Most of the beaches that are accessible to the public along the coast are State Beaches, with parking fees to go to the parking bays. But, we were able to pull in to a couple to use their facilities, without paying. At one stop, we saw driftwood sculptures and huts on the beach.
Eric and I had a look at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest in America (at 115 feet tall). It was first lit in 1872, but is currently closed so it can be restored and earthquake strengthened. The lens, which is currently out of the lighthouse, weighs 2,000 pds. There is a Youth Hostel next to the lighthouse - quite a cool place to stay, I think.
We then did a drive-through of Monterey, seeing Cannery Row (where tens of thousands of sardines were canned before the sardines suddenly disappeared), and California's first theatre. We didn't stop in Monterey for any length of time, as we were too tight-fisted to pay parking fees anywhere! Plus, we didn't really have time to do it all justice. That had been the same at Santa Cruz, where we drove along next to the famed boardwalk, but didn't (a) pay for parking or (b) pay, or queue, for rides on the roller-coasters or ferris wheel.
Carmel was very quaint, similar to places like Arrowtown or Hanmer Springs. We didn't go into the mission there, Carmel Mission, but we did look over the fence at it. It is the mission where Father Junipera Serra is buried.
As I said, there were great views, rugged coastlines, crashing waves, jagged rocks
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