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Ride report, Monterey Peninsula, California, USAIndependence Day Weekend, 1997Since the Monterey bay area can be very foggy, we were concerned that we might not be able to see the coastal scenery we came for if we started our ride too early in the morning. Our planned departure time was 9 AM, and although there was no fog near our hotel, we could see some fog in the nearby hills. At 10 AM, the skies were still overcast, but the fog was starting to burn off, so we started our ride. We picked up the bike trail in Monterey near Fisherman's Wharf. Going westbound, the path took us past Cannery Row, a former sardine canning area in the '30s and '40s and now a tourist attraction with many shops. The path was a typical urban trail, requiring frequent stops before crossing city streets. The trail ended in Pacific Grove, and with a couple of turns, we found the road following the ocean. I don't recall the temperature, but with the ocean breeze, we felt woefully underdressed with only arm warmers to keep us warm. Although it was still overcast, the fog had burned off, so we could admire the beach and ocean view on one side as well as the houses on the other. We rode up to the gate to enter 17 Mile Drive, a private road managed by the Pebble Beach Company, and signed the waiver for bicycles to enter. Cars have to pay $7.00 to enter, but for bicycles admission is free. Although there were many tour buses and cars at most of the vista points, the vehicle traffic on 17 Mile Drive seemed rather light. We stopped at most of the vista points, although we wish we had a pair of binoculars to see the wildlife on Bird Rock and Seal Rock. At Spyglass Hill Rd., cars and tour buses were allowed to continue southbound on 17 Mile Drive, while the required bike route turned inland (probably because 17 Mile Drive becomes more narrow). However, per California law bicycles are generally allowed to use most roads on which motor vehicles are used, and, in my opinion, if the Pebble Beach Company allows the public to operate a motor vehicle on a section of road, then they cannot legally prohibit a bicycle from doing the same. Therefore, we felt justified in continuing southbound on 17 Mile Drive. We enjoyed the remaining sights on 17 Mile Drive, including the Lone Cypress Tree perched out in the rocks, before passing the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links. By now the skies were clearing and the sun was shining. We then exited out the Carmel gate into the city of Carmel and found a shady area near the beach to eat our picnic lunch. We went southbound on Scenic Rd., past white sandy beaches. Just before the Carmel River, the road turned inland, and we found our way to California Highway 1 in order to continue our journey southbound. After crossing the river on Highway 1, we took a detour through what just looked like a housing development. But on one of the side streets, we found a road that led to a dirt trail that went down to the beach. This was a real treat -- a trail to ourselves that went past beaches that weren't accessible by car! The beachfront trail then found its way back to Highway 1. Further south was Point Lobos State Reserve -- another side trip that couldn't be missed. We locked our tandem inside the park and explored many of the hiking trials -- some leading to sandy beaches, others leading to views of rocks where the sea otters would congregate. Afterwards, we went north on Highway 1, the only way to get back to
Monterey, since the Carmel gate to 17 Mile Drive is closed to bicycles on weekends and
holidays. After climbing a long, steep hill past Carmel, Highway 1 became a freeway,
requiring us to get off at the first off-ramp, which was one exit before downtown
Monterey. Fortunately, the exit led us to a bike path paralleling the freeway, connecting
us back to Munras Ave., toward downtown Monterey and back to the hotel in time for a
well-deserved dinner.
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