Carmel-by-the-Sea: Scenic Road Walkway Walking Tour

Interested in being your own tour guide? I have over 20 published GPS audio tours with VoiceMap (Carmel, Monterey, California Gold Country, Folsom, Tahoe, Sacramento) and over 40 tours published with GPSmyCity (Carmel, Monterey, Big Sur, Folsom, Sacramento, Pacific Grove, Cinque Terre, Kotor Montenegro, Copenhagen). Happy Adventures!

If you are interested in this walking tour as an audio tour, our companion audio tour is available now on VoiceMap.  Tours are listed under Monterey Peninsula.  To use VoiceMap, you will need to download the VoiceMap app from the Apple Store or Google Play.  The app is free, there is a cost for the tour. Happy Adventures and enjoy the tour! 

****

This Carmel-by-the-Sea Scenic Road Walking Tour is a collaboration by Carmel Residents Association members Lynn Momboisse and Dale Byrne.  Happy Adventures!

On this 2 1/2 mile, walking tour of Carmel-by-the-Sea Scenic Road Walkway we will explore the Scenic path along the bluff above Carmel Beach and take in the spectacular view of Carmel Bay from Pebble Beach to Carmel Point.  This tour will begin and end at the Historic La Playa Carmel Hotel.  We will be visiting the North Dunes Habitat Restoration Project and the Carmel Beach Overlook and explore a portion of the residential area known as the "Golden Rectangle".  You will be learning about and walking by the homes of some of Carmel's early residents including Arnold Genthe, Dick Sargent, the Cooke sisters and Noël Sullivan.  

Along this walk, we will also view the home where Clint Eastwood lived while he was mayor of Carmel and the iconic Mrs. Della Walker House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  Throughout you will learn about Carmel's distinctive architecture and hear about Carmel's storied past.  

   

This tour will take you under two hours to walk and will begin and end at the La Playa Carmel Hotel on Camino Real Street and Eighth Avenue.  There are two public restrooms located along this walk, one at Carmel Beach and Ocean Avenue and the second at Scenic Road and Santa Lucia.  The walk is relatively flat with no difficult hills to climb.

Park your car as close as possible to the La Playa Hotel.  Located in the residential area, there are no parking time limits unless otherwise posted.  If you plan your walk so you return to the La Playa after 2 pm you can head to the historic bar located off the lobby and enjoy coffee or a cocktail on the Pacific Terrace.  The La Playa bar is open from 2 pm to 9 pm for light fare and cocktails are available until 10 pm.

Depending on the time of year you are taking this tour you will have different kinds of weather and different kinds of views and experiences.  During our summer months of May through August the weather can be quite foggy.  This means that you may not see as far along the coast as you would on clear days.  During the early spring, March to April and fall, September to October, the weather here is often crystal clear.  At this time you will most certainly have a stellar view just about everywhere on the coast.  Both foggy days and clear days are quite fantastic, each in their own way.  

Now it is time to enjoy Carmel-by-the-Sea along the Scenic Road Walkway.  Our tour starts at the front entrance to the La Playa Carmel Hotel near the southwest corner of Camino Real and Eighth Avenue.  In front you will notice the two story stone and stucco building with Spanish tile roof, and the stained glass quatrefoil star window.  I will fill you in on the history of the La Playa at the end of our tour. 

Walk on Camino Real toward Ocean Avenue. Cross 8th Avenue and keep going straight almost to the end of the block. On your right you will see a brown one-story, wood-framed Craftsman style home.  The exterior walls are clad with wood shingles.

This is the historic Dr. Vernon Kellogg House.  It was built in 1906 and became the residence for Dr. Kellogg and his wife Charlotte.  Dr. Kellogg was a professor of entomology at Stanford University from 1894 to 1920. They both were active participants in the cultural life of Carmel.  In 1914, Dr. Kellogg directed “Fire”, a 3-act drama about Native Americans by Carmel bohemian author Mary Austin, at Carmel's Forest Theater.  He and his wife also had acting roles in this play. Dr. Kellogg’s home is one of the few remaining survivors of Carmel’s early Professor’s Row.

The Row was started by Dr. David Starr Jordan, who was Stanford University President back in the 1880's.  He began visiting early Carmel and was so impressed by the beauty of the area he returned in 1904 and purchased a number of lots on Camino Real south of Ocean Avenue.  It wasn't long until other Stanford professors followed suit building their summer homes near Dr. Starr in what would come to be called Carmel's Professor's Row.  Professors from the University of California at Berkeley also came to Carmel, but they built their summer homes in other parts of Carmel.  

Keep walking straight on Camino Real and cross 7th Avenue to view Holiday House.  This will be the large American Foursquare-style home to your left with the very large redwood tree dominating the front yard.  Also part of Professor's Row, this was built around 1905, and was the vacation home of Dr. Guido Marx, professor and co-founder of the Stanford School of Engineering.   

Edith Jamieson purchased the property in 1945 and for the next decade or so she operated a six unit bed-and-breakfast there called Holiday House. By 1953 Ms. Jamieson was hosting an average of 1,800 guests a year.  Holiday House is now a private residence. 

