17-Mile Drive
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Type | Scenic toll road |
---|---|
Maintained by | Pebble Beach Company |
Length | 17 mi (27 km) |
From | Del Monte Blvd in Pacific Grove |
Major junctions | SR 68 / Sunset Dr Carmel Way |
To | SR 68 / SR 1 |
Construction | |
Completion | 1880 |
Other | |
Website | Scenic 17-Mile Drive |
17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses, mansions and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and the 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest of Monterey Cypress trees.[1]
The drive 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.[2] 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 primary entrances - the main highway entrance at California State Route 1, and entrances in Carmel and Pacific Grove.
History
In 1602 the Monterey Peninsula was mapped by Spanish explorers. By 1840 the area now called
In 1880, Jacks sold the land to the
The hotel was the starting and finishing point for 17-Mile Drive, (originally called the 18-mile Drive by hotel operators). The drive was offered as a pleasure excursion to hotel guests, and was intended to attract wealthy buyers of large and scenic residential plots on PIC land. Sightseers riding horses or carriages along the 17-Mile Drive sometimes stopped at Pebble Beach to pick up agate and other stones polished smooth by the waves, and they commented on a few unusual tree formations known as the Witch Tree and the Ostrich Tree—the latter formed by two trees leaning on each other. At that time, the Chinese fishing community continued in existence despite mounting anti-Chinese sentiment among Monterey residents of European heritage.[7] At roadside stands, Chinese-American girls sold shells and polished pebbles to tourists. In the 1900s, the automobile began replacing horses on 17-Mile Drive, and by 1907 there were only automobiles.[8] The drive featured region's historical sites, forests, and on to the coastal scenic attractions in the Hotel Del Monte Park Reservation, as it was known at the time.[9]
Drawn by six bay horses, President Benjamin Harrison took the coach ride through the reservation in 1891. The coach was adorned with the national colors "and the harness on the horses was lined with bunting and roses as far as possible." In the newspaper The Monterey Cypress, President Harrison noted "This is a lovely spot. I only wish I could stay here a week."[10] In 1887, the hotel was destroyed by fire and replaced with a new structure. The Del Monte Golf Course was added in 1897 as part of the hotel and is today the oldest operating course west of the Mississippi.[11] In 1919, the Los Angeles Times called the 17-Mile Drive one of the "great wonders of the world."[10]
On February 27, 1919,
On March 30, 1977, the Del Monte Properties Company was reincorporated as the Pebble Beach Corporation.
Route description
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[where?]. 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.[14]
Scenic attractions
Primary scenic attractions include
Chief among the scenic attractions is the
References
- ^ "How to Make the Most Out of Carmel's 17-Mile Drive". Archived from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
- ^ "Non-Interstate System Toll Roads in the United States". Federal Highway Administration. 2009-01-01. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
- ISBN 9780762729708.
- ISBN 978-0-7653-2159-6
- ^ Jack, Kenneth C. (2001). "Land King: The Story of David Jack". Monterey County Historical Society. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ "To San Francisco". American Machinist. 15: 65. June 2, 1892. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ Kemp, Jonathan (2010). "Chinese Start Monterey Fishing Industry". Monterey County Historical Society. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ISBN 0-7385-3032-8.
- ^ http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/1314/611051/HDM_1889_Souvenir_Booklet.pdf Page 28
- ^ a b "Del Monte's 17-Mile Drive - Historic Hotel del Monte - LibGuides Homepage at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Dudley Knox Library (DKL)". Archived from the original on 2013-09-17. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
- ^ ISBN 9780738530321.
- ^ a b c d Pebble Beach Company History Archived July 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "History of NPS and the Infamous Hotel Del Monte". Naval Postgraduate School. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
- ^ "17-Mile Drive at Pebble Beach". Pebble Beach Resorts. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
- ^ Smith, Craig B. (2006). Extreme Waves (2nd ed.). Dockside Consultants.
- ^ Yount, Maggie (July 22, 2010). "PWCs Officially Extinguished At Ghost". Surfer Magazine. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ 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 2009-10-04 at the Wayback Machine 2009-07-31.
External links
- Pebble Beach Resorts: 17-Mile Drive
- Photographic description of the whole of 17-Mile Drive.