Pictured is Pebble Beach's 17 Mile Drive overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Spyglass Hill Golf Course (Spyglass Hill Rd & Stevenson Dr.) The public course takes its name from a classic tale, Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. The layout and design by famed Robert Trent Jones, Sr., often ranks as one of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses. Pacific Ocean views exist on the first five holes, while 13 holes wind through the Del Monte Forest.

While Californians have struggled to hang onto their freeway system and keep it free, the state actually contains two of the nation's most expensive toll roads. Pebble beach ranks as the most expensive road in the U.S., costing approx. 56 cents per mile. A fee of around $9.50 is charged at the toll booth as you enter the private residential community with four golf courses, shopping, dining, three resort hotels and a host of special events. Few balk at the fee to gain admission to 17 Mile Drive. Attractions such as Ghost Tree, Bird Rock, Pebble Beach Golf Links and Point Joe have drawn more than 8 million visitors since 1990 alone (17 Mile Drive opened over 100 years ago.)

The other "Top 10 Expensive U.S. Toll Roads" is SR73 in South Orange County. Charging around 20-to-30 cents per mile (depending on entry and exit points) to drive between San Juan Capistrano and San Joaquin Hills, the views are OK, but there's no beach overlooking this privately constructed road, which is mostly used by commuters. Note: Orange County Transportation Authority had designs on adding a toll road to the <a href="http://www.seecalifornia.com/transportation/busiest-freeway.html">busiest freeway in the U.S., the "405" in Orange County between L.A. and San Diego. The residents didn't want a toll road and recently received a promise of no toll lanes, something that tourists will surely appreciate when they visit!

Advertisement