Walk or drive straight down Ocean Avenue, from the Cabrillo Highway to Scenic Road, and you'll find yourself at the glorious Carmel Beach. Stretching from Carmel Point and Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Walker House on the northern end, to the Pebble Beach Golf Links on the southern end, this mile-long stretch of sand and surf is the chief reason why Carmel has been labeled "One of America's Top Beach Towns." Its size is comparable to big commercial beaches like those of Santa Cruz or Santa Monica, but its atmosphere, with its rocks, driftwood and lush surrounding greenery, is more akin to the countless small rustic beaches that dot the California coast. Both for people who prefer the natural beauty of those rustic beaches and for those who prefer the width, breadth and sheer fun of the big ones, Carmel Beach truly provides the best of both worlds. Picnic, surfing, swimming, volleyball, sandcastle-building, relaxing on towels... anything you can imagi...