Cool Weather Carmel, California Day Trip Suggestions by Ruth Paget

Cool Weather Carmel, California Day Trip Suggestions by Ruth Paget 

Over the past three decades that I have lived in Monterey – Salinas area, I have put together several resources for day trips to Carmel, California for fun and educational outings. 

**Books to Read to Enhance Your Carmel Visit

-The Comstock Fairy Tale Cottages of Carmel by Joanne Matthewson 

-Taking Tea: The Essential Guide to Brewing, Serving, and Entertaining with Teas from Around the World by Andrea Israel 

-Tea: History Terroirs Varieties by Kevin Gascoyne, François Marchand, Jasmin Desharnais, and Hugo Mérici 

-The Book of Cheese by Liz Thorpe 

-The Great Book of Chocolate: The Chocolate Lover’s Guide with more than 50 Recipes by David Lebovitz 

**Carmel Touring Games developed by Ruth Paget 

-Labyrinth Walk with Pastry in Carmel Valley 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2024/10/labyrinth-walk-with-pastry-in-carmel.html

-Fashion District Family Outing in Carmel

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/10/fashion-district-family-outing-in.html

-La Pérouse the Explorer Game 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2018/04/la-perouse-explorer-historical-fashion.html

King Louis XVI of France commissioned the Comte de la Pérouse to do a naval scientific expedition around the world. One of La Pérouse’s stops was Carmel where he visited several sites. I have listed these in this game for a historical day trip to Carmel. 

**Food and Beverage Games developed by Ruth Paget 

-Darjeeling: The India Tea Game 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/10/darjeeling-india-tea-game-created-by.html

-Ballotin: The French Chocolate Buying and Selling Game 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/09/ballotin-french-chocolate-buying-and.html

-Camembert: Cheese Games 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2021/07/camembert-cheese-games-created-by-ruth.html

-Vienna: Coffee Games 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2021/07/vienna-coffee-games-created-by-ruth.html

-Matcha: The Japanese Tea Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/10/matcha-japanese-tea-game-created-by.html?m=1

-Sommelier: The Wine Facts Society Game

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2019/02/sommelier-wine-facts-society-game.html 

**Restaurants for light meals in Carmel, California 

-Tuck Box – for tea, brunch, and some souvenirs like loose tea and teapots 

-Little Napoli – for Neapolitan pizza and/or southern Italian cuisine 

-Vesuvio – roof top dining. My daughter Florence Paget likes to go here with her friends for cocktails and appetizers during happy hour. 

-De Tierra Tasting Room – offers Napa-style tastings if desired. For lunch, I like pinot gris and the cheese, fruit, and charcuterie board.

-Nielsen Brothers Market – for sandwiches and deli items 

-Bagel Bakery - for bagel sandwiches and coffee

-Earthbound Farm – for farm-to-table salads, soups, and sandwiches out in the country along Carmel Valley Road 

**Interesting Stores 

-River House Books 

-Cottage of Sweets 

-Pieces of Heaven (chocolate shop) 

-Jean de Luz (Basque store) 

-The Cheese Shop 

-Carmel Valley Roasting Company

-Gold Leaf Spices and Teas 

-Lafayette Bakery 

-Thinker Toys 

-Pilgrim’s Way Bookstore 

Carmel is a small town that is densely packed with interesting things to do. 

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage war games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French armchair travel and culture games

-writer of 2100+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory blogs

Italian Emilia-Romagna Cookbook on sale for $3.99 today on Kindle reposted by Ruth Paget

The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Italian Food by Lynette Rossetto Kasper is on sale today for $3.99 on Amazon Kindle.

This 788-page tome covers the Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region that provides the country and world with Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, porcini, tortellini and so much more.

Recipes tend to fill two pages with photos.  A food glossary follows at the end of the book.

The Splendid Table is a travel resource as well as a cookbook.

