Towards Big Sur via Pebble Beach

Saturday we woke in Watsonville and stopped in at a Coco’s Bakery Restaurant for brunch. Had a rocking salad with bacon, glazed walnuts, bleu cheese and peaches.

Coco's Bakery Restaurant Taste of Summer salad

Started heading towards Monterey, passing rows and rows of strawberries,

Rows of strawberry plants in Watsonville, CA

…some of which were being picked as we drove by.

Strawberries being picked in Watsonville, CA

So we stopped by a fruit stand and purchased containers of strawberries and blackberries.

Since we’d already kinda been to Monterey (and were trying to avoid throngs of tourists) we decided to skip it and take 17 Mile Drive around Pebble Beach instead. Here’s what Wikipedia says about the place:

Pebble Beach is a small private coastal unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. Technically, Pebble Beach is not a city at all, but a corporation, as it is owned by the Pebble Beach Company, although managed as a small town.

It ended up being pretty disappointing. First of all it costs $8.75 just to take the drive. Second of all, the overlooks and sights are all essentially walled off parking stops along the road. At one point there was literally a chainlink fence between us and the ocean view. Oh yeah. And there’s golf courses. Lots of ‘em.

Here’s the Ghost Tree, a dead Monterey Cypress. Representive of our feelings toward Pebble Beach?

The Pebble Beach Ghost Tree, a dead monterey cypress

Goodbye Pebble Beach. Hello Big Sur.

Stephanie's toes on the dashboard, CA-1 in the background

(Those are Stephanie’s.)

Next: Driving down the Big Sur coast

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2 comments

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i wish you’d asked me about 17 mile drive–biggest rip off ever. what was the point of that, i’m asking?

Something to “entertain” the family while the golfers are golfing?