Carmel, Carmel Valley & South Coast

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Jenn Menke Realtor®, Monterey Coast Realty

Realtor Jenn Menke grew up in Carmel, and after college and a brief stint working out of the area, she missed the Monterey Peninsula so much that she returned back home. Now living in Pacific Grove with her husband and two children, Jenn loves exploring every niche of the local area, while making time for a run by one of the many stunning beaches on a regular basis.

“Running on Scenic past Carmel River Beach and Carmel Beach (and then through town) is my favorite run,” she says. “I try to do a 6-mile loop at least twice a week. Other days when I’m busy with work and kids, I might run 4 miles on the bike path in Pacific Grove.”

Jenn also loves the trails off Highway 68 in Pebble Beach for a brisk hike with her Whippet-Chihuahua mix, running by Asilomar Beach in Pacific Grove and challenging herself by sprinting up and down the stairs at Veterans Memorial Park in Monterey.

“The time I take for myself to exercise outdoors is like personal therapy for me,” she shares. “I feel better throughout the day and try to make sure it happens.”

Jenn appreciates the “basically year-round” ability to be outside while taking in different views around the area. “My favorite run is after it rains and the sun comes out,” she says. “It’s almost never too hot or too cold to be outside.”

Since the recent superbloom (where an unusual number of wildflowers have dotted the green hills), she’s taken her kids hiking to look at wildflowers in Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel Valley, done more strenuous hikes without kids at Soberanes

Canyon Trail (just down Highway 1 south of Carmel), picked huckleberries while her dog plays at the Lynn “Rip” Van Winkle open space in Pacific Grove, gone foraging for Chanterelle mushrooms in Pebble Beach and has taken her kids for gentle strolls at Palo Corona Regional Park in Carmel Valley.

“I appreciate this area so much and couldn’t wait to come back,” she says. “I understand why people want to live here. It’s laid back, there’s no traffic, and all the nature is so calming in a world of chaos."