The Tor House And Hawk Tower Were Built And Lived In By Poet Robinson Jeffers, Carmel, California. (Photo By: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

UIG via Getty Images


Even if you’ve never heard of 20th-century poet Robinson Jeffers, a pilgrimage to this house built with his own hands offers fascinating insights into both the man and the bohemian ethos of Old Carmel. A porthole in the Celtic-inspired Hawk Tower reputedly came from the wrecked ship that carried Napoleon from Elba. The only way to visit the property is to reserve a tour (children under 12 years old not allowed), although the tower can be glimpsed from the street.


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