52 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM come to carmel seemonterey.com burger crowned with triple-crème brie, bacon marmalade and butter pickles, not to mention chimichurri fries. Or embrace Carmel Valley’s rustic roots with Cal-Mex cuisine and old-school charm at Baja Cantina, coated in old photos and vintage automobile memorabilia, or the Running Iron, a honky-tonk that dangles weathered cowboy boots from the rafters. For dazzling indulgence, Valley Kitchen steals the show. From the spiced lamb on a bed of farro, cauliflower, dried fruit and nuts to the New York striploin with wild mushroom ragout, potatoes, pickled kohlrabi and Swiss chard, each elevated dish delivers a medley of flavors and textures. And don’t you dare skip dessert. The Orchard Apple may mimic its namesake, but sink in your spoon to discover gingerbread cake and a delightful pocket of apples, apple butter and caramel-like cajeta, all topped with a dainty chocolate stem. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: CARMEL VALLEY RANCH - VALLEY KITCHEN / SEE MONTEREY- FOLKTALE WINERY / 1504 - HOLMAN RANCH HEAVENLY HIKING Time to burn those extra calories on the trails. At the 4,462-acre Garland Ranch Regional Park, the terrain shifts from maple-filled canyons to oak woodlands to dense shrub-lined chaparral with paths running along the Carmel River and Garzas Creek. Palo Corona Regional Park provides an additional 4,500 acres of rolling hills to explore. If you’re basing yourself at Holman Ranch, take advantage of the property’s private trails. You’ll be treated to stunning vistas of the valley on Sagebrush Trail. And if you continue to Lace Lichen Loop, you’ll find the aforementioned lichen cloaking the oak trees in alluring veils of lacey green. Yes, Carmel-by-the-Sea will always have its charms, but Carmel Valley proves that other treasures lie just beyond the coast. MORE LUXURY LODGINGS Carmel Valley Ranch – A sprawling 500-acre luxury resort with a spa, golf course, courts for tennis and pickleball, pools and upscale restaurant. Bernardus Lodge – A European-style estate with an onsite vineyard. Each of its 73 guest rooms, suites and villas comes with a soaking tub and fireplace. Quail Lodge – A charming 93-room hotel with an 18hole golf course and waterside restaurant. {due west} Audrey and Nancy Torres ART STUDIO OWNERS & INSTRUCTORS
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