Keep walking along Camino Real.  At the corner of Ocean Avenue turn left, and keep walking down the left side of Ocean Avenue toward Carmel Beach. 

As you walk down the sidewalk you will see a white and blue wooden gate surrounded by ivy.  This gate is a side entrance to Casa Bilancia on Carmelo. This gate has been here for decades and is just another interesting element that defines Carmel’s character.    

A unique characteristic of Carmel is that there are no street addresses. To help identify locations, Carmel cottages are given names, such as Ocean’s End. 

Properties are also identified by compass coordinates. For example, Ocean Avenue southeast corner of San Antonio.  This is the coordinates for Ocean’s End, the French country style house on the southeast corner of Ocean and San Antonio you will find coming up on your left.

At the corner, look across Ocean Avenue toward one of Carmel's heritage trees, a large blue gum eucalyptus. 

Walk over to the base of the eucalyptus tree next to the informational interpretive sign. The roped off area in front of you is the North Dunes Habitat Restoration area. This area contains plant and animal life that are especially valuable to the ecosystem around Carmel dunes and the beach.

It was designated an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area in 1995.  In 2009, Carmel City Council adopted a restoration plan with the objective to eliminate all aggressive non-native species – especially ice plant. 

The project would also restore the native dune scrub, Tidestrom’s lupine, make habitat available for the Black Legless lizards and establish a trail system to provide safe visitor access as well as interpretive signage to enhance visitors experience and knowledge of Carmel dunes.

From 2012 to 2014 the Carmel-by-the-Sea Garden Club re-vegetated 10,000 square feet of this area with native dune species, and installed the interpretive sign. Since that time, numerous volunteers have pulled hundreds of cubic yards of non-native ice plant and slowly but surely we are getting a glimpse of native species beginning to fill in.  See if you can spot the delicate pink sand verbena, 

yellow sand verbena, 

or the beach evening primrose
peeking through the sand.  

As you continue walking toward Carmel Beach, you will find public restrooms.  At this location there will also be a wooden boardwalk.  Walk along the boardwalk past the Ghost Tree (a dead Monterey cypress planted in the early 1900's)...  

to the Carmel Beach Overlook. 

From the overlook take in the unobstructed view of Pebble Beach to the north (shown in the picture below) and Point Lobos to the south.  

Once you have enjoyed the view, turn around and follow the boardwalk out to the parking lot.  Here find a decorative brick path that crosses diagonally through the lot, in between two stone planters.  Use this to cross to the other side of the street. 

Continue walking straight up Ocean Avenue one block along the right side of the street. At the corner of Scenic Road, turn right and continue walking. As with most streets in Carmel, there are no sidewalks in this area so walk as close to the right side of the road as possible. 

Look to your right down the driveway made with cinder block pavers and grass. The sign on the cement wall says The Lighthouse, 6 Scenic SW Ocean. This means that The Lighthouse is the 6^th house south of Ocean Avenue on the west side.

If you look down the driveway you will see a two story square shaped house with vertically laid natural wood siding and a rooftop patio. The magnolia tree has grown over the years and this house is not as visible as it used to be.  Below is a better photo of this home. 

Built in 1994, this is one of two homes in Carmel designed by John Thodos who is an icon in American Modernist architecture.  As a master at designing buildings that connected indoors to outdoors with brilliant walls of light, his recognizable style was not necessarily classic or contemporary, it’s a Thodos.

Now staying to the right side, continue walking straight on Scenic to the end of the block. 

The two-story Spanish Eclectic stucco and Carmel stone house across the street to your left was designed and built in 1933 by one of Carmel’s master contractors, Ernest Bixler.  Bixler arrived on the Monterey Peninsula in 1930 and constructed homes in Carmel and Pebble Beach until 1940 when he took on the important roll of Carmel’s Postmaster. Except for the years 1942 to 1946 when Bixler served in the Seebees, he would serve as Carmel’s Postmaster until 1951. 

At one time, this was the home of Horace and Edna Lyon’s.  The Lyon’s, who moved to Carmel in 1937 lived here from 1952 to 1957, which were the years Horace served as Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea.  Horace and Edna were good friend of Robinson and Una Jeffers and they made several trips together to the back country of Big Sur.  Horace would take photographs and Robin would get inspiration for his poetry.  Horace and Robin would go on to collaborate in 1971 on the publication of Jeffers’ Country: the Seed Plots of Jeffers Poetry, a fascinating photographic study of the country from Carmel through Big Sur.  

Cross 8th Avenue and you will come to the beginning of the Scenic Road Walkway.   

This path, which runs along the bluffs above Carmel Beach from 8th Avenue to Martin Way was designed and built after much of this area was virtually destroyed in the early spring of 1983. 

In March of that year, a disastrous storm thundered through Carmel.  Almost overnight, the beach slopes that you see in front of you became jagged cliffs and the trunks and limbs of sixteen large cypress trees along the road cracked and fell to the ground.

Five of the beach stairways were damaged and four were reduced to nothing more than rubble. The Mayor at the time, Charlotte Townsend, formed the Beach Task Force to clean up the damage.  At a cost of a little over $800,000, Phase I was completed in 1985, and consisted of a general beach clean-up, stabilization of the beach bluffs, and a new storm drain system.  

