Pebble Beach, 17 mile drive, Bixby Bridge, and McWay Falls
Big Sur, California
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Clear, 80°
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~Andre Gide
** Note – I have had a pretty good sinus infection for the last several weeks. It has kicked me to the ground so between that and limited or no internet I am, once again, several weeks behind in my writing. I will catch up when I can but the journey continues, just at a slightly slower pace until I am feeling better.
The fog was still lingering around the coast in the early morning hours as the wisps of low lying clouds floated through the campground. It would be a shame not to enjoy this beautiful setting, even in the fog, so we took a walk along the sand dunes and then the beach before heading out and up the coast. There were a few people out walking their dogs and others just walking looking for shells and sand dollars that had washed up along the shore. The waves, lightly crashing onto the beachfront, uncovered the fragments of shells, sand dollars and long pieces of kelp that had been deposited on the beach.
There was a group of school kids who was being taught how to paddle board at the base of Morro Rock. They appeared restless, moving around while the instructor was trying to tell them how to paddle out and then stand on the board. Rather than sitting there being lectured about how to do it, almost all of them seemed anxious to get in the water.
The walk was nice. There were several types of seabirds in the shallow pools left by the receding tide. Several groups of pelicans, formation flying back and forth along the beach would get close to the rocks then turn to fly back out along the waters’ edge. Some would head to deeper water where they would fly several feet above the water until they spotted a fish then climb rapidly to about thirty feet off the water and dive straight down to catch their prey. It was enjoyable to watch nature take its course. I guess that might not be how the little fish saw it but from shore it was pretty interesting to see how the pelicans worked for their food.
When we got on the road later that morning, it started out foggy with low hanging clouds still covering Morro Rock. However, the fog quickly dissipated as we drove inland to Highway 101. We had to detour off the Pacific Coastal Highway (Hwy 1) due to a massive mudslide, back in May 2017, which took out a bridge. Those living along Big Sur were cut off from civilization after more than 1 million tons of rock and dirt cascaded down a slope in a landslide the likes of which local officials said they had never seen before. The slide buried about a quarter mile of the highway in dirt up to 40 feet deep. The road, also known as State Route 1, is about 70 miles south of Monterey. It has had about a 12 mile section from Ragged Point to Gorda closed since last year. The California DOT has been constructing a new bridge that is expected to open later this summer.
Yesterday, we took a drive to just below the south closure point to see the elephant seals. Today, we are making our way to the northern side of the closure and will drive back south to see the sights along the Big Sur section of Hwy 1.
Driving up Highway 101 was an agricultural delight finding many fields growing grapes, fruit trees, and berries. There were fields of vegetables: lettuce, cabbage, artichokes, and others that we could not identify. It was a busy area with some fields being harvested, others being planted, and ongoing work to maintain other fields not quite ready for harvest. It appeared that more labor was needed to harvest crops but those who were working were doing a great job.
The detour brought us to Monterey by the Laguna Seca Racetrack (Indy car racetrack) where we continued the drive out to Pebble Beach for the 17 mile drive along the beach, golf courses, and the scenic viewpoints along the way. The cost was $10.25 to drive the rocky shores around the golf courses. The crashing waves made a spectacular backdrop along the Pacific Ocean for those playing golf or walking along the beach.
Golf Course View
It is a beautiful scenic drive for ten dollars and worth every penny to see the incredible homes, vistas, and viewpoints along the way.
One of the most scenic drives on the Monterey Peninsula, and quite possibly the world, is found behind the prestigious gates of Pebble Beach. The famous 17-Mile Drive is a visually stunning stretch of roadway which hugs the pacific coastline from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach and features awe-inspiring sights along the way. The drive allows you plenty of time to cover the entire stretch of road to fully immerse yourself in the wonders of this seaside gem.
Pebble Beach
There are many pull offs and parking areas to enjoy these iconic landmarks (and photo opportunities) which include The Lone Cypress, Spanish Bay, Stillwater Cove, the Del Monte Forest, and the world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links. You are likely to see a variety of wildlife ranging from grazing deer on the golf course to barking sea lions near Bird Rock.
After entering the gates of Pebble Beach, the drive takes you by Spanish Bay golf course and to the parking areas along Pebble Beach. The beach is aptly named as the white sandy beach is covered in fist sized pebbles with larger stones closer to the walkways and roads that wind along the shore.
