At the end of April, J and I tried out a new type of destination. We hit up Carmel Valley Ranch, which is a golf club/resort kind of spot. With its luxurious pool/hot tubs plus on-site animal farm, massive vegetable garden, and beautifully manicured grounds, it was hard not to fall in love. I subsequently spent much of spring/summer dreaming of ways to get back to that environment again. Unfortunately, Benny’s mobility issues took months of troubleshooting– all the way until late September, when the monthly injectable Librela finally started to take effect (third month) and coupled with prednisone (the universal magic pill) tweaked to the right dose, we got him stable again.

In early October, we felt ready to try two things: a new overnight dog sitter (recommended by a neighbor on Nextdoor) and a new lodge/golf resort escape. Enter the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley. The thing I’m noticing about golf places— they are so much better maintained. Not just with the grounds, but I mean the rooms, the lobby, the common areas… The architecture/decor/style may be a bit old school or dated, but the upkeep is impeccable. We were only there for two nights, and I submitted an offer during our stay, but it was a pleasant albeit brief getaway. We rented e-bikes and toured the neighborhood, got on a nice paved trail riding by the pastures… scenic and quiet. The next day, we went on a short hike. We hit up Earthbound Farms and a few other local food spots. Walked around sleepy downtown Carmel. We had a nice time and a welcome respite from the week-long heat wave. Meanwhile, Bentley did fine as well. The sitter is probably in her 30s-40s, and I have to say, it’s nice to have someone who’s mature and well, how to say, seasoned by life to handle responsibilities. Bentley seemed calm and comfortable when we returned so all in all, a successful trip. The icing on the cake would have been if my clients beat out 42 other offers to win a house in Palo Alto, but apparently, that’s too much to ask for these days. 🙂