Here’s what I did while at my dreamy bucket-list housesit in Carmel-by-the-Sea, an adorable 1-square mile seaside village filled with whimsical cottages + pristine beaches.

1:
Earthbound organic farm-stand & cafe:
An organic food lovers paradise hidden away in a picturesque valley. Grab some yums from the cafe while you shop for fresh produce or pick up a CSA box (order ahead). Then wander the farm complete with herb & kitchen gardens, a labyrinth, and seasonal pumpkin patch. A photographers delight.

2:
Self-guided walking tour of cottages with storybook names like Hansel & Gretel. Featuring steeply pitched roofs, cute stone chimneys and arched doorways, these storybook homes built cheaply by the builder Hugh Comstock back in the 1920s, are now worth millions. 21 still remain.

3:
Soak at Refuge: A serene spa overlooking the Santa Lucia mountains. A $67 entry fee comes with a cozy robe, a cute reusable water bottle with instructions on how to best experience the space (5-10 minute warm up in the Himalayan salt cedar sauna or eucalyptus steam room, then cold plunge 30-60 secs, then soak in warm or hot pools)…& something I highly approve of: a ‘Silence Policy’.

4:
Heels permit: stroll down to City Hall to pick up your high heel permit. Yep..heels are forbidden without one! (Ok..it’s not enforced these days but the ordinance was created in 1963 to protect the City from lawsuits by women injuring themselves on the uneven sidewalks).

5:
17-mile drive: A scenic drive along a red-dashed road that meanders around the Del Monte Forest & Pacific Ocean. Stop at 17 points-of-interest: my faves were the Lone Cypress & Ghost Trees. Worth the small entrance fee of $12 per vehicle, which is reimbursed with any purchase of $35 or more. Oh, check out the crazy mansions dotted along the drive!

6:
Carmel beach: pristine sugary white sand with turquoise waves chasing you..dare you to resist.

7:
Point Lobos State Park: I did the 6-mile Point Lobos Loop, which took me through pine and cypress forests, ocean-side with views for miles, past bird colonies (pelicans and herons!), a tiny-but-informative whalers museum, and tide pools.

8:
Explore the 41 passageways which Carmel is famous for: with names like ‘Secret Garden & Cinderella Lane’ you could spend days here wandering the cute boutiques and galleries.

9:
Garrapata State Park trails: the Bluff trail & Soberanes trails pair perfectly for varied landscapes: forest + ocean lovers will be drooling.

10:
Big Sur..a magical slice of heaven..is only a short & breath-taking drive away. Stop by the famous Nepenthe restaurant (not great for vegans but worth it for the views)..and wander the cute Phoenix store afterwards.