Across from the Spy Glass Golf Course, where we parked, you could see deer coming out of the tall grass onto the fairway. The beautiful setting is both calm, with the lush vegetation along the course, and invigorating as the Pacific Ocean’s waves crash onto the many rocks along the water’s edge.
Rocky Coast Line
With all the rocks along the beach it was easy for Cairn Stones to be stacked and balanced.
Pebble Beach Cairn Stones
There were several stacks along the beachfront, some close to the road while others were closer to the beach area.
Cairn Stones
A bus filled with Japanese people offloaded next to the motorhome and began taking pictures of anything and everything imaginable along the beach. They took photos of each other, the greens on the golf course, and the rocks just off the beach in the ocean. They were amazed that some rocks were covered “white” in bird poop. They scurried back on the bus and we saw them stop after stop; it was sort of a comical leap frog from viewpoint to viewpoint watching them with their cameras.
The road winds its way around the golf courses and past the very expensive houses dotting the hillsides. There was a mixture homes. The older homes, which were simplistic but elegant, were mixed in with the extravagant mansions and it appeared that some of the owners had more money than brains with what they had built or were building. The styles of architecture varied from the simple Mediterranean styles and Spanish fortresses to ultra-modern homes. There was a lot of construction going on and several houses were still under construction since my last drive through two years ago.
As you climb in elevation along the cliff, winding around the jagged shoreline, you come into an area where there are older houses - both Cliff side and on the interior side of the road. These houses were probably built, between the 50s and 70s, during a time when things were not as extravagant. Construction was completed so the main house, guest houses, and parking areas or pools blended in with the beautiful twisted cypress trees. It was not long before you came across the famous Lone Cypress Tree, clinging to the solitary rock where it rests.
The Lone Cypress Tree
This tree has endured all types of weather; wind-blown monsoons, driving rain & fog, and other natural events yet still remains perched on the tiny rock outcropping.
The rest of the drive takes you around the golf clubhouse, spa area, places to eat and shop as you enjoy this beautiful setting. The road continues around past more houses and condo complexes before leading you to another entrance gate close to the west side of the compound out to Hwy 1.
Leaving Pebble Beach, it was an easy connection to drive south on Hwy 1 to Big Sur where we saw many dramatic cliffs along the highway. We made stops at Bixby Bridge and further down the road at McWay Falls, both great places for beautiful photos. The road construction and bridge work was just past the falls so it was necessary to turn around and drive back north along the coastal highway.
As you drive south on US1, past Carmel by the Sea, the road starts its climb and winds through the curves gaining elevation over the ocean. The jagged rocks along the coast and the waves crashing into them are reminiscent of those “Kodak” moments from long ago.
Rocky Coast
Once you are about two thousand feet above the ocean, you can see the Bixby Bridge in the distance. Its curved arch underneath is part of its superstructure and clings to each side of the mountain’s walls as the river flows into the ocean far below. Parking is very limited along the crest and even less if you turn off the little side road so it was lucky that there was room for the motorhome. I pulled into a regular parking spot with the front wheels as far forward as I could go without going over the cliff and hoped the back end of the RV would be off the highway. There was about a foot between me and the white line on the road so it was safe to make this stop for photos.
Bixby Bridge from Cliff
I took the normal pictures from the cliff overlooking the bridge and ocean but also wanted to hike up the small road across the street to get photos of the bridge with the ocean behind it. It did not disappoint as the angle and the composition in the photos are different from the ones on the cliff.
Bixby Bridge toward Pacific Ocean
Continuing the drive south in Big Sur, curve after curve, beautiful vista after vista, you arrive at my favorite place along the coastal drive, McWay Falls. It is located in the Julia Pfeiffer State Park and is such a pleasure to see. There are trails leading from the park through a tunnel under the highway to the trail alongside the highway where a short walk brings you to the vantage point to see the beautiful waterfall cascading into the Pacific Ocean.
McWay Falls
The beach along this cove is protected by large rocks that the surf pounds against, creating spectacular splashes of water in the air. It has a very calm atmosphere as everyone talks in hushed tones with the occasional “beautiful” or “oh, my” heard among those gathered to see this beautiful place.
McWay Falls Panorama
By then, the sun was setting as we drove into Monterey Pines RV Park which is located on a naval military installation. It had a beautiful golf course, little bar and breakfast facility. It was a nice place to stop along the way before arriving at my youngest daughter’s house.