Fall has Arrived with an Abundance of Activities and Events to Enjoy

There really is something for everyone this time of year. Some days it is hard to choose between a hike, whale watching or attending a special event. 

Cultural events in the fall include Monterey Jazz Festival - www.montereyjazzfestival.org; Carmel International Film Festival - www.carmelfilmfest.com; and Pebble Beach Authors and Ideas Festival - www.pbaif.com.

For golfers, The First Tee Open Golf Tournament - www.thefirstteeopen.com and the TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational are both great tournaments open to spectators free of charge.  The First Tee pairs Pros and Junior players.  The TaylorMade is one of the only tournaments that has both PGA and LPGA players. 

The Taste of Carmel is a special evening for Foodies, or for anyone who can’t decide which restaurant to go to.   Held in the courtyard of the Carmel Mission; it gives you the chance to sample cuisine and sip wines from many of the top restaurants and winemakers in the area.  It also gives you the opportunity to dance to some great music.  The Taste is on Thursday October 1, and during the rest of the weekend there are food tours and other events planned.  www.tasteofcarmel.com.

Carmel's Birthday Celebration is on Halloween with a home town parade featuring both people and dogs in great costumes.  Anyone is welcome to join the Parade, or watch it, on Ocean Avenue.  Another local event is the 55th Annual Sandcastle Contest on October 4th, anyone can join in.

Fall is also a great time to gear up for the Big Sur Half Marathon held on November 8 in Monterey. www.bigsurhalfmarathon.org.

For those who would like to just sit back and be entertained be sure to visit www.sunsetcenter.org.  There is a wonderful variety of entertainers lined up for the 2015-2016 season. 

And last but certainly not least - DON'T FORGET THE WHALES!  They are putting on quite a show this year.

Carmel Heritage Society House and Garden Tour

Carmel has a rich history of attracting a vast array of artistic individuals.  Many artists, writers and architects have all used Carmel's special beauty and character for inspiration.

As a long-time resident of Carmel, and an avid walker, I love to wander the streets and enjoy the unique  gardens and architecture.   This weekend is one of my favorite events.  The public will actually have the opportunity to enter some of the gardens and houses that we usually can only walk past.

The Carmel Heritage Society House and Garden tour is Saturday, June 20. Every year there is a wonderful variety of homes open to the public, this year is no exception.   Open on Saturday are homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Julia Moran and M. J. Murphy.   There are also two

houses I am very excited to see, the Ship and the Golf House.  I used to babysit in the house beside the Ship and I can't wait to see the inside.

For more information on this annual event go to www.carmelheritage.org.

If you can't make the tour this weekend, think about coming in early December for the Inns of Distinction Tour.  This is another great event hosted by the Heritage Society.  This event includes food, wine and a look into a number of Carmel Inns.   This event gives you a great chance to pick out the perfect Inn for your stay the next time you visit Carmel, if Tradewinds is full.

Summer !

Although Spring is my favorite season, Summer is a very close second. 

I have always considered Memorial Day the kick off for Summer activities and it has arrived.  I am ready to go outside and enjoy the plethora of activities that are easily available throughout the Monterey Peninsula. I do have to admit that our climate usually allows most of these activities throughout the year. However, there is just something special and carefree about Summer.

Because tickets are going fast, today I want to mention the very special Carmel Bach Festival (www.bachfestival.org). The Festival takes place over two weeks in July. This is the 78th Season. Paul Goodwin, is in his 5th year as the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. The world class musicians and Choral members, most of whom return year after year, come from throughout the country. The theme this year is "Bach, Bohemia and Beyond." The program is wonderful; I had a very difficult time deciding which concerts I could go see. I certainly won't miss the Brandenburg Concerti, the Royal Fireworks Music, or The Magic Flute. The main venue for the concerts is Sunset Center in downtown Carmel (www.sunsetcenter.org). However, there are many other locations hosting concerts and lectures including: the Carmel Mission Basilica, All Saints Church, and the Church in the Forest. The Bach Festival website is full of excellent information about the performances, participants, and the area. For me, a perfect Summer day might be a hike, dinner, and a concert.

