24 Hours in Carmel

The workweek can often be exhausting, so relax in the Carmel area when you have a day off. There are plenty of incredible landscapes to see and things to do nearby. Take a look below to learn how you can spend 24 hours near Carmel.

Have Breakfast at Countryside Kitchen

A good breakfast is a perfect way to start your adventure. Countryside Kitchen is in Mahopac, only about 10 minutes away from Carmel. It has a variety of unique, delicious dishes. Check out the Holy Cannoli Pancake Platter, the S’mores Waffle, or the Blazin’ Chicken and Waffles with jalapenos and buffalo sawmill sausage gravy. Pancake options include cookie dough, coconut, M&M, brownie, Nutella, pumpkin, Oreo, multi-grain, chocolate chip, maple syrup, and peanut butter. You can also order two types of pancakes on one plate.

Signature breakfast dishes include the Jammed Pancake Tower, Old-Fashioned French Toast, French Toast Bites, the Flaky Pastry, Egg Plate, the Cajun Egg, Roll Plate, and the Healthy Egg White Wrap. The Big Breakfast comes with two eggs, bacon or sausage, buttermilk pancakes, home fries, and a slice of toast. The Eggs Benny has poached eggs, Canadian bacon, home fries, and hollandaise sauce over an English muffin.

Meat lovers can’t get enough of the Pig-Pen. It’s a plate of home fries, sausage, ham, hot peppers, onions, bell peppers with chili, and cheddar cheese. The Pig Pen also comes with two eggs made you however like them. Choose the Blazin’ Buffalo plate if you want a sharp and spicy kick to start your day. It has biscuits covered in buffalo sawmill sausage gravy and jalapeno peppers. You can visit Countryside Kitchen from around 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The hours sometimes vary, and it’s closed on Mondays.

Search for Inner Peace at the Chuang Yen Monastery

Breakaway from the patterns of everyday life and find some peace at the Chuang Yen Monastery, only about 10 minutes away from Carmel Hamlet. The monastery contains a giant indoor statue of the Buddha in the Western Hemisphere. Visitors can attend regular garden parties, poetry and meditation classes, retreats, and kung fu classes. Book study classes are available if you want to learn more about the ideas behind Buddhism. Memorial tablet ceremonies are public for people who have recently lost loved ones.

You can even learn the language that the Buddha spoke, Pali. Introductory and intermediate classes are available, and they focus on learning to read the teachings of the Buddha in their original language. Dharma Discourse Talks are held regularly as well. These talks focus on developing wisdom, ending suffering through the eight-fold path, gaining a clear comprehension of Dharma, purification of mind, daily mindfulness, aspirations for peace, and more.

Walk-in meditation classes happen in the Temple of Enlightenment every Sunday at 10 a.m., and there’s a gift shop with a variety of interesting souvenirs of your choice. You can also quiet your mind by the Zen Garden or the Seven Jewel Lake.

Have Lunch at Bliss Dairy Bar & Grill

The wraps, sandwiches, hot dogs, and other Bliss Dairy Bar and Grill items can give you the energy you need after a long meditation session. The Balboa is hot roast beef and Swiss cheese sandwich on garlic bread, and the Bronx Grandma sandwich comes with potato, egg, hot peppers, and cheese.

Try out the chicken cordon bleu or the New York cheesesteak if you favor classic sandwiches. Bliss Dairy Bar and Grill’s wraps include tuna salad, sesame chicken, eggplant, Cajun chicken, hamburger, and buffalo chicken varieties. The macaroni and cheese are pan-style, and it comes loaded with your choice of barbecue chicken, buffalo chicken, chicken breast slices, bacon, or chili. Classic, chili, and chili cheese hot dogs are available.

If you’d rather have a slider plate, the Belly Bombs might be right up your alley. They’re 4-ounce burgers with American cheese, pickles, bacon, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Carmel residents love The Olsen Twins, a pair of 4-ounce patties with bacon, tomato, lettuce, onion rings, American cheese, and chipotle mayonnaise on a toasted bun. The Nacho Burger weighs 8 ounces, and it comes with Cheddar cheese, jalapeno salsa, avocado, cilantro dressing, and nacho chips on a sesame seed bun.

Play a Round of Golf at Putnam Golf Course

William G. Mitchell founded the Putnam Golf Course in 1959. It’s an 18-hole course in nearby Mahopac, and golfers of all ages are welcome. Golfing rates for Putnam County residents and non-residents only vary by $10, so friends and family from outside the area can enjoy a game of golf too. For an even more inexpensive game, forgo the golf cart and stretch your legs using a pull cart between holes. Season passes are available. Season pass holders can play on weekends when the course is closed to others. The Putnam Pro Shop has a wide selection if you need golfing gear.

Grab Dinner at the Carriage House

The Carriage House Restaurant and Tavern are ideal for unwinding after the day’s adventures. It has delicious, Southern-style dishes and strong drinks. Entrees include sesame seed crusted tuna, filet mignon, New York strip steak, fish and chips, short ribs, bacon parmesan scallops, and wild Alaskan salmon. Each plate comes with two sides.

Suppose you want something you can carry with you for a quick dinner, grab one of their famous sandwiches. The California club has grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, baby spinach, avocado, and basil pesto mayonnaise on multi-grain toast. Customers love the black and tan steak sandwich. It comes with skirt steak, black and tan sauce, sharp cheddar cheese, and fried onions on toast wedges. The Carriage House Salad has mixed greens, apples, dried cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese, candied walnuts, and a raspberry vinaigrette drizzle. You can take a stroll through Veterans Memorial Park after you eat.

We hope your day in and around Carmel Hamlet, New York, is pleasant and relaxing. The items on this list can help you expand your mind, exercise your body, and enjoy delicious food. What are your favorite things to do near Carmel? Contact us and tell us about any attractions we missed.

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