Our search for Pebble Beach

For the longest time I have been dreaming of traveling to Pebble Beach. In my dreams and imagination it would be a long stretch of beach that you accessed easily and were able to walk all the way in a straight line along the Pacific Coast finding you guessed it pebble's but not just any pebble, I honestly imagined they would all be white and maybe a few colored pebbles that would be perfect to collect. 

I guess my thoughts on Pebble Beach were based on the movie called "Something's Gotta Give" Where Diane Keaton lives on the beach in The Hamptons and walks down some stairs to the beach and while walking collects rocks. Oh yes naive me thought that. 

Since moving the Bay Area I had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to drive down the coast passed Monterey Bay and walk along Pebble Beach to collect pebbles with my family and just contemplate the waves crashing on the sand. Far from my imagination was what we found. 

First of all to enter Pebble Beach you have to pay an admission fee per vehicle which is $9.75, you access it from the 17 mile drive scenic tour. The scenic drive is mostly of beautifully kept gardens and homes, unless you figure out a way on the map you are given when you enter how to get close to the coast.

After driving around in circles we finally stopped to ask how we could get access to the beach, by this time our toddler had fallen asleep and the sun was already beginning to set so we drove back and stopped at the Lodge At Pebble Beach, next to it is the green lush grass perfect for golfing and there we saw it! The Coast looked lovely, sadly it was not all that I had envisioned but the fact that the tide was still low allowed me to walk around with my daughter and take some pictures, collect some pebbles and take in as much of the Ocean view as possible. 

It is truly a special place, the energy there is amazing and the views are spectacular. No, you won't walk on sandy beaches here {at least we didn't find any} but you will see fantastic views that are perfect for taking pictures. If we would've known we might have packed a small picnic basket with snacks as there are spots to enjoy one. 

My recommendation for when stopping at 17 mile drive and Pebble Beach is take a light jacket or sweater it gets a little breezy, make sure your camera is fully charged or your phone has storage space to take pictures. Take snacks to enjoy as a picnic and make sure you enjoy the views. Make sure you follow the "red" line on the road to ensure you don't get lost in little streets, as you pay for admission keep in mind it is cash only and have the map they give you handy.