After getting frustrated when his commercial project on San Carlos, the Eastwood Building, wasn't approved, actor and resident Clint Eastwood ran for and was elected mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1986.  Eastwood and his City Council approved another $800,000 for Phase II of the cleanup project.  This would include the construction of the decomposed granite walking path you are standing on now, as well as reconstruction of five beach stairways, the addition of benches and handicapped ramps, and landscaping and irrigation along the path.

Jean Grace, who had worked on the Beach Task Force, became mayor in the spring of 1988 and had the honor of cutting the ribbon for the Scenic Road Walkway in June of 1988.  As you walk this pathway you will periodically notice blue and white circles that read California Coastal Trail.  They represent that this walkway is a small section of the 1,200 mile coastal trail that runs from Oregon to Mexico.  

Continue walking straight along the pathway a short while and, across the street on your left look for the large three-story stucco house with the tile roof.  This Spanish Eclectic style home was built in 1929 by M. J. Murphy for San Jose businessman, George Graft.  George was the Uncle of Earl Graft who owned the Carmel Dairy on Ocean Avenue and Mission in downtown Carmel across from Devendorf Park.

M. J. was one of Carmel’s most prolific builders.  He built his first home in Carmel, First Murphy House, now a small museum on local history, when he was 17 years old and went on, over the course of his illustrious career, to design, build or both over 300 homes and businesses in the Carmel area.     

Just before you come to the 9th Avenue stairs down to the beach, look to your left for the  three-story Spanish Eclectic-style home with two Monterey-style balconies along the front.  It has a large red brick fireplace, arched front doorway and the sign reads Anything Goes.  This was the childhood home of Richard Cox.

Richard was born in Carmel in 1930, his father Elmer was a WWI veteran and Hollywood business manager and his mother, Ruth McNaughton Cox, appeared in a few silent films in the 1920s using the name Ruth Powell.  After majoring in Drama at Stanford University, Richard took the stage name Dick Sargent and over the years, he had rolls alongside Cary Grant, Don Knotts and Elvis Presley, to name a few.   The role he is possibly most remembered for is when he played Darrin Stephens alongside actress Elizabeth Montgomery on the TV show Bewitched. 

Once you reach the 9th Avenue beach stairs, look to your left. The Carmel stone Spanish-style house that overlooks the glass home in front of it, is Las Ondas.  Built in 1933, this was Clint Eastwood’s home while he was Mayor of Carmel between 1986 and 1988.  Later on this tour we will view this home from San Antonio Street and discover more about Clint Eastwood and his connection to Carmel-by-the-Sea. 

Between 9th and 10th Avenue on Scenic there is a series of three mid-century modern style homes.  The third one that you will pass on your left is a reddish brown two-story home with horizontal wood siding.  The name on the balcony above the garage says an Termann, it is an Irish term for “the sanctuary”.

This Japanese-style wood constructed home with a modern twist was designed by Chicago architect Dirk Denison.  In 2011, it received an Architectural Digest Award and in 2012 it was the recipient of a Housing Award from the American Institute of Architects.  

There is always construction going on in the village, so in order to preserve Carmel’s diverse architectural character, all new construction, remodels and alterations of residential and commercial buildings are reviewed by the City for design, mass, scale, neighborhood compatibility and conformity to Municipal Codes.  It can be a long process to acquire the coveted City permit, and permits are required for just about every kind of work done on a property inside or out.  The effort put into Planning is worth it in the long run as it keeps our village quaint, unique and beautiful.    

Look to your right down to Carmel Beach.  From the walkway, take some time to look up and down the beach.  I’m sure there are a number of residents walking their dogs along the shoreline.  You might also see a variety of shorebirds feeding at the water’s edge. As you continue walking you will see towering Monterey cypress trees planted on both sides of the street. Though we have lost quite a few of these to winter storms, this area is called Cypress Alley.  The trees were planted between 1905 and 1910. 

Just before 11th Avenue on your left is a one-story brown wood framed home with multiple floor to ceiling windows across the front. This home was built in 1948 for Nelson and Marguerite Nowell as their weekend residence.  Nelson who was an executive with the Thornton Cannery Company in Stockton, California, went on to own the Cannery by 1960. Five years later the couple retired to Carmel full-time.

This home was designed by American contemporary architect William Wurster.  During his fifty-year career, Wurster, who is considered the Father of “Everyday Modernism”, designed hundreds of California homes using rustic materials locally sourced in this the Second Bay Region style. This home won an Award of Merit from the American Institute of Architects in 1949.  It was this post WWII style, made popular during the late 1940s, that would bring Carmel architecture, like it or not, into the modern era.  

Just a little further, at the corner of 11th, is another Second Bay Region style home designed by William Wurster.  This one built in 1961 for $40,000. 

The two white stucco cottages with the Spanish tile roof are the well-known Periwinkle and Sea Urchin. You will find the names above each front door.  These two cottages are believed to have been built around 1915 as two fisherman’s huts, possibly for Portuguese fishermen or whalers.  They are some of the earliest structures built along the coast of Carmel Bay.  My mother told me stories of visiting friends who lived there during the late 1920s.   

