🌊 Second Visit to 17-Mile Drive & Carmel Day Trip 🚗

Just under 2 hours from San Francisco to Monterey via the stunning Highway 1—take it slow and soak in the views! 📍 Highlights 💖 17-Mile Drive (between Monterey & Carmel) Enter at Pacific Grove Gate, skip stops like hotels/golf courses unless you're staying/playing. Best sunset spots (rocks & trees = perfect backdrops!). Must-See Stops: 3️⃣ Spanish Bay – Where Spanish explorers camped in 1769. 5️⃣ Point Joe – A deadly shipwreck zone due to hidden rocks. 7️⃣ Bird Rock – A blackened mass of seabirds on the rocks! 9️⃣ Fanshell Beach– More seabirds! 🔟 Cypress Point Lookout – Spot seals sunbathing near the iconic tree. 1️⃣2️⃣ Lone Cypress– My favorite—250 years of resilience! 1️⃣3️⃣ Pescadero Point – Catch crashing waves at high tide. 🏡 Carmel-by-the-Sea ✨ A fairytale town—but hotels are pricey! If heading south, don’t linger too long (or return for dinner when crowds thin). 🌿 Point Lobos State Natural Reserve 🦭 Local’s pick! Seals galore + breathtaking trails. 🌉 Bixby Bridge 📸 Iconic—stop for the must-have Highway 1 shot! ⏭️ Extra Stops (If Time Allows) 🏰 Hearst Castle – A celebrity magnet (book a guided tour!). 🌲 Big Sur – Keep driving south for more epic coastal drama. #TravelTheWorld #HiddenGems #RoadTripDiaries #CaliforniaCoast #17MileDrive #CarmelByTheSea #MontereyBay #ScenicDrive #WestCoastAdventures