"Carmel-by-the-Sea" a Monterey Travel Page by topoftheworl

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

Buffered in on both sides by the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Mighty Pacific, Carmel is a sleepy coastal town. It lacks the bustle of its famous neighbor, Monterey. No Fish Aquariums here, No 17 mile drive. They are close by.
Carmel is its own town. I love it!

A little background. I have been there thrice. On my first visit, I met two lovers of, shall we say, the female persuasion. One of the girls was visiting her mother who lived there. The mother had made the reservation at the Inn, INSISTING on separate beds. 'But, did that stop you both from pulling them together?' I asked, feigning naivete. They giggled. The answer was obvious.

Toot-Toot, said the horn on the car my friends were picking me up in.
'Aren't you going out to meet them?' asked one of the girls.Brusquely, I retorted, 'No, they are late.' Another giggle.

The next time was on my own. I just wanted to get away from San Fran.
I lazed on the beach, went for strolls and ate well.

The third time was with my love. We were still getting to know each other. I met her on VT, incidentally. She left today after three months with me. I miss her already.

Carmel is about 135 miles south of San Fran. If you drive there for the first time, take Highway One. Keep your eyes on the road. It's not
called Devil's Slide for nothing. Each year, the road slips about
4" into the Pacific. Stop at Princeton-by the-Sea, and have a great lunch at the 'Princeton Seafood Company.' A secret, the cole slaw is made fresh daily and it is delicious. So is the bread.

Somewhere in the town of Santa Cruz, just past the town itself
is a toy train.No, its not a Lionel Train, but a real one. Open
roofed cars, antiquated seating. It winds itself up the Santa Cruz
mountains, through the giant Redwoods. There is a point you
come to called something to the effect of Celestial Grove. It
is a canopy of two hundred foot tall redwoods that don't quite
span the center. Apparently, the coastal fog makes for stunning
colors in the early AM. Now you know, dear reader.
There is also the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. Think 'California
Dreaming' by the Beach boys. That's what the song was about and
where it was written.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a small town. It has good restaurants and
not a Mickeydee's nor a Burger King in sight. Nice bakeries, quaint
shops. If you are a Type A, this is not the place for you.
About 24 miles south of Carmel is Little Sur and Big Sur is another
mile or so. This is the other place where the Earths polarities are
reversed. North is South and vice versa. Why? I do not know.
If I knew everything, I would learn no more. The picture of the bridge
is en route to Big Sur....................

All pictures are courtesy of Reeka