Determined to pack in as much as possible on our trip, we planned to start our trip on the California coastline. I met the boy straight off the plane and we drove down to Carmel. The drive from San Francisco to Carmel wasn’t in itself particularly scenic (the dramatic coastline was on hold until the next day) but in no time at all (or so it seemed to me given I promptly fell asleep…) we arrived in the picturesque sea-side town of Carmel.