Coastal Beauty: A Full-Day Cycling Adventure on 17 Mile Drive
Some photography sessions are about capturing a single moment. Others are about documenting an entire adventure—20 miles of pedaling, changing light, spring wildflowers, and a couple who just wanted to celebrate being together.
Last Sunday, I spent a full day with a married couple on their bikes, riding from Pacific Grove to the iconic Lone Cypress on 17 Mile Drive and back. It wasn't a milestone anniversary or a special occasion. They simply wanted to document their relationship in the place they love most—on two wheels, along the Monterey Peninsula coastline, surrounded by the kind of natural beauty that makes you remember why you fell in love with California in the first place.
The Route: Pacific Grove to Lone Cypress
We started early in Pacific Grove, where cloudy morning skies created soft, even light perfect for the beginning of our ride. The plan was straightforward: bike the scenic coastal route toward Pebble Beach and the Lone Cypress, stop for lunch, and ride back—about 20 miles round trip at a relaxed, conversational pace.
This isn't a race. It's an adventure photography session on wheels.
The couple brought their own bikes—his a rugged mountain bike built for anything, hers a mint-green cruiser with panniers for snacks and layers. Both wore cycling gloves, helmets, and comfortable layers they could shed as the day warmed up.
I brought my Canon 5D with two lenses: the 24-70mm f/2.8 for wide coastal scenes and action shots, and the 85mm f/1.4 for tighter portraits. Everything fit in a backpack I could carry while biking alongside them or shooting from the roadside.
Morning: Cloudy Coastal Start
Starting our 20-mile cycling adventure from Pacific Grove with bikes ready and the Pacific Ocean behind us. Morning clouds created soft, even light perfect for portraits along the coastal recreation trail.
We began along the recreation trail near Lovers Point, where the Pacific crashed against volcanic rock formations and carpets of ice plant turned the coastline bright pink and green. The morning clouds created even, flattering light—no harsh shadows, just soft coastal atmosphere.
Within the first mile, we encountered Pacific Grove's most enthusiastic residents: ground squirrels. Dozens of them. Bold, curious, and completely unafraid of humans. One even posed long enough for me to switch to the 85mm and capture a tack-sharp portrait—whiskers, bright eyes, tiny paws, the works.
Meet the locals: Pacific Grove's fearless ground squirrels at Lovers Point. We encountered dozens of them in the first mile, and this one posed long enough for a portrait. Small moments like this are why full-day sessions matter—there's time to notice the unexpected.
The couple laughed. "We forgot to warn you about the squirrels."
This is what I love about full-day sessions. There's time for the unexpected. Time to stop, notice, photograph the small moments that make a place memorable.
Extreme close-up of one of Pacific Grove's boldest squirrels. Shot with my 85mm f/1.4 wide open for shallow depth of field, isolating those whiskers and bright eyes against the soft coastal background.
Midday: Blue Skies and the Lone Cypress
By the time we reached the Lone Cypress—the windswept, iconic Monterey cypress perched on a rocky outcrop above Carmel Bay—the clouds had burned off completely. Brilliant blue sky, sparkling ocean, and that perfect California clarity that makes colors look impossibly vivid.
The iconic Lone Cypress moment—standing together at the famous viewpoint under brilliant midday blue skies. This is the image people imagine when they think of the Monterey Peninsula, and we had it under perfect spring light.
We stopped at the viewing platform. The couple leaned against the weathered wooden railing, helmets off, smiling in the sunshine with the famous tree framing them in the background. This is the shot people imagine when they think "17 Mile Drive"—and we had it under perfect midday light.
Lunch happened somewhere along the route near Pigeon Point (not the famous Point Pigeon lighthouse—just a scenic pullout where they'd packed sandwiches).
"We've done this route probably ten times," he told me. "But we've never had photos of it."
Riding along 17 Mile Drive with ice plant blooming bright green along the roadside. Her mint-green cruiser matched the coastal landscape perfectly as we made our way toward the Lone Cypress.
That's the thing about adventure photography. You do the thing you love anyway—but now you have the images to prove it happened.
Cycling the iconic curves of 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach — cypress trees and Pacific Ocean views on a full-day adventure photography session on the Monterey Peninsula
Afternoon: Wildflowers and Changing Light
The ride back brought afternoon clouds rolling in from the Pacific, softening the light again and creating a moody, atmospheric backdrop. But the real star of the return journey? Spring wildflowers.
Everywhere.
Surrounded by towering red aloe vera blooms and sculptural succulents along the Pacific Grove coastline. This succulent garden felt like discovering a secret spot, even though they had ridden past it many times before.