Between 1930 and 1981, the huts became cottages and took on a Spanish style with stucco exteriors and tile roof.  In 1999, these cottages were set for demolition so the new owners could built a 2,200 square foot home on the property.  Well, it was very predictable that Carmelites, who love their historical houses, said "NO" to that idea and declared these cottages historic as well.  The following year, after what was probably some interesting negotiations, the Periwinkle and Sea Urchin became one house with the addition of a hall between the two units.  Back in the early 1990’s, I took the picture shown above of them as separate units. 

On the corner of 13th, is the historic Carl Silvey House.  Designed in 1948 by John Konigshofer for the owner of Kip's Grocery, this too is Second Bay Region style.  

Stay on Scenic Road and turn right at the corner of 13th.  This will take you to the Carmel stone steps that lead to the beach and Cooke's Cove. Not only is this the cove I spent much of my youth hanging out on, but its history goes back way further.  This cove is named after the MacGowan-Cooke sisters who lived in the large Tudor style residence just two blocks up 13^th Avenue.  We will be visiting their home later on and I'll tell you more about them at that time. For now, just take in the view and keep walking along the Scenic Road Walkway. 

On your right just before Santa Lucia is a Carmel stone building with a flat roof.  This is a public restroom.  The suggestion to build a restroom in this location was initially discussed in 1991, but it took 23 years and $600,000 for the City to bring this award-winning creation to fruition.

Turn right at the corner and continue to follow the Scenic Road Walkway. You will notice, after you turn right, that the architecture of this building blends in with its surroundings, so much so that it is hardly noticeable.   

Just to your right up ahead should be a bench.  This is a good place to have a seat for a moment and take in the beauty of the crescent shaped Carmel Bay.  This is the southern end of Carmel Beach.  From here, you will have a great view down the entire beach.  Directly in front of you notice the dunes at the far north end of the beach.  That is near where you stood on the beach overlook.  The green area across Carmel Bay directly in front of you is Pebble Beach Golf Links and the point to the left of Pebble Beach is Pescadero Point. 

Now look to your left along the beach.  Jutting out from the point is one of Carmel’s most famous homes, the Mrs. Della Walker House which was designed by renowned American architect, Frank Lloyd Wight. Mrs. Walker named her house, A Cabin on the Rocks. The background history of this home starts with two Walker brothers and two Brooks sisters.  

Minneapolis lumber executive Clinton Walker married artist Della Brooks around 1901.  In 1904 they moved to Piedmont, California and lived there until Clinton’s death in 1944. 

Minneapolis lumber executive Willis Walker married Alma Brooks in 1897.  The couple moved to San Francisco in 1915, and in 1918, they paid a mere $150,000 for 216 acres of land in Carmel that stretched from Mission Ranch near Carmel Mission all the way to the ocean.  They subdivided the property and deeded the ocean-front acreage to Mrs. Willis Walker’s sister, Della Walker. 

Della Walker moved to Carmel in 1944 and rented a house while she arranged for the construction of her "cabin on the rocks". Between 1945 and 1950, Della corresponded with noted architect Frank Lloyd Wright, in what was sometimes heated exchanges, regarding design preferences for her home.  Finally in April of 1950, permits were granted for the 2,000 square foot house, and construction began the following year.  For almost five years octogenarian Frank Lloyd Wright worked on Della’s house from afar.  Miles Bain was hired to carry out the construction and Mr. Bain hired local architect Mark Mills as his carpenter.

Now it is time to keep walking along the Scenic Road Walkway. 

Look across the road to your left for the two story Pueblo-style house.  The name on the wall says Cimarron.  Hollywood actor Richard Dix built a New Mexico, Taos-style adobe on this property in 1929 and named it after his film Cimarron which was released in 1931.  The picture below shows the home when it was first built.  

In 1937 this home was sold to Swedish emigrant Gustav Lannestock.  Gustav and his wife Lucille were quite the socialites.  Every evening they hosted a casual cocktail hour for anyone who happened to be walking by their home at 5 pm. 

In 1949, Swedish writer Vilhelm Moberg happened by at cocktail hour.  Moberg, who lived around the block, was writing a novel entitled Emigrants. The Swedes became fast friends and Lannenstock ended up translating Moberg’s four book-series Emigrants from Swedish to English.  To complete this Hollywood story full circle, Moberg’s novels would be made into two Warner Bros movies, The Emigrants and The New Land. 

To your right is the last set of stairs to the beach on this tour.  Depending on the time of year these stairs might be closed to the public.  During the fall and winter months, the tide is known to come all the way up to the stone wall below the walkway.  If that is the case, this area will be closed to the public.  During the spring and summer, this area is known for the large accumulation of seaweed that can become quite pungent.  Though beach crews and volunteers keep Carmel Beach clean and tidy, it is regulated that the seaweed be allowed to come and go naturally.  So, sometimes we just have to put up with the unpleasant odor.

You have come to the end of the Scenic Road  Walkway.  Ahead are two Carmel stone pillars connected by a wood gate that slants to the right.  This is the private driveway to the Mrs. Della Walker House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  This house is one of only five homes built on the beach side of Scenic Road.  You can look over the gate and see the Carmel stone carport that is attached to the home on the left.  The room to the right is the master bedroom. 

