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One Day, One Place: Asilomar-Pebble Beach

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A family walks the loop around Indian Village in Carmel, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2016.
A family walks the loop around Indian Village in Carmel, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2016.James Tensuan/Special to The Chronicle

Hundreds of thousands come the Monterey Peninsula annually for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Concours d’Elegance, but the best ways to enjoy the region’s western edges are more low profile.

There’s the state beach and its treasured surf break, the storied Lodge at Pebble Beach and the towering Monterey pines of Del Monte Forest. Then there’s the honest-but-elegant food, coastal bonfires and sand-strewn walks with the dog, bargain-beautiful pitch-and-putt golf, under-the-radar hikes and sunsets.

Here appear some of the best ways to enjoy a big, fat, fun day on the coast.

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Explore the coast

Morning

High-quality coffee, blueberry-almond butter smoothies, bloody Marys and smashed marble potatoes usher in the day at Gallery Cafe, the best and earliest-to-open breakfast option in Pebble Beach. Other goodies include the croissant sandwich, the cinnamon sticky rolls made in house and the burly “Par Five” with eggs, buttermilk pancakes, applewood-smoked bacon, potatoes and toast. For the more adventurous, here come the chorizo biscuits and gravy with poached eggs or the baked frittata with mushrooms, spinach and asparagus, topped with tomatoes, goat cheese and smoked salmon. The big portions might be best enjoyed on patio seating overlooking Pebble’s putting greens; they do big-burger and milk shake lunches too, but breakfast is the best bet.

A hike is in order: In a county where outdoor activities proliferate, Asilomar’s vast swath of native pine forest rarely gets the love it deserves. That’s because Pebble Beach remains a gated community with a $10 cover charge, and because residents aren’t in a rush to invite outsiders into their sylvan setting. Spots to jump into the woods present themselves at Bird Rock parking lot — head up toward the “Ginger Bread House” and the Indian Village loop, cross Stevenson Road and head out on the 13th Canter trail toward the Pebble Beach firehouse.

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The famous bread balloon is seen at the Bench in Carmel, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2016. The muscles and bread balloon are specialties at The Bench.
The famous bread balloon is seen at the Bench in Carmel, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2016. The muscles and bread balloon are specialties at The Bench.James Tensuan/Special to The Chronicle

Midday

Golfers both experienced and aspiring can swing away at Peter Hay Golf Course, where green fees are a tiny fraction of the $495 sticker price at neighboring Pebble Beach Golf Links. Jack Neville and Gen. Robert McClure helped the namesake design this nine-hole treasure (par 27), which comes surrounded by oaks and picture-book views of Stillwater Cove. Born in 1957, it’s the only par-three golf course open to the public on the Monterey Peninsula. Dog-friendly, too.

From there, Asilomar Conference Grounds is simultaneously a wonderland of 107 acres that encompass cypress trees, deer and redwood halls for gatherings like the progressive agriculture summit called EcoFarm, and somehow semi-secret to most of the local population. One of the outcomes of that: Phoebe’s, a most worthy all-natural cafe, goes largely ignored by locals and visitors (who aren’t attending conferences there). The beer and the wine are local and small batch, and the food includes wild salmon and grilled scallops best enjoyed on the decks under the redwoods, with live music on summer Fridays.

Afternoon

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Pebble Beach Market is a strategically located and well-stocked hub for picnic provisions or a bottle of local Pinot Noir to take back to the hotel. A full deli with barbecue pulled pork, smoked turkey and tri-tip sandwiches satisfies big appetites, and an espresso bar delivers chai lattes and mochas for the caffeine-focused. For those who forgot a wine key or need an official Pebble Beach-since-1919 souvenir, the market meets those needs as well. (It also sells what some of the most finicky call the best chocolate chip cookie in Monterey County — for $2.)

Next stop: Asilomar State Beach. Not all beaches are created equal. Surfers can take on one of the more popular and consistent waves on the Central Coast. Aspiring marine biology nerds can poke around tide pools in search of hermit crabs, giant green anemones and purple sea stars. Or walk the pup on the wide beach. Head to the sturdy boardwalk for an easy stroll and inspiring vistas. Romantics can soak up the sunsets that slip through the marine layer, on a blanket with a bottle of bubbles.

Evening

Bonfires are strictly limited across the Monterey Peninsula. In Carmel, a scorching debate over whether fires are (a) part of the soul of the place or (b) a public health menace has stoked passions. Fear not: Pebble Beach allows both wood and flame, and Seal Rock Beach presents a welcoming swath of sand-and-shore setting.

Before or afterward, the Bench does dinner with similar wood-fired passion, as in the wood-fired bread balloon and fire-roasted coconut chile lime mussels served with a dramatic backdrop wrapping up the 18th green at Pebble, Stillwater Cove and more sunset.

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The famous Tap Room beckons from there, where you can wrap up the day with everything from Irish coffees to Moët bubbly to a late-night Tap Room burger with sharp cheddar and pepper bacon on brioche.

If you go

Asilomar State Beach: (831) 646-6440, www.parks.ca.gov

Asilomar Conference Grounds (Phoebe’s Cafe): 800 Asilomar Ave., (888) 635-5310, www.visitasilomar.com

The Bench: 1700 17 Mile Drive (at the Lodge at Pebble Beach), (800) 877-0597, www.pebblebeach.com/dining/the-bench. Lunch and dinner daily.

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Gallery Cafe: 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, (831) 625-8577, www.pebblebeach.com/dining/gallery-cafe. 6 a.m.-2 p.m. (except Saturday).

Pebble Beach Market: 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, (831) 250-6795, www.pebblebeach.com/dining/pebble-beach-market. 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.

Peter Hay Golf Course: 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach. $30. (800) 877-0597, www.pebblebeach.com/golf/peter-hay-golf-course. Sunrise to sunset.

Phoebe’s Cafe: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m., (888) 635-5310, www.visitasilomar.com

The Tap Room: 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, (831) 625-8535, www.pebblebeach.com/dining/the-tap-room. 11 a.m.-midnight.

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