The Monterey Peninsula in spring is carpeted with blooms—purple lupine, bright orange-red aloe vera flowers standing tall like torches, yellow and white wildflowers I can't name but photographed anyway. We stopped repeatedly. Not because we had to, but because the light was too good, the colors too vibrant, the couple too happy to keep riding past without documenting it.
Standing in a carpet of blooming ice plant with the Pacific stretching to the horizon. Spring on the Monterey Peninsula means vibrant pink and green succulents covering every coastal hillside and rocky outcrop.
In one spot, enormous succulent plants with spiky geometric leaves and towering red blooms created a natural frame. The couple stood together in the middle, holding hands, grinning like they'd just discovered a secret garden.
One of my favorite portraits from the day—red aloe flowers framing them with the bay and Pacific Grove town visible across the water. Late afternoon light brought out every color in this coastal landscape.
"This is why we love spring rides," she said.
What Makes Full-Day Adventure Sessions Different
This session lasted roughly six hours from start to finish. We covered 20 miles, three distinct lighting conditions (cloudy morning, sunny midday, cloudy afternoon), and countless small moments—squirrels, wildflowers, wave-watching breaks, helmet hair, laughter, coastal wind, the satisfaction of completing a beautiful ride together.
You can't get that in a one-hour portrait session.
Full-day adventure photography isn't about posing. It's about being present for an entire experience. It's about having the time and space to notice the unexpected—the squirrel, the wildflower patch, the way afternoon light turns ocean spray golden.
It's about creating a visual story of a day well spent.
The Details: What Worked
Location: Pacific Grove to Lone Cypress via 17 Mile Drive
Distance: 20 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate (paved bike path and road, gentle hills)
Best time: Spring (March-May) for wildflowers and mild temps
What to bring: Layers (coastal weather changes fast), water, snacks, sunscreen, comfortable cycling clothes, helmet
Photography notes:
I shot from a mix of positions—sometimes biking ahead to capture them riding toward me, sometimes stopping to let them pass and shooting from behind, sometimes pausing together at scenic spots for portraits. The 24-70mm handled most of the action and landscape work; the 85mm gave me beautiful portrait compression at the Lone Cypress and in the wildflower sections.
Weather was perfect for photography—soft morning light, bright midday clarity, moody afternoon atmosphere. Having all three in one session gave us incredible variety.
Why This Session Matters
A quiet moment during our lunch break along the rocky coastline. Afternoon clouds rolled back in, creating soft light and that classic moody Monterey Peninsula atmosphere we love.
Not every photography session needs to be a milestone. Sometimes the best sessions are the ones that simply document what you love doing—riding bikes along the coast, noticing squirrels, stopping for wildflowers, spending a full day together doing nothing but enjoying where you live.
This couple has probably ridden this route fifty times, like they said. But now they have images that prove those rides happened. They have evidence of the adventure. They have photos that remind them why they fell in love with this coastline, with cycling together, with taking the long way home.
Spring wildflowers everywhere—purple lupine towering behind them as we stopped to document one of dozens of wildflower patches we encountered along the route. This is peak Monterey Peninsula spring.
And that's worth documenting.
Planning Your Own Coastal Cycling Session
If you're thinking about an adventure photography session—whether it's cycling, hiking, kayaking, or anything else you love doing outdoors—here's what to know:
Connection moments in the middle of a 20-mile ride. Full-day sessions give us time to notice these small, tender interactions that happen naturally when you're not rushing through a one-hour portrait session.
Full-day sessions give you:
6-8 hours of coverage
Multiple locations and lighting conditions
Time to relax, be yourselves, and let moments unfold naturally
Hundreds of images documenting the entire experience
The best sessions happen when:
Taking in the view along 17 Mile Drive. These quiet contemplative moments—helmet off, ocean stretching to the horizon—are just as important as the smiling portraits.
You're doing something you actually enjoy (not something you think will photograph well)
You choose a location you already love
You're willing to embrace changing weather and unexpected moments
You're more interested in the experience than perfect poses
If you're interested in documenting your own coastal adventure—whether it's the Monterey Peninsula, Big Sur, Point Reyes, or anywhere else along the California coast—contact me and let's talk about what your adventure looks like.
Lunch break at the end of the route. This is what adventure photography looks like—documenting the whole experience, not just the posed moments.
A close portrait during one of our many wildflower stops. Natural light, natural smile, no posing—just genuine joy from a day spent doing what she loves: biking the Monterey Peninsula coastline in spring.
All images © Matthew Duncan Photography