Kara
- Nov 21, 2020
- 8 min read

Pebble Beach

As we started to settle into our place in Patterson, I started looking at things to do in the area. Holy cow! I was shocked at all the amazing things I came across. Some things were closed, but I still wrote them down for another time.

One thing I came across was Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach is located on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula and is known for being one of the most scenic drives in the world. The drive is through the Del Monte Forest and gives you great views of the ocean and landscape. If you are a golf fan, you probably already know that it is where the AT&T Pebble Beach PGA tour is held. As a non-golfer, this was a pleasant surprise to be where many famous golfers won their championship medals.

Since we wanted to save some money, we decided to camp out at Monterey Veterans Memorial Park. It is first come first serve and $40 a night. Since Aaron is a veteran, we only had to pay $35. We packed up our stuff and we got there around 11am. There were probably 5 or more sites available, but the Park Ranger was helpful and said that if the site did not have a white paper on it, that it was ok to take. The campsite is about 10 minutes from the start of the infamous 17-Mile Drive making it a great deal!

We found our spot and set up camp!

Aaron and I were ready for some food so we headed down to Old Fisherman's Wharf. Old Fisherman's Wharf offers an array of activities, shopping, dining, sailing, and more! A co-worker of mine recommended a place to eat there so we decided to check it out.

It was very peaceful to watch the boats coming in and out. There were tons of sailboats too which I always find so relaxing since some friends at church took us once. It is so neat how they drive naturally. After walking around we went to Old Fisherman's Grotto for food, per my co-workers request. He said their clam chowder is the best! Well, we ordered that in a garlic bread bowl, the calamari, and crab meat tower. All of it was amazing...and filling!

As the clam chowder melted into the bread, the bread started to scoop easily with the spoon...YUMM!

On our way out, we checked out the sea lions catching rays as they swam in the marina.

We then headed out to start the 17-Mile Drive! It does cost $10.50 per vehicle for a 1 day pass. We put the first stop of the drive into our GPS just in case we missed it. They do give you a brochure and if you would prefer to bike the drive you can. I will say, the roads are extremely narrow so be strong in your biking skills!

I am using the descriptions from the brochure to ensure accuracy - No plagiarism here!

#1 Shepard's Knoll

"...offers a unique elevated view looking down on Monterey Bay. It's named after local railroad man Abraham D. Shepard, who also built the upper scenic route on 17-Mile Drive in the forest."

It is somewhat difficult to see due to how tall the trees are, but out in the distance you can see the blue ocean above the tree tops.

#2 Huckleberry Hill

"Take in this tree-top-level view at Huckleberry Hill, where you can see Santa Cruz in the distance. The huckleberry-filled hills, which have been set aside as permanent preserved forest, were rumored to be frequented by writers Robert Louis Stevenson and John Steinbeck."

You can see Santa Cruz in the distance from this hill. There are benches to sit on and relax, bring a book!

#3 Spanish Bay Beach

"Spanish Explorers camped out here in 1769. They were trying to find the Monterey Bay based on a description from 1602, but it took them a year. This beautiful beach was named Spanish Bay Beach after their early visit."

YAY! The ocean! We loved hearing the waves crashing as we walked along the wooden path towards Asilomar State Beach and the Links at Spanish Bay.

#4 The Restless Sea

"The Restless Sea earns its name as one of the most turbulent sections of coastline in Pebble Beach Waves are constantly converging and crashing into each other, likely caused by submerged rocks."

Here and at #5, we noticed how rough the waves can be. Pictures do not do a justice on how beautiful this ocean is!

#5 Point Joe

"Early mariners mistook Point Joe as the entrance to Monterey Bay, making it the site of many shipwrecks. In the early 1900s, a man named Joe lived in a driftwood hut here, selling trinkets to tourists and tending goats. It is debated whether Joe was named for the point, or the Point was named for Joe."

#6 China Rock

"China rock was the site of a small Chinese fishing village in the late 1800s"

Stops 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all pretty close together. Aaron was getting a little bored with pulling off to see more oceanfront, but at China Rock he was able to dive into his animal loving side and find hermit crabs! We were not the only ones searching for those little critters.

#7 Bird Rock

"This wildlife hub is buzzing with birds, harbor seals and barking sea lions. Bird Rock was actually covered in 4 to 5 feet of pelican and cormorant guano until 1930, when it was harvested as a fertilizer. Sea Lions took advantage of the cleaned-off perch, and have been sunbathing there ever since."

Out in the distance on the large rock formation are a ton of seals and sea lions! It is so hard to capture what it was like being there. They were such noisy animals, it was pretty funny! I must say, their poop was not as pleasant.

#8 Seal Rock

"The tucked-away beach at the mouth of Seal Rock Creek is a great spot to stretch your legs and explore. Picnic, explore tide pools, or hike the boardwalk toward the colorful Gingerbread House."

This was almost missed... As you are driving from #7, the sign for #8 will be on the right, but the Gingerbread House is on the left. It is set further back so we did not see it. As we were driving away, Aaron said, "Oh! There it is!". Once you see it, you can't miss it. People live there so please be mindful!

