouchers, and even tickets to the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. We were also given a complimentary bottle of local wine and a variety of local cheeses!
Since we were traveling as a family, we were given a large two bedroom, two bathroom suite with a fireplace, a kitchenette with a refrigerator and microwave, and a private balcony where we could watch the sunset every evening!
Each room has Dutch doors so we could enjoy fresh air and an ocean view while keeping the kids safely inside the room! And since the kids go to bed earlier than my husband and me, I always try to get a room where I can put the kids in their own sleeping space. My daughter loved having her own room and her own bathroom! Our suite was so spacious and we loved it! We even had room for our North States SuperYard ColorPlay so our son could safely play in the room in a large space of his own!
Once my husband made multiple trips up the stairs with all of our luggage in tow, we walked into town. I loved being able to walk to dinner and not have to get back in the car. And it was only a few short minutes before we arrived at The Hog’s Breath Inn, a quaint and intimate restaurant that used to be owned by Clint Eastwood. We chose to sit outside because the ambiance was so pretty with all of the trees, lights, and multiple fireplaces. Luckily they also had heat lamps because it was a little chilly, especially when the wind blew. Even though there was no official kids’ menu, they do offer children sized meals for a fraction of the cost when asked. My husband ordered a steak, I ordered the Sand Dabs, and the kids shared the spaghetti! Everything was delicious and we would definitely revisit this restaurant and recommended it to anyone visiting the area. By the time we finished dinner, it was bedtime for the kids in their room while my husband and I watched a movie in our room!
The next morning we ventured off to the Monterey area to visit the aquarium, which was only a short 6 miles from the inn, which was only a 15 minute drive away! We meant to get an early start, but that didn’t happen, so by the time we got in the car and started driving, our son fell asleep for a nap a few minutes once we were on the road. Remember when I said that things won’t always go as planned? We knew this would probably be his only chance to nap all day, so we changed route and decided to do the 17-Mile Drive first to enjoy the views while he slept as long as possible. The cost to get into this scenic route is $10.25 and make sure to have cash on you because they won’t take anything else! The views of the beach and golf courses were stunning to say the least. The ocean was so blue, the sand so white, and the grass so green! One minute you are looking at seals and then the next you are driving through tall trees and over cliffs. The drive is definitely worth the time and the money when you are in the area.
By the time we were done with the scenic drive part of our day, our son woke up just in time to have lunch before visiting the aquarium. I have been visiting Monterey since I was a little girl and growing up my family and I have been eating at the same restaurant almost every time we were in town, so I kept the tradition going and took my family to the same place! It is called Cooper’s Pub, and I recommend getting the fish n chips!
Next we were on to Monterey Bay Aquarium. As a child, I have the best memories of this aquarium and I was so excited to share one of my favorite places in the world with my children. From the famous sea otter exhibit to the plentiful jellyfish tanks, we saw every sea creature from a seahorse to a shark! We saw sea turtles, touched starfish, and even said hello to Dory and Nemo! There are so many interactive areas for children to explore and learn around the aquarium and they even have a child’s play area and an infant play area for the babies! And if you have the time, you can sit down and see a show, an animal feeding, watch the views of the bay, or even eat at their cafe! It is the largest aquarium I have ever been to and the most beautiful. We can’t wait to go back again one day when they our children are a little older!
Did I mention that the picturesque bay on the back patio area is breathtaking? It is definitely a phenomenal spot for photos and sea life spotting! I can’t tell you how many times I have seen sea otters swimming in their natural habitat or even spotted a whale!
That evening, Lugano Swiss Bistro hosted our Family Fun-Due dinner. This quaint, sweet Swiss Bistro makes you feel right at home. And I felt like I was back in Switzerland again with the authentic décor and ambiance. The service was excellent and the food was decadent.
The kids shared the hot dog and fries meal (luckily it came with two hot dogs) and my husband and I shared the Four Course Fondue Sampler.
The first course was a Romaine Salad with House Dressing, which was light and delicious. My husband asked for pepper on his salad and boy did he get some!
The second course was the Swiss Original Cheese Fondue with Gruyere, Emmenthaler, and Appenzeller Cheese. During this course you were given bread and apples and we even tried dipping our kids’ French fries!
The third course was the Chicken and Beef Fondue that you cooked yourself in a burgundy wine broth. During this course you were also given potatoes, steamed vegetables, and 5 dipping sauces: Horseradish, Peanut, Sesame Hoisin, Barbeque, and Calypso.
And finally we had dessert! We dipped lady fingers, marshmallows, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, and cantaloupe in a blend of milk and dark Swiss chocolate fondue!
We all had a great time and would definitely recommend other families to come here!
The next day my husband took our daughter to the Dennis the Menace Playground in Monterey, just 4 miles away from the inn and approximately a 10 minute drive. I stayed behind with my son during his naptime and was also able to take a nap of my own, too! They said it was a child wonderland with so many things to do and see. They even took a ride on a paddle boat!
When they returned, we walked into town as a family and perused the many art galleries, boutiques, and shops. They have a toy store and a library in the heart of town and we even made some friends at the local Fire Station! They saw us looking at the fire truck outside and kindly let us inside and gave a tour of the trucks and even gave the kids fire hats and stickers!
The inn also generously gave us a 2 for 1 wine tasting coupon for one of the local wineries called Dawn’s Dream Winery. I wanted to go to this particular winery because I love a company that gives back. For every sale they make, a small percentage is automatically donated to Rising International, a local non-profit that supports women locally and globally to rise out of extreme poverty. Other portions of Dawn’s proceeds to go Voices for Children of Monterey County, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Club. The service we received was perfect (he was great with the kids, too), the wines were all spectacular, and I was so impressed that they had coloring books and crayons for the kids to play with while we were there.
We grabbed some food to-go on our walk back to The Hofsas House and called it a night.
The next morning we packed up the car, stopped by the 5th Avenue Deli to use the gift card we were gifted for some sandwiches, salads, and snacks for the way home and went on our way. This trip was definitely and unforgettable one. In a small, upscale, beach town it was nice to find so many hidden kid friendly treasures. There was even a Children’s Museum called MY Museum that we would have loved to go to – but there is always something you have to save for your next trip, right?
Thank you to The Hofsas House, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Lugano Swiss Bistro, Dawn’s Dream Winery, and 5th Avenue Deli for hosting and gifting us with a family weekend getaway of a lifetime!
Have you ever been to the Carmel/Monterey area? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!
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