Monterey Travel Forum

How long did it take you to drive this and at what time of day - does this matter? Enjoyed reading your posting.

Hi, not sure who your post is to...
17 mile drive can take about an hour, depending how many times you get out of your car and take pictures, or if you paln on enjoying a picnic or something. The best time of day is whenever there is teh least fog. Most of the time that's in the afternoon. But now and then it's first thing in the morning. If you're here in the fall you can probably even catch a cloud free sunset.
By the way, a drive that is just as nice is from Cannery Row in Monterey heading with the ocean to your right along the shore to Asilomar beach. And it's free.

Gorgeous part of the country. Do stop for lunch at Pebble Beach Golf and Country club. The lodge has a lovely restaurant right on the 18th green, overlooking the ocean.
I love feeling like a millionaire, don't you.
Watch out for the deer, they're not too bright.

When are you going? I went beginning of December,spent all morning driving around, dodging the deer and enjoying the clear sun-drenched views in sweater and jeans. I think you have to be a bit lucky to avoid fog, as it can appear at any time.

You should have a good idea if the fog is over Pebble Beach by swinging by Asilomar Beach (north) and/or Carmel (south) first. From these vantage points you can't see all of Pebble Beach, but certainly enough to judge the weather conditions.

Joe

The above comments are right on target. Pacific Grove is actually more vigilant about maintaining the ecosystem of the remarkable coastline here, which is to unique to even describe adequately. You have to see it. The 17 mile drive is perhaps older and more traditional as a popular place for newly weds to drive along since even the horse and buggy days. However, the price and time spend driving the 17 mile drive is certainly worth it, and the inland groves of pines and cyprus trees are exceptional and different from the Monterey to Pacific Grove stretch, in my opinion, plus the monster sized coastal palaces that the wealthy have built are worth the drive by. One more point, the 17 mile drive ends in Carmel, so it's also worth continuing the drive just south of the main drag there, where beach cottages have been turned into some of the most unique residential architectural gems to be found anywhere in the world. Most of the Pacific Grove houses of this sort are simply restored or rather conventional houses of the wealthy. But, Carmel coast roofs and chimney stacks are like from a fairy tale.

Another cool way to enjoy 17 Mile Drive if you like walking/outdoors (like me) and you are cheap (like me) is to walk parts of the route. Rather than giving the rich people your nine hard-earned dollars that they would just waste by cutting down more trees and squeezing in more golf courses, you can park at either end of Pebble Beach and walk in. From the north, park along Asilomar Beach in Pacific Grove (next to Fishwife restaurant where all the surfers hang out), and you can walk past Spanish Bay & Moss Beach to Point Joe. This route takes you right beside the Links at Spanish Bay and Monterey Country Club, and is less than 1.5 miles each way along nice paths. In fact, from here you could keep on walking (or biking) for several miles further along the ocean.

From the south you can park at the end of Carmel's Ocean Ave along the Carmel Beach and walk along the beach to Pebble Beach Golf Links. From the parking area it's about 3/4 mile to the course's most famous spot: Arrowhead Point. I've never walked beyond Arrowhead Point, but just on the other side is Stillwater Cove and the Lodge at Pebble Beach. There aren't really any trails here like up near Asilomar & Spanish Bay, but the beach is excellent for walking for a little ways.

Does anyone know if you can keep walking along the water to get to the lodge? If so, it would be about 1.5 miles each direction... Even better question...has anyone ever walked to this spot with a bag of clubs and a few balls just to say they've played a few holes on Pebble Beach? ;)

For many the 17 miles would be more than a good walk. It's a very nice bicycle ride. As for the golf course expansion, the limited water supply has put some limits. The courses are required to use recycled water now, although salt build-up on the lawns requires the use of fresh water periodically. The courses are mostly corporate owned now, but the wealthy residents do have a way of controlling excessive expansion better than can most communities.