Friday evening, we left Monterey and headed south. We knew where we wanted to have dinner but were in no hurry to get there. As we tooled around Carmel, we stumbled upon this mission - the Mission de San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo (Carmel Mission). As it was almost 6 pm, the gates were closed for visitors, but we arrived just as the massive wooden doors closed. As they were closing, we could hear the opening strains of Trumpet Voluntary. Some lucky couple was being married that night in this beautiful chapel!
On the advice of one of John's classmates, we went to Clint Eastwood's restaurant, Mission Ranch, for dinner Friday night. We drove down the coastline first, stopping occasionally to admire the incredible scenery:
Finally our need for food overtook our need for more sightseeing, and we turned around and headed back to Mission Ranch. Mission Ranch spent years as a working dairy, and after a series of events, was slated to be developed as a condominium complex. Clint Eastwood stepped in, and bought the ranch and restored it to its original state (without the cows), using craftsmen to replicate moldings, and other details original to Mission Ranch. Now it looks like it could have stepped from the screen in the original Parent Trap (the one with Hayley Mills - not Lindsey Lohan), and is charming in its simplicity.
When we arrived, we were told there was an hour wait, so we settled down with a glass of wine at the piano bar to people watch, and to wait for our table. We'd been there about fifteen minutes when I looked out the window, and realized Clint was walking in. This must be a fairly frequent occurence as no one got rattled, and swarmed him for photographs or autographs. He came to the piano bar and sat with the people sitting next to me. They were clearly friends, and though I didn't eavesdrop on their conversation, I couldn't help but overhear this - which may change the way I order hamburgers forever. As he got up to excuse himself, he said in that distinctive musky voice: "I've got to place an order. (pause) For a burger." Say it out loud and put that pause in, and I swear it sounded like movie dialog! You know "Do you feel lucky? (pause) well - do ya?" It was awesome! Anyway - eventually he went out to the deck to have dinner with golfing buddies, and we were seated inside next to the window. In my have of thinking though, we were having dinner WHILE Clint was having dinner WHERE Clint was having dinner - ergo: We had dinner (and wine) with Clint! Doojie - there was no kiss for Clint from me - I was not quite as brave as you were!
Well obviously you didn't have ENOUGH wine!!!! That's too fun, though, even without the kiss. There are a lot of celebs that hang out throughout the year in Carmel and it's taboo for the locals to act uncool in around them. I've never been too good with rules or taboo...once had dinner in the same room as Diane Cannon, waited on Doris Day and Cheech Marin (not at the same time or table!) at Casanova French restaurant, pumped gas next to Robert Redford...my mom and I were always more like Lucy and Ethel in those situations than the proper sort of locals!!!! Lou Rawls, John Madden...so much fun...some folks they are just regular humans like us, ha! Great pictures, almost makes me homesick, thanks for sharing, Stephanie
Posted by: Doojie | June 12, 2007 at 12:41 PM
Email me asap at [email protected] , I'd like to set something up, hopefully, for tomorrow morning!
Posted by: Doojie | June 12, 2007 at 01:04 PM