Now continue walking along Scenic Road.  You will be walking on the road now, so stay as far to the right of the road as possible. Scenic Road is still one way here so cars will still be approaching you from behind and passing you on your left.

To your right will be a horizontally laid wood fence.  The name on the fence is Henderson.  These are the descendants of Mrs. Della Walker who still own and maintain this treasure. The cypress hedge has been recently trimmed so it is now possible to see more of this house over the fence. 

When you come to the end of the fence, you will see a lot of ice plant that covers the hillside. Stay off the ice plant as it can be slippery and unstable. About 15 feet ahead there is a clearing in the ice plant and there is a dirt path that leads to the beach below.  I don’t suggest taking this as it requires quite a bit of effort and skill to navigate the path, which is in disrepair and also on the list of future projects for the Hendersons.  But, if you stand at the side of the road where the path begins, you will have a great view of the south side of the Mrs. Della Walker House.  Stop there and I will finish telling you about this magnificent cabin on the rocks.

If you look at the house from where you are standing you can see that Frank Lloyd Wright designed the home to appear as if it were an ocean liner with the point of the stone patio deck acting as the bow of the ship, perpetually facing the tireless sea off Carmel Point.  In this design, Wright departed from the concept of conventional four-cornered rooms.  In fact there isn’t a square corner in the entire construction of the house!  The living room, which is visible from where you are standing, is hexagonal in shape and the windows surrounding this room are inversely stepped out and framed in red painted steel.  The walls of the home as well as the retaining walls along the deck are native Carmel stone and the redwood and Douglas fir used in the structure came from Mrs. Della Walker’s son's extensive timber property in Susanville, California. 

A Summer Place (IMDB Library)

For movie buffs, a part of A Summer Place staring Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue was filmed in this home and surrounding area in 1959. The stone sculpture on the deck, called Undine is by Robert Howard and was installed in 1964.  This home is listed as a Carmel City Historic Resource as well as a State Historical and National Historic Resource.  It is truly a Carmel treasure.

This is as far as we are walking on Scenic Road so turn around and start walking back along the walkway in the direction you came from.

As you come to the end of the fence in front of the Mrs. Della Walker House, look across the street to your right.  The house is called Carefree Sur Mer. It is stone with wrap around glass windows. This unusually large, by Carmel standards, 5300 square foot home was built in 2001. 

The statue titled, Southwest Summer Shower, which overlooks Carmel Beach from the front yard, is by Doug Hyde.  Mr. Hyde works with bronze or stone and his art frequently reflects his Native American heritage and represents stories told to him by his ancestors. 

The Scenic Road Walkway should be coming back up on your left.  Get back on the walkway and continue walking straight. 

At the intersection of Scenic Road and Santa Lucia, by the restrooms, turn right and cross Scenic Road and continue straight up Santa Lucia for one block.  Stay to the left side of the street.   At the corner, turn left onto San Antonio and continue walking straight on the right side of the street. 

Look to your right behind the short Carmel stone wall at the light tan stucco Tudor-style residence with the sloping roof line.  This is the Edgemere Cottages, a pet friendly, family owned inn made up of three charming units.  This property was originally part of the Palache compound, a set of four fairly large homes, which took up half of this city block.  The homes were all built by M. J. Murphy for members of the Palache family.  This home was built in 1926 for Whitney Palache the son of James Palache.  James made his fortune in the oil and food importing business in the mid-nineteenth century and was one of the first life members of Carmel Art Association.  

Next door to the Edgemere Cottages is a two story Tudor-style house with a large gabled roof dormer.  Designed by Mary Orrick the sister of Whitney Palache who was married to San Francisco attorney William H.  Orrick, this beautiful home was built by M. J. Murphy for just under $7,000 in 1928. 

Right next door is a re-envisioned 1929 non-historic Hugh Comstock home name Sea Mist that was built by my co-author Dale Byrne and his wife Margaret.  They create works of art out of poorly remodeled homes which the Byrnes hope will be part of a new generation of historic homes once they reach 50 years of age.  Everything in this home is hand-made by local artisans including the 14 by 9 foot solid walnut eye-brow window which includes a leaded glass window with playful blue water drops by noted Carmel Valley artist Alan Masaoka.  

Continue walking along the right hand side of San Antonio and at the corner turn right onto 13^th Avenue. 

To your left on 13th Avenue is a two-story Tudor style house with a river rock chimney that has been painted white.  That was the home of the MacGowan-Cooke sisters we mentioned earlier.   

Alice MacGowan and Grace MacGowan Cooke came to Carmel in 1908 from Helicon Hall, in Englewood, New Jersey. Helicon Hall was a social experiment in socialist commune style living designed by Upton Sinclair which tragically burnt down just five months after its inception.

After his failed experiment, Upton Sinclair came to Carmel, and the Cooke sisters followed. The sisters purchased this large home, which was designed and built in 1905 by Eugenia Maybury, one of Carmel’s first female architects. She was assisted by stone mason Ben Turner who was a native of England and came to San Francisco in the 1860's where he built many of the brick buildings in the commercial district.  He then came to Carmel around 1898 and lent his hand to many of the stone structures in Carmel, including the La Playa Hotel.   