Following is a list of some of my other favorite Summer pass times. During the next few weeks I will  provide more specific information on some of these adventures:

• Picnics--Where to pick one up and where to enjoy it
• Hiking--Both coastal and inland
• The Carmel  Heritage House Tour
• Bicycle Rides
• Kayaking
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Dining Outside
• Building a sandcastle, flying a kite or maybe even surf lessons
• Wine tasting on a long sunlit evening
• Taking a short drive up Carmel Valley or down to Big Sur

Relais & Chateau GourmetFest

The second ever Relais & Chateâu GourmetFest builds on absurd luxury, celebrity and execution of year one, which enjoyed a couple of dozen chefs carrying as many Michelin stars as they did ice chests of crazy-good caviar.

 It enjoys all the ingredients and intrigue of PBFW, just simmered down to an even richer, more exclusive and intimate affair.

 Bring on Gary Danko, Michel Bras, Black River Caviar-Dom Pérignon lunches and Rarities Dinner where $5,000 isn't enough to get you a seat. (You'll need a few bucks more and some nice connections.)

 The best way to enjoy GourmetFest and its range of demos (like the Grand Chef Women's four-hour demo lunch), tastings (note the Journey through Barbaresco with Gaia Gaja) and once-in-two-lifetimes dinners (The Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef Dinner) is to stay in Carmel at, say, one of two family owned lodges, and the most beautifully blended between modernity and old-school luxury (yes, Tradewinds.)

 In fact, it's perfect, because Tradewinds is a lot like a smart connoisseur's Relais & Chateaux, minus the incredible restaurant. Instead you save your money for events like the Seafood Grill with its hard-to-forget wineries (by the score) and internationally renown chefs (by the dozen) and are closer to most of the events than any other comparable hotels.

It's enough to make for one of the most sumptuous weekends in the world.

Here's the schedule at a glance. Find more at the mouthwatering GourmetFest website:

