After leaving Monterey, I drove to Pebble Beach to do a circuit of 17 Mile Drive before heading down the coast.  I was a cool and misty morning, just perfect for Starbucks latte and Jaffa cakes (breakfast of champions) on the beach to start out, although the day got gradually warmer and clearer.  There was hardly anyone at Spanish Bay, where I drank my coffee and watched the surf rolling in to the shore.

A little further along the coast is a point called The Restless Sea.  It looked to me as if waves were coming from two different angles and met in a turbulent area just off shore, but the sign said that it’s more likely to be rocks under the surface causing the waves to break early and give that effect.  Whatever the reason, the sea does indeed appear restless at this location.

Of course one of the main attractions of the peninsula is the Pebble Beach Golf Course.  I don’t know much about it, not being a golfer myself, but it certainly looked nice, and would be a beautiful place to play with views over the ocean.

Monterey is known for it’s cypress trees, and the oldest and largest of them are in Crocker Grove on 17 Mile Drive.  I have to admit to not being terribly impressed, but I think the redwoods have spoiled me for any other trees!

Perhaps the most famous landmark along the route is the Lone Cypress.  It really is pretty with the ocean behind it.  There’s obviously been some work done to shore up the cliffs around it’s roots, and I don’t remember it having such a close neighbor before… but maybe it’s not so lonely any more.

There were many beautiful spots along the rocky shoreline, and the town of Pebble Beach itself is nice, with small shops and cafes.  Overall this is a very pleasant way to spend a morning,  I could have spent some time looking at the large homes located there as well, but being rather homeless as I am at the moment, they really didn’t interest me much.  It would be interesting to go to Trulia.com to see what houses are currently for sale there.

Just as I was leaving the peninsula, these lovely deer walked across the road in front of me and vanished into the woods.  Even in this populated area, nature and wilderness find a foothold.

But with more awaiting me on the Big Sur coast, I tore myself away from the rocks here, and proceeded south…