Pebble Beach:

Pebble Beach P ebble Beach is synonymous with "golf" and spectacular golf courses. The golf at the many courses is world-class, star-studded, just-this-side-of-heaven golf.

The most famous of the courses, the Pebble Beach Golf Links, is owned by the Pebble Beach Company and is host to the famous AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (once known as the Bing Crosby Pro-Am). This tournament is held annually at the end of January or beginning of February. It pairs the best from the Professional Association of Golf with the brightest celebrities, playing three of the world's most spectacular golf courses.

One of California's most familiar and most photographed landmarks is to be found on a rock jutting into the Pacific Ocean - The Lone Cypress. It is the copyrighted symbol of the Pebble Beach Company. The remarkable old cypress is silhouetted against the Pacific as it clings to a seemingly bare rock. The Lone Cypress has inspired artists and sightseers alike for decades.

You can enter 17-Mile Drive, one of the best-known scenic roadways in the world, from Pacific Grove or from Highway 1. It leads through one of the most beautiful coastal areas in California. The scenery changes from low, white sand dunes to forests of Monterey cypress trees, all gnarled and twisted and covered with moss. You'll see the bird rocks and seal rocks from the road, and, occasionally, spouting whales. The land along the 17-Mile Drive, known locally as the Del Monte Forest, contains some of the most beautiful homes on the Peninsula. Park Rangers at the entry gates can assists you with maps and information. Pebble Beach is privately owned and there is a charge for entry.