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for an additional 54 vehicles. By the time you read this, that valet-
friendly parking plan will be in place for those looking to stay at the
Cypress Inn.
Shopping
D
owntown Carmel is and has been for many years a mecca for
shoppers in search of local art or one-of-a-kind handcrafted
goods. There are no chain stores on Ocean Avenue except in the Doud
Arcade at the top end of Ocean Avenue, the main drag, and even here
most shops are locally owned and operated, and offer unusual and
often locally made products.
A couple of suggestions: Bittner, The Pleasure of Writing (831-
626-8828) sells only writing instruments and accessories, and most
of the items they have for sale are unusual and attractive. I ended
up buying an
Ageless
ballpoint pen that came in its own canister and
stands upright on my desk.
In the Doud Arcade, I stumbled into the Carmel Hat Company
(831-625-9510) and purchased an all-weather golf hat that I
apparently can wear even during an El Niño downpour. At least, that’s
the promise and the hope. It was made in the U.S.A. as were nearly all
the hats in the store, though some came from Australia and Canada.
Continuing Charm
C
armel has been a tourist destination for so long, there is no real
reason to describe its myriad charms, such as the jumble of
curious structures built close together and framed by foliage so thick
it is often almost impenetrable. Brick walkways spill out between
bushes and hedges, outside stairways lead to artists’ studios and guest
bedrooms, architecture runs from
faux
Tudor to post-Victorian, and
the overall effect is both charming and intoxicating. It really is a fairy-
tale village.
Carmel-By-The-Sea is an excellent place to spend a weekend. (Lincoln
Street & 7th Avenue; 831-624-3871). If you plan to spend any time in
Carmel and want to be downtown (and you should), you won’t do better
than the Cypress Inn.
WEEKEND GETAWAY
