On our trip, we started out from Monterey and entered through the Pacific Grove gate, heading in the southern direction. However most visitors coming to take the drive will use one of the three more popular entrances: the Pacific Grove gate that will allow you to take the drive from Monterey south, the Carmel gate which will be the most convenient route from Carmel-by-the-Sea north, and Highway 1 gate which is the most convenient entrance for travelers coming from Santa Cruz or San Jose. 17-Mile Drive and the Pebble Beach Golf Links are accessible through one of 5 gate houses. While one might think driving through an exclusive guard gated community would be off limits to outsiders, non-resident visitors can actually experience this iconic drive after paying a nominal entrance fee, (at the time of this article, we paid a $10.50 fee). Tucked between the seaside towns of Monterey and Camel-by-Sea, is where you will find the famous 17-Mile Drive, a winding coast hugging journey with, coincidentally, 17 marked points of interest for you to explore and take in the natural beauty of this stretch of California’s coastline. Remember, though - motorcycles are not allowed on the drive.A highlight on any Northern California trip itinerary - and one of the top must do things do when visiting the Monterey Peninsula - is a drive along 17-Mile Drive to witness the spectacular scenic views of the Pacific Ocean, rocky coastline, and to see the world famous Pebble Beach Golf Community. There’s an entrance gate just off PCH, at the junction with Highway 68 between Carmel and Monterey. If you’re not staying in Monterey or Carmel, you can still do the 17-Mile Drive from the Pacific Coast Highway. Doing the Drive from the Pacific Coast Highway But armed with advice from Bobby, we found our way back onto the drive to return to Carmel by the equally lovely inland route, driving through woodland and back to the gate where we came in. Here you’ll have to do a bit of smart navigating if you’re to continue the drive inland, as it’s another area where the directions are not clearly marked. Eventually the drive brings you into Pacific Grove, not too far from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row. In all there are 21 stops marked on the map, including Bird Rock, where you should see plenty of birds as well as harbor seals and sea lions, the Seal Rock Picnic Area, and the Cypress Point Lookout. The fee helps towards the upkeep of the drive, and provides you with a very helpful map showing the highlights, and scenic places to stop. The drive is actually a private road, with a small entrance fee to pay (just under $10 at the time of writing), although cyclists and local residents are exempt. There are five entrances to the drive, one of which was just a half-mile from the Lamp Lighter Inn. As he lived in Pacific Grove and worked in Carmel, it was a drive he was very familiar with. We were staying at the Lamp Lighter Inn in Carmel and the manager, the very helpful Bobby, not only encouraged us to take the drive he gave us advice on his personalized version, to help us get the most out of it. Likewise, if you’re staying in Monterey you should make the drive to Carmel and spend a day in this beautiful and unique little town. If you’re staying in Carmel you’ll want to spend at least a day in Monterey, where there’s plenty to do including visiting Cannery Row and the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is on our list of the top sights to see on the whole of the Pacific Coast Highway.
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