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Monterey 17 Miles Drive | Introduction
17 miles drive is in Northern CaliforniaMontereyIn 2014, when I visited Monterey for the first time, I passed by the 17-mile entrance, but I only knew Highway 1 at that time, so I missed the 17-mile drive and didn't make a detour. It was not until a few years later that I finally had the chance to arrange a day trip to Monterey. I would like to share with you the route from Monterey, so that you won't miss it like I did.
The main point is to enter the 17 miles drive, which is privately owned and requires a $10 entrance fee. After you pay the admission fee, you will get a ticket that explains the scenic spots.MapIn this post, we share the top 6 attractions you can't miss on the 17 miles drive.
Attractions | Spanish Bay
Entering from the north end, our first stop was Spanish bay, where we were greeted by a cloudless beach. When the weather is good, we can stop and take photos anywhere along the way. We came here in April and there were still a lot of lovely wildflowers. You can play in the water and enjoy the nature here.
Scenery | Restless Sea
Restless sea, as the name suggests, the waves here are especially big, so I came here to listen to the sea. The current here is strong, but the main reason for the large waves is the rocky terrain that causes the waves to come in early, making it look like a large white wave.
Viewpoint | Point Joe
In the 1900's, a Chinese man named Joe lived here and earned his living by half tending sheep and half selling things to tourists. Now we don't know whether it was because his name was Joe that he got this name, or whether it was because the place was originally called Point Joe that he used this name. But the scenery of this point is great, look at the wildflowers and the sea view! So I don't care what his name is, everyone loves to come here to see the scenery.
Attractions | Bird Rock
Bird rock is a rock in the sea. Looking across the sea, it is a small island relatively close to the sea, and at first glance, it looks like it is full of seabirds. At first glance, there were seabirds on it. When I looked at it, there were many sea lions lying on it, which is a good place to see sea lions.
Scenic Spot | Lone Cypress
Lone Cypress is the most classic scenery of 17 miles drive. This old cypress tree is more than 250 years old, standing on the edge of the cliff is not very lonely look. Look for Cypress lookout on the map to see it, or you can go to the next point for a closer look.
Attractions | Ghost Tree
Ghost Tree is a pale, tangled, dead tree. The ghost tree looks a bit scary up close. However, when viewed from a distance, the ghost tree, together with the spring wildflowers, creates a unique seascape.
Further reading
- More Central California posts
- More CA-1 posts
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