SPRING
’TWENTY FOUR

IN THIS ISSUE

Curated Images From Around Carmel
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Experience Immortality in Carmel: Lessons from Aeonium and Jellyfish

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Availability
We’re booking up. There’s Just One Opening Remaining In Each Of The Following Months This Year - May, June, July, and October
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Please Refer Your Friends

Dear Friends,

You may remember from your last visit, hundreds of saucer-shaped succulents thriving throughout the gardens at Carmel Retreats. They seem to multiply overnight, and from time to time I cut them back only to find even more of them the next time I arrive. They keep regenerating! What’s going on here? I’ve never given them much attention, but so many of my guests have asked what they are that I started to do a little “digging”.

It turns out they’re called Aeonium, a form of succulent native to northern Africa whose name derives from the Greek word aionios, which means ageless. I like that. And how fitting for these two timeless cottages. It also reminds me of my favorite sea creature, the jellyfish (you may remember jellyfish images hung throughout the main house), some species of which are able to revert their cells through a process called transdifferentiation into an earlier life stage, allowing them to regenerate and become young again. In essence, they’re immortal. I like that too. I’m not sure if it’s because I recently turned 60, or because the cottages just turned 100, I don’t know.

In any case, more and more of my guests are coming to our Carmel Retreats cottages to overcome cancer, illness, heartbreak, or loss. Of course many still come to vacation or celebrate life events like anniversaries, birthdays, and honeymoons. But regardless of your reason for coming, I think we can all agree that the idea of renewal is very compelling. 

So here’s what I’ve done. I went out and purchased a bunch of empty mason jars from the local hardware store as gifts for my guests. The next time you come, I invite you to take home an Aeonium cutting or two along with a mason jar. Fill it with soil, a few rocks and seashells from the beach, and bring home a piece of Carmel, a symbol of immortality and renewal. It will be thriving in no time and you don’t even need to root them first. Just stick the clipped stem right into the soil and it will start to grow.

And while you’re here, be sure to ask for my two free guest passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (tix are normally $60). The passes are done digitally these days so you’ll need me to call the Aquarium first and get a QR code for you. If you only go to one exhibit, make it the Jellyfish Hall. It’s absolutely mesmerizing and spectacularly backlit to dramatic effect. 

In the meantime, be well! Regardless of where you are, Springtime is the season of rejuvenation, a time to plant seeds for the future - or, in this case, clippings from our Aeonium garden in Carmel.

With heartfelt wishes for continued health and happiness!

Barry (and Adam and Jacob)

Availability

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As a local, family-owned business, our goal is to offer an exceptional experience to an exclusive set of loyal guests, and their families and friends. Please refer your friends and family to Carmel Retreats and we promise to make their stay unforgettable. We especially love hosting those who have come through cancer, illness or loss and can find healing in the idyllic surroundings of Carmel By The Sea. If you know someone like this, please tell them about us.

As a token of our appreciation for choosing Carmel Retreats, we’ve made you part of our “Inner Circle”. We value your trust in us and don’t extend this offer to every guest - just those who treat our cottages with the utmost care.

As an Inner Circle member, you’ll receive:

* Reduced Inner Circle pricing
* Priority advance booking over non-members
* No VRBO/AirBnB booking fees (save up to $1000 or more)
* No damage deposit collected