Book purchase information follows:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004S32A2G?lv=shuf&redirect=true&dib_tag=kdd&pd_rd_wg=pn1PD&pd_rd_i=B004S32A2G&nodl=0&pd_rd_w=LfQQV&content-id=amzn1.sym.11b278c0-32de-454c-b647-7ce89f5362c2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.u7wOOt9k16wZcLT5NJ0an1z1QrLtYaFO6tKg1E7qs4sQDRxplUf9ESnf92o8X3GbEDQnhmaShhSNXe8qCnBb19WrltwyqJhG58lzX9zoewsFGUjAAZFvM_vxSAZXek30F_XeATk6Dmaf5m3ydyl3pWVXGkppQ4dJuFwzBEc8FR71nKw2sup9k_EX2FSp6vKASYL1YZEIqWKGotcLi6zxOEuxiv5UYxV6P6kUPVn8TZU.Ky-TxzBnCSdYYpUXFxwf0jwZlJe0N2riy14_ZuIW70o&pd_rd_r=65ea5bb9-2106-4be9-a1b2-50e73a28a312&channelId=600&ref_=pe_170810_1508759930_rnk&plpRedirect=mhFallback

buon Apetito!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French armchair travel and culture games

-writer of 2100+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory blogs

Western Stage Still Has Tickets for Shows on November 14 - 15, 2026 in Salinas, California reposted by Ruth Paget

The Western Stage still has tickets for two shows this weekend on November 14 - 15, 2026:

The Great American Trailer Park Musical (main theatre)

La Cortina de La Lechuga (studio theatre)

More information and ticket purchase details follow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_personal/1a1ccd7e80e63408

Have fun!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French armchair travel and culture games

-writer of 2100+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

UChicago Press is Selling George Lakoff’s The Neural Mind for $1.99 today reposted by Ruth Paget

UC - Berkeley professor George Lakoff’s The Neural Mind is on sale for $1.99 on Amazon Kindle.

I always like reading books like Lakoff’s on linguistics to think about what came first: language, culture, or something else.  

Book purchase information follows:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK7N1NX6?lv=shuf&_bbid=369907056&nodl=1&tag=core_cohort_a_email-20&dplnkId=20318735-015e-4d50-9ac4-6f32d01c5a04&channelId=1&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

Raley’s Nob Hill has Thanksgiving covered for members reposted by Ruth Paget

Raley’s Nob Hill has Thanksgiving Covered reposted by Ruth Paget

I received Raley’s Nob Hill digital coupons for members and think they have Thanksgiving covered for families who want a traditional meal:

These items are all reasonably priced I think:

-frozen Raley’s turkey for .89 cents per pound  - limit 2 per member

-wings and drumsticks for $1.47

-potatoes at $2.97 for a 5-pound bag

-Fuji or opal apple for pie for $1.48

-Tillamook cheese to make macaroni and cheese - $2.99 if you buy 2 or more

This young woman’s macaroni and cheese is made with great ingredients and is very easy to put together.  I have posted her TikTok recipe below:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTPhau3Pu/

-variety of chips for $2.49 each if you buy 2 or more

You can sign up for the Raley’s Nob Hill member app online or in-store.

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French armchair travel and culture games

-writer of 2100+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

$1.99 for The Rhetoric of Fiction today on Kindle reposted by Ruth Paget

The Rhetoric of Fiction by Wayne C. Booth -

The University of Chicago’s go-to reference on literary criticism is on sale today for $1.99 on Amazon Kindle.

The hardcover version of this book sells for $77, so this is a very good deal.

Book purchase information follows:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009KA4C9Q?lv=shuf&_bbid=366930843&nodl=1&tag=core_cohort_a_email-20&dplnkId=e4cf7d84-e9c0-4520-9c8d-4483c5374888&channelId=1&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Happy reading, analyzing, and writing!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

$9.99 Olive Garden Lunch Deal Seems Pretty Good reposted by Ruth Paget

Good Deal for families - Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks for $9.99 lunch at Olive Garden in Salinas, California reposted by Ruth Paget

I like Olive Garden’s pasta, vegetable, and bean soup with garlic butter bread sticks, which have gone into a lunch deal with salad for $9.99.  

That deal is great for the holiday season when kids are at home.

Olive Garden is located on North Main Street in Salinas, California.

When my family goes, we use Olive Garden’s curbside pick up services and check out what’s new around North Ridge Mall.

The following TikTok ad has more information on this lunch deal:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLGF72GY/

Buon appetito!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French armchair travel and culture games

-writer of 2100+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games