I think my weekend at Pebble Beach and my husband’s weekend at Pebble Beach were two very different experiences.
We had a friend visiting from Australia and decided to spend a few days on the Monterey Peninsula. My husband had already committed to a golf weekend with friends, which was very much a boys’ affair. It wasn’t that we were banished, but we certainly didn’t want to cramp his style, and we were more than happy to do our own thing.
My friend and I hadn’t caught up properly for a long time, so our idea of a good weekend involved wandering through shops, exploring the coastline, keeping my daughter entertained and finding plenty of opportunities to sit somewhere pretty and talk for hours.
Meanwhile, my husband was there for the golf.
I like golf. I like the idea of becoming better at golf. But I’m nowhere near as committed as my resident Globetrotter, who, as I write this, is currently in Ireland playing golf for ten days.
Pebble Beach
We stayed in a vacation rental in the Pebble Beach area, which we booked through VRBO. Having a rental car made everything very easy, and we spent much of the weekend driving between Pebble Beach, Carmel, Monterey and the surrounding coastline.
My husband played several different courses during the trip and headed off each day for another round, leaving us free to explore at a considerably more leisurely pace.
We visited The Lodge at Pebble Beach to look around the grounds, browse the shops and see what it was all about. Even if you aren’t there to play golf, it’s worth visiting. The setting is beautiful, with enormous established trees, immaculate grounds and glimpses of the dramatic Northern California coastline.
We browsed the shops and inevitably came away with a few Pebble Beach souvenirs.
We also stopped to see the Lone Cypress, the Monterey cypress perched on its rocky outcrop overlooking the Pacific that has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Pebble Beach.
Wandering Around Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea was probably much more our speed for the weekend.
We wandered along the main streets, browsed the shops and stopped for breakfast. Carmel is incredibly pretty, with little cottages, galleries, cafés and boutiques packed into a very walkable town center. It was busy with tourists while we were there in October, but still had that charming small-town feel.
We stopped at Carmel Bakery and stocked up on pretzels and various treats to take back to our vacation rental.
Another morning, we had breakfast at The Tuck Box before dropping my husband off at another golf course further inland. The Tuck Box looks as though it belongs in a storybook and fitted perfectly with the slightly whimsical feel of Carmel.
Interestingly, we didn’t go out for dinner once during the trip. Instead, we bought cheese, crackers and other bits and pieces from the supermarket, added our bakery treats and made platters back at the house.
A few episodes of Big Little Lies, something nice to drink and some chocolate made for a very good Northern California evening.
Our Slightly Unprepared Big Sur Adventure
One thing I would do differently next time is research Big Sur properly before setting out.
We knew we wanted to drive the coastline, so we simply got in the car and headed south. The scenery was spectacular, but we weren’t entirely sure what we were looking for.
We saw cars parked along the roadside and people disappearing down walking trails, while I had imagined we would simply spot a beautiful beach or wave break from the road and wander down to it.
It turns out Big Sur deserves a little more planning than that.
We did, however, see the famous Bixby Creek Bridge and drove across it several times. At one point we veered down a side road to find a good place for a photo, giving us one of those classic views of the bridge against the rugged coastline.
Next time, I’ll arrive with a proper list of viewpoints, beaches and trails rather than assuming we’ll magically stumble across them.
Could I Live Here?
Whenever I visit somewhere new, I inevitably find myself wondering whether I could live there.
There is a lot about this part of California that would be very easy to get used to. You could walk through beautiful little towns, spend mornings by the beach, play golf and have spectacular scenery almost everywhere you look.
The only thing that would give me pause is the ocean.
The coastline is magnificent, but it’s rugged, the waves can be choppy and the water is cold. I’m much more accustomed to looking at turquoise water and immediately wanting to jump in. I think I’d find it difficult to live beside such a beautiful ocean without regularly wanting to swim in it.
Still, as somewhere to spend a few days? Absolutely.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
On our final day, we didn’t want to venture too far from Monterey Regional Airport, so we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
This ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.
It’s a huge aquarium with an incredible variety of marine life, but the sea otters completely stole the show. They were ridiculously cute.
My daughter loved it, and I was surprised by how fascinating I found the whole place. It’s beautifully done and manages to be entertaining for children while still being genuinely interesting for adults.
It was also the perfect way to spend our final few hours before heading to the airport.
Mrs Globetrotter Tips
- Stay around Pebble Beach or Carmel. It makes exploring the Monterey Peninsula easy, and having a rental car gives you plenty of flexibility.
- Visit Pebble Beach even if you don’t play golf. Walk around The Lodge, browse the shops, see the Lone Cypress and take in the beautiful surroundings.
- Spend a morning in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Have breakfast, wander the shops and pick up something delicious from Carmel Bakery.
- Plan your Big Sur drive before you go. Save the viewpoints, beaches and walking trails you want to see rather than doing what we did and simply hoping to stumble across them.
- Stop around Bixby Creek Bridge. It’s one of the iconic sights along the coast and worth finding a safe viewpoint for photos.
- Allow a few hours for Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s fantastic for families, and the sea otters alone are worth the visit.
- Pack for cooler weather. We visited in October, and this is definitely a different California experience from the warm beach destinations further south.
- Leave room for a slow evening. A platter from the supermarket, something sweet from the bakery and a few episodes of Big Little Lies suited this trip perfectly.
