Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SCENIC DRIVE: 17-MILE DRIVE
WHAT TO SEE
Pacific Grove and Carmel are linked by the spectacularly scenic, if overhyped 17-Mile
Drive, which meanders through Pebble Beach, a wealthy private resort. It's no chore stay-
ing within the 25mph limit - every curve in the road reveals another postcard vista, espe-
cially when wildflowers are in bloom. Cycling the drive is enormously popular: try to do it
during the week, when traffic isn't as heavy, and ride with the flow of traffic from north to
south.
Using the self-guided touring map you'll receive at the toll gate, you can easily pick out
landmarks such as
Spanish Bay
, where explorer Gaspar de Portolá dropped anchor in
1769; treacherously rocky
Point Joe
, which was often mistaken for the entrance to
Monterey Bay and thus became the site of shipwrecks; and
Bird Rock
, also a haven for
harbor seals and sea lions. The ostensible pièce de résistance is the trademarked
Lone
than 250 years.
Besides the coastal scenery, star attractions at Pebble Beach include world-famous
golf courses
, where a celebrity and pro tournament happens every February. The luxuri-
www.pebblebeach.com
; 1700 17-Mile Drive; r from $765; ) embraces a spa and de-
signer shops where the most demanding of tastes are catered to. Even if you're not a
trust-fund baby, you can still soak up the rich atmosphere in the resort's art-filled public
spaces and bay views from the cocktail lounge.
THE ROUTE
Operated as a toll road by the Pebble Beach Company, the
17-Mile Drive
(
www.pebblebeach.com
; per car/bicycle $10/free) is open from sunrise to sunset. The toll can
be refunded later as a discount on a $30 minimum food purchase at Pebble Beach res-
taurants.
TIME & MILEAGE
There are five separate gates for the 17-Mile Drive; how far you drive and how long you
take is up to you. To take advantage of the most scenery, enter off Sunset Dr in Pacific
Grove and exit onto San Antonio Ave in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
