17- Mile Drive .....

Yes! I learnt something new today... I now know how to crop a photo ...Yeaaa, might be easy for some of you out there...:) So go on, double click on the image of Pebble Beach on the left which I took from a brochure. Get the enlarged version.......and let your imagination flyyy... The area is beautiful!! 17 Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach, California. Much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses and mansions. It also serves as the main road through the gated community of Pebble Beach. I hear quite a number of hollywood's actors and actresses live in this area.. sorry, I haven't done enough research to let you know who! Like the community, the majority of 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation. Macam mana2 khidmat penswastaan yang lain, entrance fee mesti ada! Entry into Pebble Beach costs US$9.00 per automobile. Of course, residents of Pebble Beach and their guests enter for free. Entry is also free for bicyclists and pedestrians. Motorcycles however, are prohibited from entering 17-Mile Drive. In doing so, the beaches are free of rubbish - except for seagull droppings! - and the overall atmosphere is calm and quiet. There are three main gates for entering and exiting the 17-mile drive—the Pacific Grove Gate to the North, the Highway 1 Gate on the Southwest and the Carmel Gate to the South. We entered through the Highway 1 Gate. Travelling along 17-Mile Drive takes as long as the traveler likes. It takes a minimum of 20 minutes from Highway 1 Gate to Carmel Gate without stops. However, one cannot resist the numerous turnouts along the road to stop, take pictures, or get out and stroll (picnic too!) along the ocean or among the trees - making the trip a lot longer than 20 minutes! The road runs inland passing Spanish Bay, then becomes parallel to the beaches and then runs up to the coastal hills - providing many scenic view points between the Pacific Ocean, the beaches and the centuries old forest. Begitu nyaman sekali! Probably the most famous tree in the United States is The Lone Cypress which has inspired many as an icon of fortitude. It has clung to its rocky perch for over 250 years and serves as the eternal symbol of Pebble Beach Company—the developer of the 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach and the Del Monte Forest. See how lonely it is at that angle! They had to tie up the tree inland in order to secure it. The winds in this area can be very gusty! A small tree like The Lone Cypress - tak tahu kita panggil pokok apa - is more than 250 years, so one can imagine how long the other trees have been around.










Managed to snap a picture of the surfer from afar. The water was freezing cold...gila betul!