Monday, Nov 16, 2020-Monterey, CA

We have always loved Monterey! It’s a fun town to explore, especially since it has Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea next to it. Today we drove The 17 Mile Drive through Carmel and Pebble Beach.

But first . . . . where we are camping. You can imagine the prices of private campgrounds around here. I checked 4-5 campgrounds around Monterey and Carmel-THEN I picked myself up off the floor! Most of them are priced from $80-120 per night. That is WAY above our campground budget! I kept digging until I found the Monterey County Fair & Event Center RV Park. Their rate is $60 per night but old people like me get a 10% discount. Sooooo $54 it is!

This is our third or fourth time to stay in a city or county RV park. Once in TX, once in Omak, WA, and the last time in Port Townsend, WA. Not bad at all.

If you’re not familiar with the 17 Mile Drive, it’s a private drive through mainly Pebble Beach Resorts. It is so beautiful and popular, the resorts charge people $10.50 to drive the road. Here are a couple of pics to hopefully help you realize its natural beauty:


To say that Pebble Beach and Carmel are affluent is a HUGE understatement! There are six golf courses spread throughout the drive and here’s a partial pic of one of the holes:
I’m not a golfer but can you imagine putting on this green with the Pacific Ocean over your shoulder? On previous trips here, we’ve seen herds of deer in the fairways. Today we didn’t see any deer on the courses but we were entertained by the California Sea Lions (Seals!) and otters playing in the water! 
The highlight on the 17 Mile Drive for most people is the Lone Cypress. It appears to grow out of an outcropping of rock just off the coast. Here a solo pic of it and another of a sign describing it with the tree in the background:


Before you ask, YES, the Pacific is blue and turquoise with very powerful waves. There is something about standing by the ocean on a perfect 70 degree day and taking in the power and sounds of those waves........


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