Sometimes I feel like a dinosaur,” says Cynthia Fernandes, co-owner/manager of Pilgrim’s Way, a singular bookstore in Carmel and the sole survivor of a mass extinction. There was a time when there were so many bookstores that Pilgrims Way aimed at a niche audience.

“We didn’t want to crowd the market,” Fernandes says, “so we carried spirituality and metaphysics, and a little conspiracy theory for spice.”

Today, Pilgrim’s Way no longer worries about stepping on toes. In a town whose shelf once was stocked with selections including Sierra Books, Nature Company, Thunderbird and Books, Inc., Pilgrim’s Way now wears the unfortunate title of “the last bookstore in Carmel.”

Co-owner Paul Fridlund has a personal stake in Pilgrim’s Way – the store has been in the family for nearly 30 years. Fridlund moved to Carmel from Wisconsin in 1991 to help set up the store’s computer system and he liked it so much that he decided to stay. Over the years, Fridlund has seen numerous changes, including the addition of the store’s enchanting, ivy-vined Secret Garden (tucked into the slender walkway that connects San Carlos to Dolores), but “the biggest change has been shifting from a metaphysical focus to a general trade store,” he says. “But we didn’t want to lose that metaphysical focus while opening up to general trade.”

To Fridlund’s credit, the metaphysical remains physically front and center in the bookstore: Upon entry, one sees a display case filled with crystals and spiritual figurines. Towards the back of the store, dangling beaded curtains provide privacy to customers receiving tarot card and astrology readings.

The mystical, though, is grounded by the variety of books on the shelves. A quick glance reveals eastern religion to sustainability and environment to financial management.

Pilgrim’s Way’s move to general trade has been assisted by the Northern California Independent Bookstore Association (NCIBA), which publishes an indie bestseller list.

“The New York Times bestseller lists takes in the big box stores, but the independent list focuses on books that are actually hand-sold by independent booksellers,” Fridlund says.

Being the last bookstore in town has meant a broadening of horizons for Pilgrim’s Way, forcing it to become more than a pusher of the written word. It sponsors weekly events that have historically leaned to the spiritual side of the spectrum, but have more recently gone in other directions, adding financial literacy consultations to its repertoire. On a recent Sunday, Personal Financial Planner Peter Johnson provided free advice. Johnson, who is creating a series of financial literacy programs at area bookstores, explains Pilgrim’s Way’s rationale for including his consultations.

“Since they are the last bookstore in Carmel, they are trying to serve more people,” he says. “It’s been a new-age space, but now they are trying to serve the entire base.”

Perched at the end of what Fernandes calls the “Book Era,” the couple, who married in 2006, continually extend themselves to keep their bookstore relevant.

“We are fine-tuning,” Fernandes says. “We still need to internally figure out what our role is in the community as a bookstore.”

For his part, Fridlund emphasizes the importance of supporting the community by being independent. He cites studies that money spent at local businesses stays local while preserving the character of a town. “Who wants to go to Starbucks in New Orleans?” he asks. “Don’t you want to taste the local flavor?”

Still, surviving the changes occurring within the American economy has meant more adjustments. Fernandes says for her husband, marketing was synonymous with service for years. She chuckles as she recollects his marketing strategy: “People come into the store. You talk to them. Who needs marketing?”

Today, the couple takes a slightly different approach. “We’ve integrated our strengths and added community outreach,” Fernandes says. “We’ve hired experts in marketing and advertising.”

Marketing Pilgrim’s Way means bringing more artists and thinkers to a collective space to exchange ideas. Fernandes compares Pilgrim’s Way to a watering hole where people gather to rejuvenate.

“People are amazed sometimes when they come in that they just happen to meet the right people for the right needs at the right time,” Fridlund says. Beyond the consumerist model, people and books have new roles.

“Books are not just commodities,” Fernandes says. “They are storytellers of our inner selves, stories we have lost because of our busy schedules.”

Pilgrim’s Way, located on Dolores between Fifth and Sixth in Carmel, is open 11am-6pm daily (and until 9pm Friday and 7pm Saturday and Sunday). 624-4955, www.pilgrimsway.com