While the Cooke sisters lived in this home they worked collaboratively with other local authors on novels, short stories, essays and poems.  The sisters, as well as their daughters Helen and Kit, were all active in the founding of the outdoor Forest Theater in 1910.

The beach cove named in their honor, as well as their home, became the gathering place for many of the early Bohemian Carmelites we have previously mentioned.  In the cove they would frequently meet to picnic on abalone, which was plentiful back then. To lessen the monotony of preparing the abalone, which required it to be thoroughly pounded to be edible, the Abalone Song was created. The original verse was credited to George Sterling around 1907.  Since then numerous verses have been added to this very catchy tune.  Here is one example. 

Oh! some folks boast of quail and toast,
Because they think it's tony:
But I'm content to owe my rent
And live on abalone.  

At the corner ahead, turn right onto Carmelo. Just to your right, notice the brown two-story Spanish Colonial Revival-style home with the tile roof.  This is the third house of the Palache compound, designed and built in 1931 by Murphy for John Palache, Whitney's son.  Next door to this is the historic pink, two-story French Eclectic-style home built by Murphy for Whitney's older sister Eliza.

When all four of the Palache homes were completed, the first electric intercom system in Carmel was installed so that the families could talk to each other without leaving their homes.  The four interior gardens of these homes were also connected and served as meeting places for church groups and large family gatherings.  Today, each home is owned by a different family, so fences now separate them.

Now, turn around and walk back down Carmelo Street the way you came and cross 13th Avenue. Three houses down Carmelo on the left is a yellow Tudor-style house with a sprawling coastal live oak out in front.  Designed and built by Ernest Bixler in 1930, this cottage was originally called Ennisfree.  It was named for a verse in a poem by Yeats. During the 1930s, this was the home of American concert singer, and philanthropist Noël Sullivan.

Noël, who was born on Christmas day, hence the name, was a kind and generous man. When his sister Gladys died in 1933 he helped to raise her five children.  He also supported his Carmelite nun sister, Agnes of Jesus, by donating great sums to help establish their convent communities in Santa Clara, Carmel and San Diego.  In 1933, Noël lent Ennisfree to his friend American poet Langston Hughes free of charge.  Over the course of Langton’s career he would make major contributions as a poet, playwright and newspaperman.  

Next door to the Sullivan house is the parking lot for the Colonial Terrace Inn.  The lush gardens of the inn sit behind the low white picket fence.  The Inn, which is a series of six separate buildings, was constructed between 1930 and 1949.  Its proximity to Camel Beach makes it a very popular vacation destination.  If time permits, you can walk through the archway at the far end of the fence, onto the brick walkway which leads through the gardens to the circular shaped lobby.  If you do so, make sure you come back to this parking area to continue your tour.  Now continue walking straight on Carmelo.

At the corner, turn right and continue straight on 12th.  We are now in the residential area of Carmel known as the "Golden Rectangle."  This is an area bordered  by Ocean Avenue, Scenic Road, Santa Lucia and San Carlos Street.  It is a very desirable area and a high percentage are vacation homes. In fact, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, over 70% of the homes are part-time residences.  

When you get to the end of the block you should see a yellow two-story cottage with white trim.  This home was built by its owner, Leroy Babcock around 1918.  It is not clear where Leroy got the design plans for the home, which is an eclectic mixture of the Craftsman and Shingle-style that was popular at the time, but it is possible that he took two different pattern book designs and combined them for the perfect home to fit his needs. 

As you face the Leroy Babcock House, turn left and walk straight on the right-hand side of  Camino Real.   At the corner, cross 12^th Avenue and continue along the right side of the street.  The two-story Cape Cod-style home on your right after the intersection, was designed and built in 1931 by noted California water-colorist, Laura Maxwell. It is interesting to note that Carmel had a number of female architects during those early years. 

Next door on your right you'll see the Sea View Inn sign prominently displayed.  This Queen Anne and Colonial style home was built in 1907 by M. J. Murphy for Abbie McDow and Aimee Jones.  Ms. McDow was one of the founding members of Carmel’s All Saints Episcopal Church in 1910. The home was sold to sisters Olive and Pearl Stout in 1924.  The Stout sister’s turned the residence into the Sea View Inn. It is now a bed and breakfast with lots of old Carmel charm.  

At the corner, continue walking straight and cross 11^th Avenue.  Just a few houses down on your right is the historic Arnold Genthe House.  It is the two-story brown wooden Craftsman-style cottage behind the grape stake fence.  

German-born American photographer Arnold Genthe lived here from 1905 to around 1911. He was famous for his photographs of San Francisco’s Chinatown and the San Francisco Earthquake.  After the earthquake, like many others, he came here and fit right in with the other Bohemian artists.  At the time, that wide porch you see on the front of the house had a clear view of Carmel Beach.  Many a party was hosted there with George Sterling, Jack London, Robinson and Una Jeffers and Mary Austin all in attendance.  This house had a cement cellar where Genthe first experimented with color film processing. 

