Black Bear Diner is a chain of country/bear-themed casual restaurants that started in Shasta, California. They feature American comfort food and while their prices aren’t the cheapest, their generous portions generally make them a better value than Denny’s or Perkin’s. My family split breakfast two breakfast entrees. We left will full stomachs and left-over pancake.
Tag Archives: california
Big Sur Cliff Walk
While visiting Carmel, we drove south of town to Big Sur. A region along the California Central Coast, which is famous for its breathtaking rugged landscapes. I pulled over along the highway and followed a trail to the edge of a cliff and was treated to a dramatic view of the Pacific crashing into rocks and cliffs below me.
Carmel Mission Basilica
Founded in 1771, by Fr. Junípero Serra, Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Río Carmelo, or simply Carmel Mission, was the 2nd of 21 missions founded by Fr. Serra and the headquarters of the mission system. In 1833, newly independent Mexico, stripped the missions of their lands and assets. Carmel Mission was abandoned and fell into decay.
Abandoned for decades, restoration efforts were started in the early 1900’s and the grounds and church were finally restored in the 1950’s through the efforts of clergy and the community. Today, Carmel Mission Basilica is a fully functioning Roman Catholic church parish, historical site, and museum.
Tourist may enter the grounds during the week by making a donation at the gate. The church contains the remains and relics of Saint Junipero Serra, who was canonized by Pope Francis.
The Cheese Shop, Carmel California
In the Carmel Plaza shopping center, you’ll find a well-stocked cheese shop. When you enter, find one of their cheese mongers who will guide you through a free tasting of their cheeses. They offer a wide range of California and European cheeses. My wife and I tasted a flight of French and Swiss hard and soft cheeses and she walked out with a delicious, stinky bag of them.
Carmel Music Box Store
Among the art galleries, cafés, and boutiques in Carmel is a vintage clock and music box store. Inside, we found antique gramophones and music boxes.
Xocolatl chocolate shop Carmel, California
In a hidden inner courtyard, off of Carmel’s main street, you’ll find a small art gallery and artisan chocolate shop, Xocolatl.
Carmel Bakery
My family enjoys fresh baked bread and pastries along main street, while visiting Camel-by-the Sea, California.
Carmel by the Sea Walking Tour
I take you on a walking tour of Ocean Avenue. The main street of Carmel by the Sea, the famous California town known simply as “Carmel.”
Founded by Spanish missionaries in 1771, this seaside town, south of Monterey Bay, was the headquarters of the Spanish Mission system and the Carmelite Order in the New World. St. Fr. Juanipero Serra is buried at the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo.
Carmel became a trendy artist colony south of San Francisco in the early 1910’s. Notable residents include Ansel Adams, Betty White, Clint Eastwood, and Brad Pitt. Actor Clint Eastwood was the mayor of Carmel in the 1980’s. It is one of the most affluent and exclusive communities in California.
Art galleries, boutiques specializing in vacation-casual fashion, and cafés line the streets along Ocean Avenue. Off the main street are bistro’s and boujie restaurants. Carmel is a very walkable town for tourists.
Road Trip: San Francisco to Monterey Bay
A time-lapse road trip from downtown San Francisco at the start of rush-hour down the Pacific Coast Highway to dinner in Moss Landing along Monterey Bay. Just north of Santa Cruz, surf mist created a thick, salty, fog, obscuring the last part of the drive. I end the video just after sunset on the bayside deck of the Sea Harvest restaurant in Moss Landing.
Sea Harvest https://www.instagram.com/seaharvestmosslanding/?hl=en