Carmel By the Sea on the Monterey Peninsula is unbelievably “cute.”

The houses are cute.  The signs on the houses are cute.  The many dogs being lead around by their attractive owners are cute.

I mean…..this is a place that specializes in CUTE. It is one square mile and loaded with story  book English cottages, Swiss Alpine chalets and clapboard beach houses. .  The shops. The Euro style bistros. Bed and Breakfasts.  Inns.  And then the glorious beach.

I enjoyed meandering around with my camera capturing what caught my eye.  It looked at times like a Disney version of small town Europe. As I said, CUTE.   I hope you enjoy.

 Monterey Aquarium

Of course, we went to the famous Monterey Aquarium.  Wow.  I can see why it has such an excellent reputation.  Lots and lots of hands on, interactive and fun stuff for the children.  I particularly enjoyed the jelly fish exhibit and the huge ocean tank.  Both were mesmerizing.

 Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf

We walked down Cannery Row and out on to Fisherman’s Wharf.  Both were super touristy, colorful and fun on a gorgeous day.  Not my normal kind of thing, but I enjoyed exploring.  I wish I could have seen this in its authentic John Steinbeck era.

 The Bagpiper

And then one of the highlights of our visit:  The Bagpiper.  Folks who know me, know I’m crazy about bagpipes.  Turns out that every day a bagpiper pipes at sundown to “close the course” at Spanish Bay golf course.  I loved lounging about a fire pit listening to the haunting Scottish tunes echoing over the course.

For more about bagpipers, click here.