California's Underrated Coastal Community Offers Small-Town Charm, Artsy Vibes, And Mild Fall Weather

If you're on a road trip along the California coast on the iconic Highway 1, you probably have a few popular spots picked to visit, like the purple sand beach in Big Sur and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. But there are plenty of smaller, unsung places worth a stop, like Harmony. It's the kind of town you could miss if you blink – only 18 people live in this unincorporated community. Do yourself a favor and don't blink; Harmony's a cute, quirky stop with a unique history and local art on a beautiful, balmy stretch of California's Central Coast.

Harmony sits right along Highway 1, just a few miles inland from the coast and about 30 minutes north of the charming college town of San Luis Obispo. With its coastal location, it has a Mediterranean-style climate with mild temperatures year-round, rarely dipping below 45 degrees Fahrenheit or rising above 75. There can be some fog on summer mornings, but by fall, it's generally sunny and still warm before the rains of winter start.

Harmony almost became a ghost town. The area was first settled by dairy farmers in the late 1800s. Legend has it that rivalries between farmers led to drama, — culminating in a death — after which people decided to live and work together in harmony. And so the town got its name. In 1907, the Harmony Valley Cooperative Dairy was founded, and the town grew to around 300 people as business boomed.

According to local lore, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and some of his celebrity guests would sometimes stop by Harmony for fresh dairy products on their way to his lavish Hearst Castle estate that's nearby. But when the Harmony dairy closed in the 1950s, people began leaving town. In recent years, though, Harmony has undergone a revitalization, with artisans leading the charge to bring back life to this one-block town.

You can see homages to the town's history in the dairy cow sculptures, including one next to the town sign, perfect for a fun Instagram photo. At Harmony Pottery Studio and Gallery, you'll find work by over 150 artists, many from the Central Coast. The collection includes striking ceramic pieces as well as jewelry.

Glassblower Eric Dandurand opened Harmony Glassworks in 2007 in what used to be an old barn. It's been transformed into a gallery and studio where you can buy pieces by local artists – or even book a session to make your own glass art. What better way to commemorate your visit to this special spot than with a souvenir you made yourself?

Harmony is also a wedding venue, featuring a small chapel with hand-carved doors that resemble a wine barrel and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. You can even rent out the entire town for your big day. And if you've fallen in love with this special place and don't want to leave, there's one place to stay in Harmony –the Historic Little Red Cottage, first built in 1906. It's available on Airbnb.

There's no longer a large dairy operation in Harmony, but if you've got a sweet tooth, time your visit to get a treat from Harmony Valley Creamery's Scoop Truck. It serves small-batch, craft ice cream that's open six days a week in summer and on weekends the rest of the year. For something more filling, Harmony's Tiny Kitchen is a food truck serving soups, sandwiches, and pasta. For a boost of energy, stop by Morii, an organic coffee shop. Wine lovers should head to Harmony Cellars, just outside of downtown. This boutique, family-owned winery has a tasting room open year-round in what was once a part of the Harmony Creamery.

Nearby, Harmony Headlands State Park offers one of the prettiest California coastal trails. And while fall is a fantastic time to visit Harmony thanks to its pleasant weather, spring is great, too, when the poppies are in bloom. The park's roughly 2-mile trail out toward the cliffs showcases some amazing ocean views. While you're in the area, continue north on Highway 1 past Hearst Castle to Ragged Point, the southernmost point of Big Sur.