Monterey County Herald
Taking the 15-minute drive from Highway 1 to Carmel Valley Village, you will pass horse ranches, five-star resorts, vineyards and golf courses. There are no fast-food restaurants or big-box stores. Look east as you drop into Carmel Valley from Laureles Grade, and for a moment, the place can be reminiscent of Yosemite. Without Half Dome. It’s obvious why residents of Carmel Valley are such fierce guardians of this bucolic paradise that offers an escape from the hustle of city life. Indeed, if there is one thing opposing sides in the debate over turning Carmel Valley into a formal "town" can agree, it is that keeping the valley rural is a primary goal.