Carmel Magazine

A ging has its upside too. As I approach my 57th birthday, I think about how fortunate I have been over the years. Just in the past week, my daughter Audrey delivered a healthy and precious baby boy into this world. In addition to that, we recently had the pleasure of my daughter Jessica and our sweet grand- daughter Josie spending a few days with our family. My wife Kelli and I, and our youngest two kids, Evan and Allyn, loved the company. Combine that with the fact that our next-door neighbor recently sold her house to an awesome family with two young children the same age as ours and we are ecstatic. We have so much to look forward to. Finding time to do everything we want in life is the biggest obstacle but making every moment count is the priority. One way to enrich our lives is to make time for the things we truly enjoy. There are limitless options for activities in Monterey County. Our Big Sur cover story looks at one of the most beautifully diverse places on the planet. As a long-time destination for Hollywood types and an eclectic assortment of visitors and residents, it is a uniquely inspiring place. Last month, when pop star Taylor Swift and her model friend Karlie Kloss were on Instagram and Twitter posting pictures of themselves in Big Sur, they both referred to the experience as "best road trip ever." Big Sur truly has a way of creating a sense of euphoria and is a world- class destination which combines so many different options for people of all types. On the topic of unforgettable destinations, our Peninsula has many places that fall under the world-class moniker and the Monterey Bay Aquarium certainly fits the bill. In honor of the upcoming 30-year anniversary, we have a great feature which touches on the history, the exhibits, the amazing research work Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is performing, and the Aquarium's star-studded annual culinary event, Cooking for Solutions. Also celebrating 30 years is the Kinship Center Monterey County/Central Coast. This fantastic organization has done incredible work creating families and finding homes for chil- dren in need of stability and love through the foster care sys- tem as well as open adoption. When we adopted our youngest child through the Kinship Center, they had a saying, "your baby will find you," and they could not have been more right. We have two adopted kids who "found us" and com- pleted our family and we could not be happier. In this issue you will learn about the two women behind Kinship and their self- less dedication over the past 30 years. As we see signs of an improving economy on a daily basis, the optimism is catching on and business is getting better and better. New retailers and restaurants are popping up in all parts of the county. An example is Bill and Teresa Lee's new restaurant in Seaside called Lucky's Roadside. What a fantastic dining establishment. Check out the Szechuan green beans. The opportunities for our area seem endless. New projects are on the drawing board, some very ambitious, and people are investing in the community. This is great news for visitors and locals alike. Lastly, I want to thank our loyal advertisers for being a part of all this. Our revenue from advertising is what allows us to continue producing the magazine and the ability to print and distribute 35,000 copies each quarter. It also allows us to con- tinue to support the local community and many charities. Now in our 15th year, the future looks bright. 30 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 PUBLISHER'S NOTE S T E V E S N I D E R Just in the past week, my daughter Audrey delivered a healthy and precious baby boy into this world. Lucky in Life 030 Pub Note_Carmel Mag 4/24/14 6:43 AM Page 1

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