When I first moved here in 1990, you would frequently see local celebrities around Carmel. Especially Clint Eastwood. Sometimes with John Madden, sometimes by himself.You might spot John Denver having lunch at the Rio Grill and John Travolta getting take-out from the Golden Buddha. You would also hear of the frequent sightings of Doris Day, frequently at Safeway at the Crossroads Shopping Center, though I never saw her myself.
Doris Day was not only an amazing singer and actress, as well as a pioneer in the world of animal activism, but she was also a really good person. She has graced the cover of Carmel Magazine four times over the last 19 years and has always been generous in granting us an interview and providing us with good content to do a compelling cover story (plus she was also a big fan of the magazine). She touched the lives of so many people worldwide and it was awesome to have her living here in our own backyard. She will be missed and her legacy, which is a great one, will live on forever. We offer a nice selection of stories and memories from some of her friends and hope you enjoy it.
Also, in this edition, we feature 2019 Car Week, which to some who live here represents nothing more than traffic jams, but for others, it is one amazing week-long party. It is pretty spectacular to see the art on wheels that hits this community every August. There is a lot of money which changes hands and a lot of money raised for charity as well. Yes, the traffic is a hassle, but since the business done for the week means so much to our local retailers and restaurants, as well as the local charities that benefit, I say enjoy it.
On the subject of Car Week, we are proud to feature the talent of Gunther Raupp, who is a world-renowned Ferrari photographer. The stunning images shown in these pages give you a sampling of his work and a preview of some of the photographs to be shown at his upcoming Carmel show.
Also, check out the amazing work of photographer Aaron Chang, whose spectacular ocean-inspired art has to be seen to be fully understood. We are happy to have his new gallery here in Carmel and he is a really fantastic artist with a great story.
The 62nd Monterey Jazz festival comes this September and promises to be another epic one. Tim Jackson and company have put together another stellar lineup, and Tim has been booking the festival for 27 years and continues to bring us an outstanding collection of artists year after year. Kudos to you Tim!
Looking ahead to 2020, it is a personal milestone for Carmel Magazine. It was in 2000 that Carmel Style magazine morphed into Carmel Magazine. When I told a few Carmel businessmen of my idea to start a local lifestyle magazine, they thought I was nuts. We already had Adventures in Dining, Buying the Best, The Monterey Peninsula Guide, Guest Life and others. There was conceivably no room for yet another glossy magazine. I was discouraged by most. The exception was a businessman named Ted Leidig. He had some good ideas about content that I still try and include in every issue. He encouraged me to move forward and said he would advertise in it.
Hence the cliché from the movie, “Field of Dreams,” “If you build, it they will come.” My amazing wife Kelli Uldall and I built it, and 20 years later, they are still coming.
Thank you to all that have contributed to the magazine. The advertisers, writers, photographers, salespeople, partners along the way, readers and community as a whole. We appreciate it very much.