17-Mile Drive
 The Lone Cypress, a prominent landmark along the road |
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| Maintained by | Pebble Beach Company |
|---|---|
| From | Del Monte Blvd in Pacific Grove |
| Major junctions |
 SR 68 / Sunset DrCarmel Way |
| To |  SR 68 / SR 1 |
17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses and mansions. Part of it serves as the main road through the gated community of Pebble Beach. Inside this community, nonresidents have to pay a toll to use the road.[1] Like the community, the majority of 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation. The 17-Mile Drive is a 17-mile (27 km)-long scenic loop having five entrances, including one at California State Route 1 and one at Pacific Grove off Sunset Drive.
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Route description [edit]
At the north end, a portion of the early route through Pacific Grove begins at the intersection of Del Monte Blvd and Esplanade Street. The famous portion of 17-Mile Drive then begins a few miles south of this point. The crossing of Highway 68 (Holman Highway/Sunset Drive) and 17-Mile Drive marks the entrance to Pebble Beach.
From the Sunset Drive/Pacific Grove gate, the drive runs inland past Spanish Bay, then adjacent to beaches and up into the coastal hills, providing scenic viewpoints. The route allows for self-directed travel and stopping, with frequent turnouts along the roadway in many locations along the route. Without stops, it takes a minimum of 20 minutes to reach Carmel. The numerous turnouts allow stopping to take pictures, or getting out to stroll along the ocean or among the trees. Visitors receive a map that points out some of the more scenic spots. In addition, a red-dashed line is marked in the center of the main road to guide visitors, and help prevent them from venturing into the adjacent neighborhood streets.[2]
The road provides vistas of golf courses including Spyglass Hill, Cypress Point and Pebble Beach. After reaching Carmel Way, and the exit to Carmel, the 17-Mile Drive then heads northeast to the Highway 68/Highway 1 interchange, where one can exit, or continue to loop along the higher vistas of 17-Mile Drive, some of which offer views from more than 600 feet above sea-level. The full loop will take you back to the Pacific Grove Gate at Sunset Drive — a distance of 17 miles.
The only services open to the public in Pebble Beach (gas stations, restrooms, restaurants) are at the Inn at Spanish Bay and at the Lodge at Pebble Beach; plenty of comfortable and scenic spots are available to picnic. Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills golf courses also have restaurants open to the public.
To drive the section of the road within the Pebble Beach gated community, there is an entrance fee requirement of US$9.75 (as of July 24, 2012), except for travelers on bicycles. Residents are not required to pay this fee, as they pay an annual fee (noted by the "Del Monte Forest" placard that residents carry in their vehicle or on their license plates), nor are guests if they are granted access in advance of their visit by a resident or through hotel/restaurant reservations (the guard house can either call the resident or look at a list of names). Motorcycles are not allowed.
Lone Cypress Tree [edit]
Chief among the scenic attractions is the Lone Cypress Tree (36°34′07″N 121°57′55″W / 36.568738°N 121.965321°W), a salt-pruned Monterey cypress (macrocarpa) tree which is the official symbol of Pebble Beach and a frequent fixture of television broadcasts from this area. In 1990 the Monterey Journal reported that Pebble Beach's lawyer, Kerry C. Smith, said "The image of the tree has been trademarked by us," and that it intended to control any display of the cypress for commercial purposes. The company had warned photographers that "they cannot even use existing pictures of the tree for commercial purposes."[3] Other legal commentators have questioned the Pebble Beach Company's ability to invoke intellectual property laws to restrict others' use of such images.[4]
Art [edit]
Various artists over the years have found inspiration for their paintings of flora and fauna along this famous coastal landmark. For example, Arthur Hill Gilbert, one of the founding members of the Carmel Art Association, was an American Impressionist noted for his canvases depicting this scenic area, including View of 17 Mile Drive, and The Cove, Pt. Lobos, circa 1930.
Notes [edit]
- ^ "Non-Interstate System Toll Roads in the United States". Federal Highway Administration. 2009-01-01. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
- ^ "17-Mile Drive at Pebble Beach". Pebble Beach Resorts. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
- ^ Monterey Journal; Trees and Trademarks: The Disputes Run Deep Katherine Bishop, Special To The New York Times, August 2, 1990
- ^ Lone Cypressgate: Shutterbug, Spare This Tree! Ken Kwartler, The Recorder (Bay Area Legal Daily) August 24, 1990. Accessed 2009-07-28. Archived 2009-07-31.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 17-Mile Drive |
- Pebble Beach Resorts: 17-Mile Drive
- Photographic description of the whole of 17-Mile Drive.
Coordinates: 36°35′05″N 121°57′54″W / 36.584839°N 121.9651°W
