5 Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day in Carmel, California

Why does your dad deserve a trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea?

Maybe he gave the world’s best shoulder-rides, used songs and silliness to teach the times tables, taste-tested your first culinary experiments, explained philosophy and history on the way to swim practice, or forgave you for reverse-accelerating his Mustang into your grandma’s living room.

Maybe he sat through forty other kids playing chopsticks in a stuffy auditorium just so you’d get a wave and a thumbs-up from the audience; “Of course, your unique rendition of chopsticks was worth the wait.”

That, my friends, is unconditional love, and it’s payback time.

This year, Father’s Day weekend coincides with golf’s biggest, busiest event, The Pebble Beach-hosted US Open. You’ll save alot of money, not to mention your sanity, by waiting until next weekend to join your family on a sights and activities-packed trip to Carmel.

To help you along, we’ve created five guides for five types of fathers. Mix and match to your heart’s content, then check out 6 Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day in Carmel, California for even more ideas.

Carmel Weekend Get-Away Plans for Five Types of Fathers

1. The Family Man

The devoted and selfless Family Man resists the celebratory spotlight, but secretly loves any holiday that unites his favorite people. He’s laid-back and appreciates tradition, so don’t mess with his annual Father’s Day backyard bbq. Instead — surprise him next weekend, or in a few weeks, with a mini-family reunion in Carmel; bonus points if you wrangle together out-of-state siblings, aunts and uncles. Choose a centrally located hotel with a pool and lots of rooms to serve as “home-base”, and accommodate diverse interests by breaking into smaller groups for area attraction-exploration, then meet up for dinner* at Il Fornaio or Forge in the Forest. Both spots are friendly, classy, and not at all stuffy; sound like someone you know?

* Always make dinner reservations for larger groups.

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2. The Outdoorsman

School’s finally out; why are you being dragged out of bed at 6am? It’s fishing season, of course. You’re not nearly as thrilled as your dad, who woke an hour earlier to assemble your license, poles, tackle and maps, then managed to pack two meals, snacks, bottled waters, and a few sodas into a 6-pack cooler. He’s a man of the elements — prepared, determined, steadfast. Your hero.

Years later, you understand that those long afternoons on the lake and in the brush were about more than just conquering the elements and scoring fresh, tasty meals.

An expedition through Carmel and Big Sur, complete with horseback riding, fishing and whale watching tours, kayaking, hiking, biking, sailing, scuba diving, and Carmel Beach surfing says, “Thanks, Dad, for passing on your sense of adventure, your level-headed confidence and strong character — and for teaching me valuable everyday skills, like how to remove a rusty fish-hook from my index finger without fainting overboard.”

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3. The Big Kid-at-Heart

He’s light, playful, and manages to turn even typically tedious errands into games. Not one to restrict the fun to his own family, he routinely shares his driveway basketball court, game room, and backyard paintball field with every kid in the neighborhood, and his little league coaching seasons are the stuff of legend. Child-like, but not childish, this dad is personally committed to exampling fair play, good sportsmanship, and universal respect, especially towards the young and soft-spoken.

Reward your favorite fun-seeker with a spontaneous trip to Carmel, where he and your family can visit Thinker Toys — the area’s coolest independent toy store, play frisbee on Carmel-by-the-Sea Beach, imagine hilarious exchanges between Todd White’s wacky painted characters, indulge your inner prankster at Zucchini’s Tricks n Things on Cannery Row, shoot a few rounds of pool at Blue Fin Billiards, then head downstairs to The Cannery Row Pizzeria and Wine Cellar to try your hand at Karaoke, spend an afternoon exploring the Monterey Bay Aquarium, swap vacation stories with your trolley companions, and wind down with a family-movie night. You can’t go wrong with Toy Story 3 (98% fresh!), which is showing at Monterey’s Del Monte Theater in Disney 3D and Pacific Grove’s Lighthouse Cinemas in 2D.

If you don’t mind an extra 45 minutes on the road, set aside a bonus day for Gilroy Gardens, and bring this coupon for 1/2 off weekday passes in June and July.

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4. The Class Act

His calm, unassuming demeanor belies a passionately intuitive internal compass, a steadfast commitment to quality, honor, and respect. Charismatic and authentically charming, he ignites spontaneous friendship wherever he goes. He holds the door. He carries quality conversations. He’s unstoppable with a 9 iron. Heck yes; he’s your dad, and he’s a class act.

You’ve always admired his tenacious initiative; seize this opportunity to show him you’ve been paying attention. It’s so easy. Carmel’s his kind of town.

Classy trips needn’t be ridiculously expensive, and your dad prefers a quality experience over a pricy one, anyways. Focus on a couple of his favorite past times and experiences, set him and your mom up in the four-diamond, authentically styled Carriage House Inn, and explore Carmel-by-the-Sea’s boutiques and fine art galleries by foot.

If your dad’s into golf, challenge him to an afternoon on Pebble Beach’s world-famous links, home to the recently-concluded US Open. More ways to experience quintessentially-classy Carmel: tasting your way through the Chateau Julien Wine Estate, dining in Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Casanova restaurant, investing in a Robert Talbott hand sewn silk necktie, and catching a performance at Carmel’s Sunset Theater.

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5. The Professor

He might be an eccentric inventor, a pensive philosopher, an english literature lover, or a well-traveled cultural anthropologist. To you, he’s just “Dad — the best storyteller EVER.”

Thanks to him, you’re inquisitive, open-minded, and probably a lot of fun at dinner parties. The Professor thrives on unique learning opportunities, namely, exploring The Monterey Peninsula’s distinctive history and exchanging observations with like-minded theorists — like you!

For starters, check out The Carmel Mission, The Monterey History and Maritime Museum, The Pacific Grove Natural History Museum, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Old Downtown Monterey’s Path of History, and The Monterey Museum of Art.

Discuss antique shop highlights and rare book finds at Ocean Avenue’s Carmel Coffee House, grab a bottle of wine and chat with locals at The Carmel Barnyard Farmer’s Market, and relive dad’s legendary stories around a Carmel-by-the-Sea Beach bonfire.

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As you put the finishing touches on your Epic Carmel Vacation Plan, just remember, your dad’s an original, baby, and won’t fit neatly into a single type. Celebrate his quirks, inside jokes, and everything else you love about him — your way.