Pebble Beach Things to Do

Pebble Beach is on the ocean between Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, once presided over by Clint Eastwood as Carmel's major. This golf course is widely sough out by golf enthusiasts, with many major golf tournaments held there. Pebble Beach is as close to Carmel as the length of the golfcourse. Monterey is just a couple of miles up the road on the north side. There are of course several hotels in Carmel proper, and a number of hotels in Monterey. About 30 miles east of Pebble Beach is the good size farming town of Salinas with a number of additional hotels.

There are many sights to be seen in the area, if you are so inclined. Check out places like Monterey and Carmel of course, and then, Cannery Row, Monterey Bay Aquarium (a must see), 17 Mile Drive, and of course if you have time, take a drive down south on Hwy 1, through Big Sur, - and if you have a little more time, a t the southern end of Big Sur, is San Simeon with the Hearst Castle. If you cannot go that far, check out the virtual tour on the website asn see what you are missing.....d;o)

There are a number of other things to see and do, but this will give you a good start.

http://www.canneryrow.com/
http://www.monterey.org/
http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/
http://www.pebblebeach.com/page.asp?pageName=_17_Mile_Home
http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/
http://www.hearstcastle.org/

Review and research the sites above. I used to do five star tours through this area, so I am fairly familiar with it.

There is a delightful market right next to the clubhouse where you can purchase a picnic lunch, and then ride down the Big Sur coast, and stop at any of the many great spots along the way and have a picnic lunch.

The 18th hole of the golf course is a golfer's nemesis and is to be savored like fine wine.

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Recently, we took our miniature schnauzer to the beach for the first time. He had a great time checking out the concept of sand, chasing the low flying seabirds, and smelling the piles of seaweed. We saw another dog owner tossing a piece of driftwood into the surf for his golden retriever to fetch. Surprising as it may seem, the uppercrust community of Pebble Beach has few restrictions for dog owners on the beach. Allowing one's dog to hunt sealife or bite strollers on the beach would certainly be a violation of the environmental and pacific code of conduct here, but because the surf is not safe for bathing anyway, the problem of dog doo-doo is basically a non-issue here. There are actually few dogs being walked, and the doo-doo quickly washes in to the turbulent surf with high tide. Stay on the trails, and use common sense when letting your dog swim.

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I finally got around to jogging in Pebble Beach. I parked at Asilomar Beach along Sunset Drive between the surfer beach and Fishwife restaurant. The trail cuts though some evergreen trees, then immediately becomes a narrow, but sturdy boardwalk on the dunes between the beach and the Links at Spanish Bay golf course. For about a mile you can continue on this boardwalk enjoying great views of the Pacific Ocean until it ends at a big parking area and picnic spot at Moss Beach along Spanish Bay. The trail continues as packed dirt along the water and next to the road in various sections, taking you past Point Joe and the Unsettled Sea (about 1.5 miles from Asilomar), China Rock (~2.25 miles), then Bird Rock (3 miles). This is as far as I have ventured on foot, but the trail definitely continues.

My goal is to have someone drop me off at Asilomar then pick me up at Carmel Beach an hour or so later (it's about 9 miles total if you stick to the eater).

By the way, walking into Pebble Beach is free! Driving costs $9.

Described by most as the pinnacle of the 17 mile drive, the Lone Cypress is a miracle of horticulture. Standing alone out of a rock formation dangling fearlessly into the Pacific Ocean, this tree has stood the test of time. Human contact with the tree has been 250 years, although no one can predict how long the tree stood before this. The Cypress is the symbol of the Pebble Beach community, so it would be a shame not to see it!

Bing Crosby created a tradition in 1947 at Pebble Beach that would live on through today. It is an annual tournament with PGA Professionals and Celebrity Amateur golfers with the earnings benefitting charities worldwide. The event normally takes place in early February, which is at the start of the golfing season for the PGA professionals, which makes this tournament well attended. The centerpeice of this tournament is Pebble Beach Golf Links, but also includes the other two courses in the Pebble family, Spyglass and Spanish Bay.

Overall, this is a worthwhile event to come and watch as well as alot of fun, since there are usually a few antics provided by the celebrities.

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The Inn at Spanish Bay is the newer of the three main resort areas at Pebble Beach. A self-enclosed facility, it has all you need for your leisurely vacation including restaurants, bars, shops, fitness and recreation, and probably help finding anything else you need. One of their signature elements is the bagpiper who plays each evening at sunset at the outdoor Lobby Lounge.

The two main restaurants are Peppoli's and Roy's. Peppoli's is the fancier of the two restaurants and serves Tuscan cuisine, while Roy's has excellent Hawaiian fusion foods, mostly seafood and fine wine. This resort also has three bars: Sticks which is kind of a sports bar with billiards, Traps for a little more classy experience, and my favorite is the Lobby Lounge with indoor and outdoor, fireside tables overlooking the ocean. The bars serve food from their limited bar menus.

The inn was constructed in 1987, has 269 rooms, ranging from $500 to $2,395 per night. The cheapest rooms are supposedly around 600 square feet which is far, far bigger then my first apartment.

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The Pebble Beach community contains eight golf courses. Spyglass, Pebble Beach, and Spanish Bay are open to the public and owned by the Pebble Beach Company. Cypress Point, as well as the Monterey Peninsula Country Club's Dunes Course and Shore Course are private, while Poppy Hills and the Peter Hay 9-hole par 3 golf courses are also available for public use.

Pebble Beach Golf Links is the most expensive of the Pebble Beach Company's courses at $475 per round, followed by Spyglass ($315) then Spanish Bay ($250). Cypress Point's greens fees are $165 and Monterey Peninsula CC's courses are $97, but you must be a club member. Poppy Hills is (only!) $195 for the general public, and the Peter Hay course is just $20 for unlimited play...the best golf deal in town!

A cheaper alternative to the Pebble Beach courses is the Pacific Grove Golf Course; it's just a few miles away, has great views of the ocean and bay, and greens fees are just $20 to $55.

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Moss Beach is the Pebble Beach community's largest and most popular beach. Not too many tourists stop in here since you have to pay to get into Pebble Beach ($9 per car). You can walk from the free parking areas at Asilomar to Moss Beach via the boardwalk...it's about 1 mile.

Just north of Moss Beach is North Moss Beach...creative! The two beaches together form Spanish Bay, also the name of the nearby resort and gold course. Spanish Bay is one of the locations Spaniard Juan Portola explored in 1769 when searching for Monterey Bay to establish the Spanish mission and presidio.

There's plenty of parking, about a dozen picnic tables, and great views of the surrounding golf courses, Point Joe, and Asilomar Beach.