Pebble Beach California Central Coast |
Pebble
Beach is nestled in the Del Monte Forest next to
the ocean between Pacific Grove and Carmel. It is
where all the elegance that money could buy plays
second fiddle to nature. |
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Botanically, Pebble Beach is a wizard’s garden. Cypress trees, rare to begin with, grow here in wondrous concoctions and spin out enchanting scenes. The branches reach out into the fog for life. Streaming west, they weave mysteries into the atmosphere. Ichobod Crane would be quite at home. Ghost trees, bleached by ages of sea spray dance up to thickets of Bishop Pines in a strange and haunting mix with wild flora. |
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a story
This is the only
town in America where an outsider has to pay to get in. To
be among such an exquisite mating of sea and land, is a very
uncommon experience, and considered worth a price. The folks who live here have paid a lot to dwell in a
natural setting. And, they’ve vowed, legislated, and put up
gates to keep it that way. Pelican Network Sites for
Monterey Bay Area By this exclusivity they may not have put a price on
nature, but they put a value on not destroying it. Charlie
Chaplin frequented Pebble Beach in the early days. He would
hang out with Robinson Jeffers and John Steinbeck. According
to biographer Jackson Benson, Charles, Jr said his father
was fascinated by Steinbeck’s books and used to drive around
the countryside where his stories were liad, trying to place
the characters in the book in their proper locations.” For
Chaplin, Pebble Beach was a center of the Steinbeck literary
world, and made a bood base camp for these explorations. An enchanting two mile hike through the 86-acre
S.F.B. Morse Botanical Reserve allows close encounters
with a rare association of Gowen cypress (which grow
only here and at Point Lobos), Monterey pine, Bishop
pine, and Monterey cypress. Because Morse was so passionate about these
marvelous trees, and so effective in his ecological
foresight, this Reserve is a fine tribute. Pebble Beach
Hikes There are 30 miles of hiking trails
in the 86 acre forest. A two mile loop trail into the SFB
Morse Botanical Reserve starts at Congress Road near Seal
Rock. Gingerbread mansion, rare meetings of flora,
interesting geology. Also beginning at Seal Rock, a loop
trail through flowery dunes to an ancient Indian village
site. Two short loop trails near Asilomar
begin at Spanish Bay resort. A five mile loop trail to the
Indian Village begins at the Lodge, 17 Mile Drive near
Pescadero Point. Note: These trails are
maintained by the Pebble Beach Company as a courtesy to the
public. Help keep them open by not disturbing the
setting. Pebble Beach is a
delightful place for seeing wildlife. Cormorants judiciously
preside over the sea’s precocity, deer daintily graze en
mass on a fairway. Otters loll and gambol in the coves, each
of which is more intriguing than the last. Whales puff and
spout in a parade of pods not far from shore. Many kinds of
gulls, seals and pods of pelicans take up quarters on a
myriad of islands and rock outcroppings. There’s plenty to see. There are many mansions, but the
bigger attraction is nature. 17 Mile Drive has six miles of
scenic ocean front. Sand dunes and forest buffer intricate,
delicate habitats. Bird Rock
off Pebble Beach is home to three kinds of cormorants and
California sea lions .
Then,
again, this is a forest, not a town. And, some of
California’s biggest moguls built castles here.
Pebble
Beach looks like a wilderness forest because a man
named Samuel Finley Brown Morse determined it would.
As president of the Del Monte Company, Morse said,
“Profits, are incidental to the orderly projection of
subdivisions that will not mar the rare beauty of this
place. Pebble Beach is one spot on 1,100 miles of
gorgeous coastline which will remain completely
unspoiled.”
Accommodations for Pebble Beach? Consider
the Big Sur Lodge
Popular Pfeiffer Beach (left) is fabled, fantastic and fun. |
Reserve a Big Sur Lodge cottage at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park online with Pelican Network. Go to Big Sur Lodge |
Eco-Travel Guide to
California Central Coast Interactive Map |
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