The Lone Cypress Standing on a granite hillside off California's scenic 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach.
During our travels in the Spring of 2016, we had four days to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles prior to our flight to Hong Kong After carefully considering friend’s recommendations, we decided to do the famed Route 1 drive along the coast and explore hiking in Big Sur as well as stop at some of the well known scenic viewpoints. We have friends who live in Pebble Beach, near Monterey, so that was the first stop in our drive.
A great spot for sunbathing!
We did a one-way Hertz rental for the drive, which was reasonably priced in a brand new car with only 10 miles on the clock. The drive down to Monterey was uneventful. It took a little under three hours, and when we arrived brunch was still being served at the local restaurants. After refueling, we went for a walk along the Monterey shoreline taking in the sights of the Pacific and the enormous number of seals. It was the birthing season and we witnessed a live birth, which was rather smelly. The sea gulls were everywhere, causing quite the scene squabbling over the after birth.
The following day, we cruised around Pebble Beach and did the 17-mile drive, which is absolutely stunning. Pebble Beach is known for its world famous golf course and huge shoreline houses. We then travelled on to Garappatta State Park for a hike this was 10 miles into route 1. It was a fairly easy hike and offered views of the coastline along with huge sequoia trees.
Garappatta State Park is one of many beautiful places to hike along this famous highway. We definitely plan to do more hikes once we become locals of the Bay Area. The following day, we left Monterey to continue our drive to Los Angeles. Our first noteworthy stop was the Bixby Bridge, which is featured in almost every car commercial. It is a popular stopping point and it is clear why, since the way it spans the cliff across the bluff is beautiful. I would recommend if driving south stopping after the bridge on the first layover stop for the best views. We stopped to have lunch near a lake where you can sit with your feet dipped into the water, the perfect place to relax before the next leg of our journey. Julia Pfeiffer beach was our next destination, we had to keep a close look out for the turn off and then wind our way down towards the parking area. The sand here had a purple hue to it. The waves and the rocky scene made this a worthwhile stop.
McWay Falls
Following the Julia Pfeiffer beach visit, the next stop was the McWay Falls. It's hard to miss this spot, just look for all the cars parked along the side of the road. I managed to find a place to park, then after a short walk we reached the viewpoint overlooking the horseshoe shaped bay. The Falls were flowing relatively strong based on what I was told to expect. There had been a decent amount of rain over the past few weeks, which helped add to to the beauty captured in the pictures. Following the McWay Falls stop, it was back on the black top to get to Los Angeles in time for dinner with friends. Route 1 is a must do road trip. However, next time I'll plan more time for the drive to Los Angeles and spend more time on hikes and taking in the beautiful views, staying at hotels along the route. Also a convertible would add to the experience, to feel the wind in my non-existent hair.
