Carmel Highlands – Jewel of Big Sur Coastline

Posted on   March 13,2023   By John and Linda Compisi

The Carmel Highlands is located just a few miles south of Carmel-by-the-Sea on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH – Highway 1). We just finished another purely delightful visit there and needed to share the pleasures, panoramas and particulars of our three-day escape. February may seem like an inclement time of year to be on the central coast of California and for sure the weather is variable but our experience there has been more positive than not. The ultimate attractions are the spectacular and rugged Pacific Ocean coastal views from Carmel to Big Sur, the luscious wines, sea otters and the many delicious restaurants in the vicinity!

Folktale Winery is located on Carmel Valley Road, roughly 7 miles from downtown Carmel. We had heard of Folktale after their
winemaker, David Baird, attended a charity event in San Jose supporting Down Syndrome, with his wine label, Common Thread (read more in this post from our wine colleague, Laura Ness). We were impressed by his commitment to the cause and decided to visit.

Upon arrival at the former Château Julien Winery (the property was acquired by local entrepreneur, Gregory Ahn and his wife Madigan, in 2015 and renamed Folktale Winery & Vineyards), we were greeted by a friendly host who checked our reservation,, handed us a glass of sparkling and guided us to an outside Wine Garden table. We were fortunate to have a sunny and tolerably warm day, considering it was mid-February.

Folktale continues the COVID era regime of food and wine in their Wine Garden. The noteworthy point is that they excel in this combination. The Wine Garden is large and can accommodate groups or small parties. The parking lot shields visitors from the traffic on Carmel Valley Road. Once the four of us were seated (we brought two guests with us) we met our server Andy.

Andy was customer focused and knew the operation at Folktale like the back of his hand. We started with a NV Folktale Sparkling Brut Rosé while we perused the menu, which was quite extensive with Shared Boards, Woodfired Flatbreads, Salads, Small Plates, Entrees and Desserts.

We mixed it up with Fire Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, a Margherita Flatbread Pizza and a Pepperoni Flatbread Pizza. For the wine, Folktale offers a Guided Signature Tasting ($40) and a Red Reserve Wine Tasting ($50). We decided to do them both. Must admit, the wines were delicious and true to the varietals and the food was over-the-top good. We especially enjoyed the Cauliflower Salad but cannot ignore the wonderful crust on the Flatbread. The Sparkling Brut Rosé, the Estate Pinot Noir and the Le Mistral (another winery property owned by the Folktale Group) Joseph’s Red Blend were our favorites on the wine side.

Folktale also offers Sunday Brunch from 10am-4pm. It is a real destination in the Carmel Valley and Carmel-by-the-Sea (CBTS). General hours of operations are: Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 11:30 – 6:30. Sunday: 10:00-4:00. There are numerous other wineries in the Carmel Valley that we adore, such as Bernardus, Talbott, Georis and Boekenoogen Winery (one of our all-time favorites). Having said that, we would commend a visit to Folktale for any of our readers, it is a ‘total experience’!

This was just the beginning of our escape. We left Folktale for the 10-minute drive to our lodging for the weekend, The Tickle Pink Inn in the Carmel Highlands. We were introduced to the Inn by friends who spent their honeymoon there and have gone back every year since. We stayed for the first time last year and decided it was too unique to not return. The Tickle Pink Inn overlooks the glorious Big Sur coastline along Highway 1.

The Inn sits on the century old original home site of California State Senator Edward and Bess Tickle. Mrs. Tickle was a lover of flowers, especially pink ones, which inspired the name Tickle Pink for their home. The Inn displays gracious elegance and 35 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites which are currently undergoing some renovations.

Each room is quite different so it is important to review the map and the various pictures of the rooms to be comfortable that you are getting what you want. Some rooms sport jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces and of course different views. We love the combination Pacific Ocean and Cove view. Regardless of your room choice a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine and a rose will greet your arrival.

The Tickle Pink has Happy Hour every evening with wine, cheese, and other delights. Breakfast is complimentary, delivered to your room or in the Terrace Lounge so you can meet other guests. The Wall Street Journal is delivered to your room daily. We’ve already made our reservation for next year. They book a year out so don’t delay if you are considering this wonderful destination.

While in Carmel and by extension Monterey, there is so much to do and so many wonderful restaurants to experience. On our first morning we hiked the Jacks Peak Regional Park. Although the gate to the Monterey Pine Preserve, in which the Park sits, was locked due to ‘weather’, we walked the mile up (literally) scoped it out and returned. The park has almost 8.5 miles of horseback riding and hiking trails which wind through cathedral-like pine forests which lead to breathtaking ridge top vistas.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is very close to the Tickle Pink but you must get there early to get a parking space. Their hiking trails are moderate and exceptionally scenic. It was closed due to weather one day while we were there. Of course, Big Sur State Park is south from the Tickle Pink. We also visited Nepenthe and the Bixby Bridge. More about that below.

Our new favorite restaurant in CBTS is Anton and Michel. Owner Tony Salameh is an iconic restauranteur who has been pleasing diners on the Monterey Peninsula for four decades. We only discovered this restaurant a year ago but have now had two delightful experiences in less than a year. The wine list (featuring local and international medal winners) is amazing and the food is to die for. Linda had the Day Boat Scallops and I enjoyed the Pork Chop. Both were scrumptious and the 2021 Boekenoogen Estate Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) complemented both dishes! An amazing meal. Rueben, our waiter, pulled it all together with his attentive service.

The drive along the PCH is always breathtaking and on this visit, we drove further south than usual (be aware, the road is closed about 23 miles from Big Sur due to the mud and rock slides precipitated by this winter’s rains). That additional mileage led to two treats. The Bixby Bridge and Nepenthe.

The Bixby Creek Bridge, also known as Bixby Canyon Bridge, spans Bixby Canyon nearly 270 feet above the Big Sur coast of California. The bridge was built in 1932. Its graceful, reinforced concrete open arch design gives it an eye-catching aesthetic when paired with its magnificent setting. It remains one of the most photographed bridges in California.

Nepenthe is an interesting must-stop located high above the Pacific coast. The Bohemian style Nepenthe Restaurant, located high above the Pacific Ocean, has a full bar and a great menu. Situated slightly below is Café Kevah and The Phoenix Art Shop. We enjoyed a delicious lunch inside (the terraces were not open due to the intermittent rain) and the spectacular views. The art shop had some interesting things but we didn’t buy.

On our final day in the Carmel area we spent the morning wandering among the unique and boutique shops on Ocean Drive, Carmel-by-the-Sea. The buildings are so eclectic and the goods often seen nowhere else. A worthy tourist stop.

For lunch we proceeded to Cannery Row and the Old Fishermen’s Wharf in Monterey. There is no better place to get closeup views of the harbor seals and sea otters. We had read that there were an abnormal number of rafting sea otters at this time. Although we didn’t see any large rafts we did see a great number of sea otters cavorting in the marina and along the Pacific Grove coastline walk.

All things considered, the Carmel Highlands, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Valley, Monterey and the Big Sur Coast have something for everyone. Get there and enjoy. For more about Carmel you can check out our earlier post: The Flights and Bites of Carmel Valley.