A Winter Girls’ Weekend at Hofsas House in Carmel-by-the-Sea
By Carrie Borzillo
I never thought I’d say this, but thank God I didn’t pack heels! You see, I’m a heels-girl. Ever since I slipped into my mom’s wooden-heeled Candie’s in the ’70s when I was a little girl, I’ve been obsessed with any fancy footwear over 3-inches. And, I’m good at it. I’ve navigated Italy’s cobblestone streets in Christian Louboutins and trekked through the grassy and muddy Reading Festival in Vivienne Westwood.
So, of course, I would’ve packed heels for my weekend winter get-away to Hofsas House in Carmel-by-the-Sea on California’s Central Coast. But, something stopped me. And, it’s a good thing, because one of the most fascinating fun-facts about this quaint town is that it is illegal – yes, illegal! – to wear heels over 2-inches high. The law was made in the 1920s to protect women from tripping over the sidewalks and pavement made bumpy by tree roots. You can get a permit to wear heels, but in all honestly, they don’t enforce this law. With my luck, I would’ve been the first woman to get arrested for wearing heels – especially if I face-planted because of 5-inch red-bottoms.
This is just one of the many fun facts that Hofsas House co-owner Carrie Theis delighted me with upon my visit last weekend. Other fun facts include not having street addresses so that they don’t become too “city.” You also won’t find big box stores, franchises, or neon so they can remain “like a village in the forest by the sea.” Of course, the most fun fact of all is that actor Clint Eastwood was the mayor of this seaside town from 1986-1988.
Every block, within walking distance, is lined with clothing boutiques, candy shops (salt water taffy is popular here), art galleries, bistros, and, of course, the main attraction – tasting rooms.
Here are five reasons to visit Hofsas House…
European Charm: The 69-year-old family owned Hofsas House welcomes you with a hand-painted Bavarian-themed welcome mural on the wall outside. Inside are authentic Dutch doors and cozy rooms featuring real-wood fireplaces, ocean views, wet bars, and private balconies. Bonus: You can bring your dogs!
Picnics on the Beach: We picked up our picnic box lunch at the 5th Avenue Deli just around the corner for the hotel and headed to the beach for lunch. While my friend and I got the yummy Veggie Box Lunch (vegetarian or falafel sandwich, Greek salad, dolmas, fruit, and coconut macaroons) if return with a “lover” I’ll definitely want Lover’s Basket, which features champagne, cheese, fruits, sweets, and more.
Wine Walk: You can purchase Wine Tasting Passport and just pop into any nine of the 14 tasting rooms on the route, which typically offer flights of 3-5 glasses. We started with some amazing cabernets at Galante Vineyards, which is owned by Jack Galante’s great grandfather, J.F. Devendorf, who was the founder of Carmel. Wrath Wines’ 2013 Pinot Noir from Monterey was another favorite, as was Figge Cellars’ 2009 Syrah. But, our favorite was the 2013 Barbera, a medium-bodied Italian red with notes of blueberries and blackberries, at Silvestri Vineyards, which is owned by Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning film composer Alan Silvestri (Forrest Gump, The Avengers, Van Helsing).
Art Galleries Galore: While there are more than 80 art galleries, the rock chick and wine lover in me especially loved Winfield Gallery, which sits inside Figge Cellars. Among other pieces of art, the walls were lined with iconic rock photography by Ethan Russell whose 1970s images of the Rolling Stones are legendary.
Drink & Detox: After a long day of wine tasting, we headed back to Hofsas House for some much needed detox time. A few laps in the heated outdoor pool was perfect to burn off those calories from the delicious El Estero Gold (a hard, raw cow cheese) and Robiola (a soft Italian cheese similar to brie) from The Cheese Shop. And a 20-minute sit in the hotel’s dry sauna was the perfect way to sweat out the toxins!
Check out Hofsas House at:
http://www.hofsashouse.com
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Carrie Borzillo is an award-winning entertainment and lifestyle journalist and author of three books. She writes about sex/relationships for Men’s Health, DAME, and Sexpert.com. Her books include, “CHERRY BOMB: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Better Flirt, a Tougher Chick, and a Hotter Girlfriend, and to Living Life Like a Rock Star,” Tera Patrick’s “Sinner Takes All: A Memoir of Love and Porn,” and “Nirvana: In the Words of the People Who Were There.”
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