2015-13 Pebble Beach, California
Hello All,
Our next adventure took us to Pebble Beach, California. It is an unincorporated gated community on the Monterey Peninsula of California. The community has around 4,500 residents and is relatively affluent. It is bordered by Carmel-by-the-Sea to the south, Pacific Grove to the north, the City of Monterey to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. In addition to being a small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes, Pebble Beach is a resort destination and home to many famous golf courses.
The Pebble Beach Company owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts. It was founded in 1919 with ownership changing many times over the years. In 1999, the company was acquired by an investor group led by Clint Eastwood, Arnold Palmer, and Peter Ueberroth. Then, along with William Perocchi and GE Pension, they offered limited partnership interests with the understanding that the plan was to never again sell Pebble Beach Company to another ownership group.
Pebble Beach is a gated community, but differs from most gated communities. There is an entrance fee of $10.00 per vehicle that The Pebble Beach Company charges tourists wanting to drive what is known as “The 17-Mile Drive” through the community. However, motorcycles are not permitted entry. To assist motorists from venturing into the maze of neighborhood roads, a red-dashed line is painted down the center of the road marking the route. It is estimated that nearly 8,000,000 vehicles have visited since 1990 to enjoy the sights, sounds, and events within the area.
We forked over our ten bucks and proceeded to follow “The 17-Mile Drive” road markings. It was truly beautiful as it winds through the Del Monte Forest and along the rugged coastline. Although the route has changed over the years, since it first opened in 1881, 17-Mile Drive is still exactly 17 miles long.
In the following photo you can see what is known as the ghost tree.
Our next adventure took us to Pebble Beach, California. It is an unincorporated gated community on the Monterey Peninsula of California. The community has around 4,500 residents and is relatively affluent. It is bordered by Carmel-by-the-Sea to the south, Pacific Grove to the north, the City of Monterey to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. In addition to being a small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes, Pebble Beach is a resort destination and home to many famous golf courses.
The Pebble Beach Company owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts. It was founded in 1919 with ownership changing many times over the years. In 1999, the company was acquired by an investor group led by Clint Eastwood, Arnold Palmer, and Peter Ueberroth. Then, along with William Perocchi and GE Pension, they offered limited partnership interests with the understanding that the plan was to never again sell Pebble Beach Company to another ownership group.
Pebble Beach is a gated community, but differs from most gated communities. There is an entrance fee of $10.00 per vehicle that The Pebble Beach Company charges tourists wanting to drive what is known as “The 17-Mile Drive” through the community. However, motorcycles are not permitted entry. To assist motorists from venturing into the maze of neighborhood roads, a red-dashed line is painted down the center of the road marking the route. It is estimated that nearly 8,000,000 vehicles have visited since 1990 to enjoy the sights, sounds, and events within the area.
We forked over our ten bucks and proceeded to follow “The 17-Mile Drive” road markings. It was truly beautiful as it winds through the Del Monte Forest and along the rugged coastline. Although the route has changed over the years, since it first opened in 1881, 17-Mile Drive is still exactly 17 miles long.
In the following photo you can see what is known as the ghost tree.
Here are a few shots we snapped of one of the golf courses.
For those wishing to play a round of golf the green fee is $525
You may have noticed that in many of our photos there is fog. It is a natural part of summer on the Monterey Peninsula and the coastal forests need it. Plants water themselves with what is known as “fog drip.” Water droplets collect on leaves and needles then drop to the ground. Since it seldom rains in the summer, fog drip helps water the coastal plants. As breezes blow from cool water to warm land, water vapors condense, producing fog. These sea breezes and the fog have the added benefit of keeping summer temperatures mild along the coast.
We found the homes to be quite dashing as you would expect in such an affluent neighborhood. Many had a Spanish style of architecture.
We found the homes to be quite dashing as you would expect in such an affluent neighborhood. Many had a Spanish style of architecture.
However, at least one was a bit on the quirky side in our eyes! There must be a story attached to it.
We stopped at most of the points and vistas along the scenic drive and marveled at the rugged granite coastline. Point Joe was one of the stops. Joe was a Chinese man who lived alone in a driftwood home near a point along the coastline in the early 1900s. He made a living selling trinkets to tourists and tending goats. No one knows for sure if the point was named after Joe or if he was named after the point.
During the California sea lions birthing season, portions of the shoreline are protected from visitor intrusion with fencing
We learned that Cypress Point in Pebble Beach is the westernmost landfall in Southern California and it is the dividing line between the north and south portions of the state. It is also, one of only two areas where native Monterey cypress trees can be found.
Lone Cypress below is the symbol of The Pebble Beach Company. It has been perched over the Pacific for hundreds of years. Even though Monterey cypress trees prefer this area’s rugged, bare, granite headlands, Lone Cypress is a testament to the hardiness of these trees. It has withstood Pacific storms and winds for roughly 250 years. Fences and cables now offer added protection in the hopes it will live to be 300.
There was no shortage of opportunities to take photos. There were breaking waves along with twisted cypress trees. Then add to the mix the remains of fallen cypress trees interlaced with ice plant, massive granite boulders, and unusual coastal wildflowers. It was truly spectacular for sure.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Pebble Beach and hope you enjoyed riding along with us. Our next adventure will take us into Pinnacles National Park and we hope you will join us for the ride.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns