Cruise Along the Pacific Beach on 17 Mile Drive in Monterey, California
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler
If you’re in California – perhaps staying nearby in the fairytale town of Carmel by the Sea or Monterey – we highly recommended renting a car or hopping in your own sweet ride, putting the windows or top down and taking this windy cruise along one of the most beautiful scenic drives of your life.
Driving through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California, 17-Mile Drive is a scenic road that hugs the Pacific coastline and passes gold courses galore, mansions and more travel porn including my favorite, the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock, stinky Seal Rock and the 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest of Monterey Cypress trees.
The gated community of Pebble Beach requires a roughly $10 fee to see the scenes but make sure you bring cash. We were told it is free after a certain time, don’t believe the hype because it’s not! The scenic loop on the Pacific Highway has four primary entrances – the main highway entrance at California State Route 1, and entrances in Carmel and Pacific Grove. You really can’t get lost as arrows lead the way telling you where to go the whole time. Just be careful of those tour buses on those tight curves, much like honey badgers they don’t give a crap if they run you off the ride. Otherwise, you’re golden. Get ready to be awed by nature’s amazing beauty!
My favorite sight to see, the Lone Cypress that weathers so many storms on its own on rocky grounds alone.
My whip for the weekend, this cherry red Mazda 6 that I rented from Payless Car Rental (they gave me a complimentary upgrade). I really liked the blinking rear view mirror feature that warned there was someone next to you or passing nearby. Every car should have one!
There are many places to pull over and check out along the drive. Don’t worry about restrooms either, they have those too every few miles. It gets crowded in the parking areas so don’t dilly dally too long but there are also places to park and picnic on the beach too. You can spend a lovely, romantic day there with your honey, friends or family and make a day of it!
Seal Rock or Seal Point as some call it was the stinkiest rock of seals. Yon can smell it from the beach as you walk toward the rock, it’s really gross but those animals are pretty cute. And obviously the birds love all the fish they can pick clean!
To end the drive near sunset, I drove down to Fisherman’s Wharf for a quick bite at Big Fish Grill. Whatever you do, don’t follow Google Maps, it will take you in circles on the highway ramp and claim you are there thus driving you nuts. There are two Fisherman’s wharfs – literally #1 and #2 and free after 8 p.m. however not too bad at $1.50 an hour to park in the lot.
I went with the mussels and oysters first which were cooked well in tomato sauce.
The seafood chowder garlic bread bowl was a cool idea but not enough “guts” in the chowder for this girl.
Fresh fish of the day included salmon which was a good size portion but pretty tasteless.
The chocolate mouse tasted like something from a high school cafeteria so I ate the whipped cream off the top and the cherry for dessert. Most Californians told me the wharf is a tourist trap and it did feel very Jersey Shore cheesy style so perhaps I’ll be switching it up next time!