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

WELCOME PARTY with Justin Cogley, Michel Bras, Olivier Roellinger,

Gary Danko, Annie Féolde, Tetsuya, Diego Muñoz & Lanshu Chen

Seventh & Dolores | 6-9 pm | 600 people

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015

GALANTE VINEYARDS TOUR & LUNCH

Carmel Valley | 9:30 am - 2 pm | 80 people

PAUL DRAPER & THE MAGIC OF RIDGE MONTE BELLO

La Playa Carmel - Pacific Room | 10:30 am - 12 pm | 50 people

GRAND WOMEN CHEFS & WINEMAKERS

LUNCH & COOKING DEMO with Annie Féolde and Lanshu Chen

Seventh & Dolores | 11 am| 160 people

THE TERROIR OF COMTE GEORGES DE VOGÜÉ MUSIGNY

with Jean-Luc Pepin

La Playa Carmel - Pacific Room | 3:30 - 5 pm | 50 people

RARITIES DINNER

with Michel Bras, Olivier Roellinger, Tetsuya, Justin Cogley, Richard

Geoffroy from Dom Pérignon, Paul Draper from Ridge Vineyards,

Jean-Luc Pepin from Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé

& Black River Caviar

Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel | 6:30 pm | 28 people

CUISINE AND WINES OF THE WORLD DINNER

with Gary Danko, Colin Bedford and Diego Muñoz

Seventh & Dolores | 6:30 pm | 160 people

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2015

WILD MUSHROOM HUNT & LUNCH with Ranger Chuck Bancroft

Santa Lucia Preserve | 9:30 am - 2 pm | 80 people

A JOURNEY THROUGH BARBARESCO WITH GAIA GAJA

La Playa Carmel - Pacific Room | 10:30 am - 12 pm | 50 people

DOM PÉRIGNON & BLACK RIVER CAVIAR LUNCH with Winemaker

Richard Geoffroy and Black River Caviar's Graham Gaspard

featuring Chefs Justin Cogley, Tetsuya, Gary Danko & Ron Mendoza

Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel | Noon | 28 people

A TASTE OF FRANCE LUNCH & COOKING DEMO

with Olivier Roellinger and Michel Bras

Seventh & Dolores | 11 am | 160 people

THE STAR OF THE MOSEL with Ernst Loosen

La Playa Carmel - Pacific Room | 3:30 - 5 pm | 50 people

RELAIS & CHATEAUX GRAND CHEF DINNER

with Justin Cogley, Annie Féolde, Colin Bedford,

Diego Muñoz & Lanshu Chen

Seventh & Dolores | 6:30 pm | 160 people

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015

THE PLENITUDE OF DOM PÉRIGNON

with Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy featuring Rare Vintages

La Playa Carmel - Pacific Room | 10:30 am - 12 pm | 50 people

SEAFOOD GRILL

Seventh & Dolores | 12 - 3 pm | 600 people

 

AT&T Pro-Am Golf Tournament 2015

Can anyone believe we're already in the second week of January? How many people are still sticking with their New Year's Resolutions? I broke my No More Starbucks resolution already, as I pulled up at the drive through to order a Grande Blonde Roast and a breakfast sandwich! FAIL! While the beginning of the year is typically the most opportune time for some people to begin new habits - there are 11 other months in the year to try something new! And as January comes and goes, we always have February to look forward to. For us here in the Carmel / Pebble Beach Area, February is synonymous with the AT&T Pro-Am Golf Tournament, an event featuring professional PGA stars, a field of amateurs, and even a group of celebrity players, some of whom make appearances every year!

The event is played at three courses in Pebble Beach - the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course, and is typically attended by about 150,000 spectators! Past winners of the event include legendary golfers like Jack Nicklaus (three-time winner), Tom Watson (two-time winner), Mark O'Meara (five-time winner), Payne Stewart, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III (two-time winner), Phil Mickelson (four-time winner),and Dustin Johnson (two-time winner). An event featuring some of the world's best players on some of the world's most extraordinary golf courses? I couldn't come up with a reason NOT to attend!

Last year's Winner, Jimmy Walker

For those who aren't quite as enthused by golf, you can always find entertainment in the form of the celebrity rounds. This year, some of the celebrity players in attendance include sports stars like SF Giants' Pitcher Matt Cain and Catcher Buster Posey, Actors Josh Duhamel, Ray Romano and a beloved favorite of the event - Bill Murray. To see a list of all the players, visit the AT&T Pro-Am Website.  

Actor Josh Duhamel at Last Year's Event

What makes this year's AT&T event extra special is that it happens to fall on the 3-day Presidents Day Weekend, the Saturday of which is Valentine's Day! For most of you, it means you can stick around for the Final Round on Sunday and not have to worry about getting yourself home in time for work the next day! Why not make Valentine's Day special for the golf lover in your life, and plan a trip to the area for a relaxing weekend here with us at Tradewinds? A shuttle is available to pick you up and bring you back, and we are offering special packages for those who want to come a little earlier for the practice rounds during the week.

The Golf, Romance and 3-Day Weekend Package includes a relaxing 4 night stay in a luxurious King or Queen/Queen Room, a box of gourmet chocolates, a split 90-minute massage and (2) week-long shuttle passes for the tournament (tournament tickets not included). Rates for this package start at $1600.

We are also offering a package so you can Watch the AT&T Pro-Am without the Crowds. This package includes a one night stay in a luxurious King or Queen/Queen Room (Sunday through Wednesday), and two 1-day tickets to the tournament practice rounds, held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Rates for this package begin at $319.

If you are interested in coming for this event, we highly encourage you to call us as soon as possible (831) 624-2776.

Until Next Time...

The Staff at Tradewinds