Carmel completely charmed us.

We started early on Highway one when it was still misty and there were few vehicles on the road. It is about 45 miles south of Santa Cruz, only a short way from the urbarn sprawl of Moterey, but completeley different in personality.

It is an old and quaint town with lots of woods and very little parking. Its a place where you gotta take the permission of the city to cut a tree on your premises, where the city council apparently passed an ordinance once, banning high heels from the city. A slightly eccentric town!

It originally became famous as the bohemian sanctuary of some of the most well known artists, photographers, writers in California. Edward Weston lived there most of his life. A lot of likeminded people started moving to Carmel. As the place started becoming well known, its unspoilt scenic beauty started attracting tourists and retirees driving up the real estate prices and driving away the 'starving artists'. There is stll a lot of art in Carmel, though some say that they tend to be of the 'surf-crashing-against-the-seashore-with-bent cypress' variety. The shops and the cars parked on the curb will clue you in about the demographic profile of the locals.

I loved it there though. It is very picturesque. One of the very few places of its kind that I think has managed to retain its charm. And the city tries hard. Even the garbage cans are wood covered. There are no night clubs.

If you walk away from the downtown, it is very wooded and quiet. It has awesome beaches, only a stone's throw away from town. I also read that it has interesting festivals round the year - a kite festival, Sandcastle building festival etc. We didnt get to explore any of that. But we had a gorgeous time nonetheless.