No exploration of California's central coast is complete without a sojourn in Carmel-by-the-Sea. This town is as well known for its shopping as it is for its most famous former civil servant: the Honorable Mayor Clint Eastwood. This quaint amalgamation of art galleries, boutiques, hotels, shops, fine restaurants and whimsically styled homes evokes a storybook ambiance appreciated by romantics of all ages.