Continue walking straight down this street, and now stay to the left side of the street as you approach the next corner.  At the corner, turn left and continue walking down the right side of 10^th Avenue. 

As you approach the corner of Carmelo, look across the street to your left at the two-story white Craftsman-style home.  Built in 1909, this home was, at one time the residence of Gunnar Norberg and his first wife, Barbara Collins. Gunnar was a journalist and amateur  actor and he met Barbara through their mutual interest in theater.  After they married, Gunnar’s parents gave the newlyweds this home in 1940 as a wedding present.  Norberg was very active in Carmel theater and Carmel politics serving as mayor from 1976 to 1980.

At the corner continue straight and cross Carmelo. Keep walking along the right side of the street one block.  

At the corner, turn right on to San Antonio and continue walking straight along the left side of the street. 

To your left, you will see a large two-story Carmel stone Spanish Eclectic style home.  It sits behind a wooden fence with stone pillars.  Built between 1920 and 1921, it is historically known as the Philip and Marie Gordon Home. 

Philip Gordon was a Southern Pacific Railroad executive and the couple moved to Carmel in the early 1920’s, settling into this home.  Mrs. Gordon, who had trained with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, would act extensively on the Carmel stage at the Forest Theater as well at the Theater of the Golden Bough, which has an interesting story that we will cover in another tour.  

Continue walking straight along the left side of the street.

To your left just before the 9th Street alley to the beach, look for the wooden gate with the name Las Ondas on the left side fence.  Many times this gate is open.  If it is, make sure to stay on the street as this is a privately owned home and Clint Eastwood won't be "making your day" as he no longer lives there.  But when he served Carmel as mayor between 1986 and 1988 this stunning Spanish style home was his residence.  

Clint was born in San Francisco in 1930. While he was attending Oakland Technical High School, his father took a job in Seattle.  Clint stayed behind living with a friend’s family until he finished high school.  During that time, he worked at a bar playing jazz piano.  In 1950, he was planning on entering Seattle University to study music when the onset of the Korean War changed those plans.  Clint was drafted into the Army and stationed at Fort Ord near Monterey.  His time at Fort Ord would have two major impacts on his future.  The first would be meeting Martin Milner and David Janssen at Fort Ord.  After serving in the Army Milner and Janssen would become television stars, Milner in Route 66 and Janssen in The Fugitive.  They were the ones that convinced Clint to give acting a try.  The second great impact on his life would be spending rare off duty evenings while stationed at Fort Ord at the saloons in nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea. 

After the war, in 1952, he met Maggie Johnson who would become his first wife.  For a number of years Clint juggled many jobs along  with trying to make a living as an actor.  Finally in 1959 he got his break starring for eight seasons as Rowdy Yates on the television series Rawhide. In 1971 Clint Eastwood made his directorial debut in Play Misty For Me.  This was set in Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Highlands. 

In 1972 Clint Eastwood was introduced to the idea of owning a pub.  Shortly thereafter, along with some business partners, he opened the Hog's Breath Inn in Carmel on San Carlos north of Ocean Avenue.  Clint sold his portion of the business in 1999,  but there are plenty of Eastwood themes still associated with the establishment.

In 1986, after the Carmel Planning Commission rejected Eastwood’s proposal to build a retail office space next to his Hog’s Breath, he ran for mayor of Carmel. While an election in Carmel would normally turn out 30% of the voters, the '86 election brought out 72% of Carmel’s registered voters!  Life in the village for the next two years was always under the lens of television cameras, but Eastwood’s tenure as mayor was quite successful.  Besides getting his retail office building approved, he opened a new parking lot that was desperately needed in the business district, finished the landscaping of the Scenic Road Walkway, rejuvenated the Carmel Youth Center, added the public restroom in Devendorf Park, and brought ice cream cones back to the streets of Carmel. Yes, at one time it was illegal to eat ice cream on downtown streets.  But those days are gone!

Clint has gone on to bigger and greater things, but his heart still lies in Carmel. Currently he owns the Carmel Mission Ranch Inn and Restaurant and The Homestead a hotel and has many other investments including the Tehama development.  Over the past couple years he has been selling water rights from his artichoke fields to Carmel residents. I could go on and on about how he has helped the Carmel community over the years and continues to do so, very much under the radar. 

Keep walking on Carmelo toward Ocean Avenue.  At the corner continue across 8th Avenue walking on the right side of the street. 

Look to your right for the sign that says Carmel Cottage Inn.  It has a pink sea shell on the sign.  Do you see the yellow cottage named Sky Way nearby?  Can you also find the blue cottage named Home Port?  These are two of the charming cottages that make up Carmel Cottage Inn.  Now turn around and walk back in the direction you came on San Antonio and turn left at the corner to see more of this property.

Now look just to the left.  Do you see the arch of neatly trimmed ivy over the grape stake fence gate?  The sign hanging from the arch says Tradewinds. This is another Carmel Cottage Inn unit.  Keep walking straight.

Just past a storage shed on your left is a great view of Log Haven one of only three remaining log cabins in Carmel. It too is part of the Carmel Cottage Inn.

