The 17-Mile Drive winds through Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and the Del Monte Forest near Monterey. This stretch of road offers dramatic coastal views, iconic landmarks, and a front-row seat to the rugged beauty of the Monterey Peninsula.

Along the route there are pullouts where you can see harbor seals, sea lions, and seabirds. In spring, the beaches serve as pupping grounds, and parts of the shoreline are closed to protect the young. Offshore rocks are nesting sites for seabirds like cormorants and the loud calls of Black Oystercatchers reminded me of their cousin, American Oystercatcher, a common bird on the beaches of southern North Carolina.

One of the pullouts gets you to the viewing platform for the Lone Cypress. This famous tree is perched on a granite outcrop above the surf. It seems precarious at best, but it has endured for 250 years. A golfer may recognize the tree because it is the symbol of the famed Pebble Beach golf course.