| 17-Mile Drive | |
|---|---|
The Lone Cypress, a prominent landmark along the road |
|
| Maintained by: | Pebble Beach Company |
| From: | Del Monte Blvd in Pacific Grove |
| Major junctions: |
SR 68 / Sunset Dr Carmel 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, non-residents 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 9.6 miles (15.4 km) long, between the entrances at California State Route 1 and Sunset Drive.
Contents |
At the north end, the road originates in Pacific Grove 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 17-Mile Drive runs inland past Spanish Bay, then adjacent to beaches and up into the coastal hills, providing scenic viewpoints. Travel along the road takes as long as the traveler likes, a minimum of 20 minutes south to Carmel without stops. There are numerous turnouts along the road to stop, take pictures, or get out and 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 access to 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 where it eventually terminates at the Highway 68/Highway 1 interchange.
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; there are plenty of comfortable and scenic spots 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 requires a payment of US$9.50 (motorcycles are not allowed) by all visitors (as of May 30, 2011.) Residents are not required to pay this fee, nor are guests of residents required to pay the fee if they are granted access in advance of their visit (the guard house can either call the resident or look at a list of names). This is the section of road that is home to the Lone Cypress Tree and the Pebble Beach Golf Course.
Chief among the scenic attractions is the Lone Cypress Tree (), 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]
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.