#9 Fanshell Beach Overlook

"Fanshell Beach is one of the primary pupping habitats for harbor seals on the Central Coast."

This beach was beautiful and the houses surrounding were as well. The waves were crashing in pretty hard here as well.

#10 Cypress Point Lookout

"Cypress Point Lookout offers a spectacular spot to catch sunsets, thanks to its southwest views. The pure white sand of the beach below is home to harbor seals, who each spring return to bear their young. Closed April 1 to June 1 for pupping season."

There they are! Just lounging away enjoying the day.

#11 Crocker Grove

"Crocker Grove is home to the largest and oldest Monterey Cypress trees in existence. It is named after Charles Cracker, the railroad baron responsible for building the luxurious Hotel Del Monte in Monterey and the original 17-Mile Drive. Pebble Beach contains one of only two native Monterey Cypress forests in the world. The other is across Carmel Bay at Point Lobos State Park."

#12 The Lone Cypress

"For more than 250 years, the world-famous Lone Cypress has braved the elements atop its rocky pedestal overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Known as Midway Point on the original 17-Mile Drive, this iconic tree has been the logo for Pebble Beach Resorts since its founding in 1919."

This was so cool! There are some steps to get down to the view point of the tree, but they are pretty easy.

#13 Ghost Trees at Pescadero Point

"... a unique stop of spooky sun-bleached Cypress trees. It is also a legendary Big Wave surf spot, with swells approaching 50 feet in the right winter conditions."

The trees definitely had a spooky-feel to them. Looking back, they remind me of petrified wood how they are so white!

#14 Pebble Beach Visitor Center

"...the golf capital of the world, the fascinating story of Pebble Beach is brought to life at the Pebble Beach Visitor Center. The new Visitor Center is a wonderful stop to learn about Pebble Beach history, pick up souvenirs or grab a refreshment for the drive."

When I was looking up Pebble Beach, it kept showing that there are rooms available at the resort. For fun, I decided to check out the prices...then I looked up campsites which I figured would be in our price range unlike the resort. It was a learning experience inside the Visitor Center. I had no idea the tournament takes place here!

#15 Pebble Beach Golf Links

"...Built by amateur golfers Jack Neville and Douglas Grant in 1919, Pebble Beach hosted its sixth U.S. Open in June 2019, to go along with five U.S. Amateurs, two U.S. Women's Amateurs, and the 1977 PGA Championship. Ranked the No. 1 public course in America,...has also been selected to host the 2023 U.S. Women's Open and 2027 U.S. Open..."

We tried to get a closer look at the golf course from the Visitor Center, but they had a lot of construction going on and we did not feel dressed for the occasion. As we drove by we snapped a quick picture of the golf course. Look at that green grass!

#16 & #17 - Pebble Beach Equestrian Center and Ford Meadow

"...Equestrian Center opened in 1924, just five years after Pebble Beach Golf Links. It hosted the U.S. team trials ahead of the 1960 Olympics..."

You can have a guided horseback tour there as well! The Equestrian Center is actually located closer to #12 and #13!

"Robert F. Ford (1907-1979) knew he was "home" when he passed by this meadow. A generous donor to the work of the Del Monte Forest Conservancy, the meadow was dedicated to his memory on August 26, 1981."

And that's the 17-Mile Drive! It was such a fun drive and it was beautiful, as you can see. We had packed some snacks, but we were ready for dinner when we got done. We headed over to a spot we saw accidently when we had taken a wrong turn from Old Fisherman's Wharf. Turned out that spot is Cannery Row! We wanted to sit near the water, so we had to wait a little longer for a table and since it was the weekend, it was a little busy.

We decided to eat at The Fish Hopper since they had everything and more on the menu. Aaron ordered a steak and lobster tail, I had some type of fish that is caught locally. I cannot think of the name and it must've been on their special because it is not on their menu that is posted online! Either way it was delicious and the service here was spectacular.

After we had full bellies, we headed back to our campsite for the night. While lying in our tent, we could hear the seals making noise down at the water!

The next morning we packed up camp and headed to Carmel by the Sea, another recommendation from my co-workers.

First stop, was breakfast! We headed to a little place called Katy's Place. They are cash only, so be prepared for that. Aaron ordered the Belgian traditional and I had the Maui Benedict. Everything was delicious!

After that we went for a walk down to Carmel Beach.

While we walked back to the car we walked along Ocean Ave. There are tons of little shops, but what really caught our eye was the Aaron Chang Ocean Art Gallery. If you have time, look up some of his work. How he captures the ocean and wild life is pretty unbelievable. Maybe one day we will buy something!

After leaving there we headed to the Carmel Meadows Trail. First we stopped at the Carmel Mission Basilica Museum. Unfortunately it was closed, so we could not go inside. Here are some pictures of the outside!

The Carmel Meadows trail popped up on my maps and I thought we might as well check it out. It turned out to be one of our favorite things we did on the trip. The trail is near the Monastery Beach which was very calm, not a lot of people, and just very relaxing. I told Aaron, maybe if we come back we should go here for a nice beach day. The Carmel Meadows Trail is very simple and there is a lot to explore. Aaron was happy because there were lizards!