Between 1906 and 1915, Dr. Lucia M. Lane and Dr. Virginia W. Smiley purchased 8 lots here in Carmel.  At the time this land looked directly down to the white sand of Carmel Beach.  Between 1907 and 1910 Lucia and Virginia built an 800 square foot log cabin on the property which is what you see in front of you right now. An addition and second story were added in 1912 using shiplap siding. 

In 1916, the Drs. Lucia and Virginia sold their eight lots along with the log cabin to Dr. Cary de Angulo.  Dr. Cary  lived in the log cabin with her husband and daughter until early in the 1920s when the de Angulo’s divorced.  At that time Cary went to Switzerland and became psychiatrist Carl Jung’s translator and transcriber. She married Jung’s apprentice HG Peter Baynes in 1928 and brought him back to live with her in the Log Haven. 

Finally in 1937, Cary sold her eight lots and the log cabin to Adolf Lafrenz.  Adolf and his wife Hallie Samson built the other four quaint cottages on this property.  You just saw three of them, Sky Way, Home Port and Tradewinds.  Moon Gate sits back on the property and is not visible from the street.  The four cottages were called “Cottages by the Sea,” and offered as vacation rentals during the 1940s.  In 1989, these four cottages plus Log Haven became part of the La Playa Hotel.  In 2011, Cheryl Assemi, purchased this property.  She renovated and decorated the cottages with a classic 1940s retro charm and reopened them as the Carmel Cottage Inn.  Each are individually rented throughout the year and are extremely popular.    

Now continue walking straight on 8^th Avenue and turn right on Carmelo.  You are looking for the red brick sidewalk that goes along the outside of the garden area to the La Playa Carmel Hotel.  

Look  for the entrance on your left off the brick walkway and enter the gorgeous La Playa gardens.  To your right will be a lawn area and swimming pool, to your left and ahead of you will be guest rooms.   

Known as the Grand Dame of Carmel hotels, it has ties to some famous Carmelites.  The first one, Christian Jorgensen, immigrated to San Francisco from Norway in 1874. It was there that 14 year old Christian was “discovered” by landscape artist Virgil Williams as he sketched the San Francisco cityscape.  Christian attended the California School of Fine Arts and after his graduation became an instructor for the school.  It was in one of his sketch classes that he met his future wife, chocolate heiress, Angela Ghirardelli.  Christian and Angela married in 1883.  They had two children together and spent many years traveling and painting.  Christian became fascinated by the California Missions and eventually captured all 21 of them on canvas.

The Jorgenson’s settled in Carmel-by-the Sea in 1905 and built their home and stone artist studio here where the La Playa Hotel stands today.  In 1916, the Jorgenson’s sold their property to Agnes Signor who had come to Carmel-by-the-Sea from San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake destroyed the three hotels she was managing.  Agnes, along with her two nephews, Harrison and Fred Godwin turned the property in to a fashionable hotel.  The Godwin brothers inherited the hotel in 1923.  The following year most of the hotel was destroyed by fire. Undeterred, the Godwin’s spent $34,000 to restore the hotel, added thirty more guest rooms, and reopening as the La Playa Hotel in 1925 with room rates starting at $2.50 a night.  Fred Godwin would go on to serve as mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea from 1946 to 1950.

In the late 1960’s Camel hotelier, and philanthropist Howard “Bud” Allen purchased the La Playa, and originated the 10 cent Sunday Martini special. From 5:00 pm until 5:10 pm, one dime bought a martini.  The catch, it had to be a dime - - two nickels or ten pennies, no deal. Bud Allen is also the man that Clint Eastwood credits for launching his political career, convincing him to run for mayor of Carmel in 1986.

In 1983, Apple founder Steve Jobs booked the La Playa for a team retreat.  It is said that a prototype of the Macintosh computer was unveiled during this retreat.  It was also during this retreat that members of the Apple team decided to skinny-dip in the La Playa pool. For this transgression further Apple retreats were banned from the La Playa forever! Well almost.

In 2011 the La Playa was purchased by Grossman Company Properties and Classic Hotels and Resorts.  They completed a $3.5 million renovation and reopened as the La Playa Carmel in 2012.  In 2013, the ban was lifted and Apple has been welcomed back.  

So this is where I am leaving you.  If it is past 2 pm, you might consider stopping in at the La Playa Bar.  If you have a dime in your pocket and it is Sunday between 5 pm and 5:10 pm, Bud Allen’s tradition is still alive and well – a dime and only a dime will buy a nice cocktail.  Just head back to the lobby and ask for directions to the La Playa bar and enjoy your drink and some lite bites on the Pacific Terrace.

You clearly know that we are excited about Carmel's illustrious past and hope you will dig into more of it by taking some of our other tours. Until next time, Happy Adventures! 

___
All pictures by L.A. Momboisse and Dale Byrne except those listed below: 
Color picture of The Lighthouse on Scenic from Haute Shelter website.
Black and white photo of Mayor Eastwood's swearing in, Carmel Magazine, Spring/Summer 2012.
Black and white photo of Cimarron - Carmel Magazine, Summer/Fall 2013, page 87.
A Summer Place photo at Walker House (IMDB Library)
Color photo of Eastwood under Hog's Breath sign off Pinterest.