Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

Gorgeous Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California (Photo by Alaina Diehl)

Last summer, this beautiful sea-side stop was on the itinerary for the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players‘ Pacific Coast Tour, and I was playing in the pit orchestra. After hours of bus travel, beautiful California communities like San Luis Obispo and Carmel-by-the-Sea made this trip a very special “working vacation.” Before our rehearsal of The Pirates of Penzance at the Sunset Community and Cultural Center, the company had a chance to explore the town with its lovely inns, shops, and restaurants. Our main goal, however, was to make it to the beach. How to get there? Start walking down-hill.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California (Photo by Alaina Diehl)

I was hoping to pick up some sort of souvenir off of the beach, and I didn’t come up with much. I didn’t find shells, but I did see the same black and white rock over and over again. Hoping it was typical of what this beautiful beach had to offer, I picked up one for me and one for my parents.

Rocks-by-the-Sea (Rocks by Alaina Diehl, Photo by Jody Diehl)

Although shelling is my favorite beach activity, it’s obvious that the clean, white sands, cool breezes, and beautiful views are what make this beach a treasure.

All I know is that any town that ends in “by-the-Sea” is a town for me!