17-mile drive

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The main attraction is the "lonely cypress" that grows on a rock in the sea.
Blooming wildflowers at the foot of China Rock, one of the most interesting spots on 17-Mile Drive
Bird rock
Pebble Beach

The 17-Mile Drive is the coastal road between the Monterey Peninsula Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey in the State of California . It opens up the gated community of Pebble Beach with three 18-hole golf courses .

The direct coastal section is almost unobstructed and has several romantic viewpoints and natural monuments. Therefore, the road is considered a tourist attraction and typical of the Pacific coast in central California.

Just like the community, the street is owned by the Pebble Beach Company , which charges a fee of $ 10.50 (as of July 2019) for driving on the street . Admission is free for residents and their guests; as well as for cyclists and pedestrians. Motorcycles are not allowed to drive on the street.

history

In 1602, Spanish explorers discovered the Monterey peninsula and mapped it.

Samuel Finley Brown Morse (1886–1969), who was a distant cousin of Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791–1872) and administered the Del Monte Forest, was the founder of the Pebble Beach Company and manager for Pacific Improvement in the early 20th century Company . The company had extensive real estate investments on the Monterey Peninsula. Morse also founded the Pebble Beach Company . Morse said the company's primary purpose would be to preserve the coast and forest.

The coastal road of 17-Mile Drive was laid out in 1881 as an excursion option for the guests of the luxury hotel del Monte .

In 1916, Morse signed a contract with Jack Neville and Douglas Grant to design the Pebble Beach Golf Links . A year later, work began on the golf link . Two years later, in 1919, the link opened to the public.

In 1929 the first national tournament - the US Amateur Championships - took place at Pebble Beach. In 1972 the first US Open was held at Pebble Beach.

Attractions

There are 21 points of interest on the route that visitors can visit:

  • Shepherd's Knoll: This is a lookout point over Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz mountains.
  • Huckleberry Hill: The hill was named after the numerous blueberry bushes . In addition, it is one of the highest peaks in the Del Monte Forest.
  • Poppy Hills Golf Course: One of three golf courses during the AT&T Pro-Am .
  • The Inn & Links at Spanish Bay: The hotel complex was built in 1987 by the Pebble Beach Company and is geared towards the overnight stay of golfers.
  • Spanish Bay: This is where Don Gaspar de Potolá and his crew camped in 1769 when they were looking for Monterey Bay.
  • The Restless Sea
  • Point Joe: The first seafarers collided with the rocks at that point, believing that this would be the entrance to Monterey Bay.
  • China Rock: Here and at Point Joe, Chinese fishermen built their homes on the rocks.
  • Bird Rock Hunt Couse: The place was once famous for equestrian hunts and obstacle riding competitions.
  • Bird Rock: In spring and summer the rock is inhabited by numerous cormorants , seagulls and pelicans .
  • Seal Rock Picnic Area
  • Spyglass Hill Golf Course: The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and takes its name from the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson .
  • Fanshell Overlook: This is the point at which several seals gather every spring to give birth to their young.
  • Cypress Point Overlook: For over 100 years, this has been the preferred point for views of the Pacific coast.
  • Crocker Grove: There are numerous species of pine and cypress trees in this area of ​​forest
  • The Lone Cypress: The "lonely cypress" has stood on the rock for about 250 years and has withstood the Pacific storms. However, fences and cables were erected for protection. The tree is the symbol of the Pebble Beach Company .
  • The Ghost Tree: This Monterey cypress has a white trunk from the wind and water.
  • Pescadero Point
  • The Lodge at pebble Beach: The Lodge was built in 1919 and is the center of the Pebble Beach Golf Link .
The bronze sculpture by Richard MacDonald
  • Peter Hay Par-3 Golf Course and 100th US Open 2000 Pebble Beach Monument: The artist Richard MacDonald created a 11.2-ton bronze - sculpture , which he the 100th Open US in 2000 devoted at Pebble Beach.
  • Pebble Beach Equestrian Center: This is where several equestrian events are held each year.

literature

  • Sonja Nowack: 17-Mile Drive. Coast road in paradise. In: G / Geschichte , 10/2019, pp. 66–69.

Web links

Commons : 17-Mile Drive  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Sonja Nowack: 17-Mile Drive. Coast road in paradise. In: G / Geschichte , 10/2019, pp. 66–69, here p. 67.