17 Mile Drive

After we went to the tide pools we decided to go down 17 Mile Drive. 

We had actually passed the road to it on the way to the tide pools so it was just a couple turns and we were there. Scott and I had went there when Jessica was like 3. All I really remember from that trip was sitting in the car eating Lunchables and going to see the Lone Cypress. Back then they had more grown-up Lunchables. I totally remember mine having fancy mustard ;)

So we're waiting in the line to pay and Scott says we are only doing this if it's under $10. 

$9.75 baby! (weird though why not make it an even amount?) 

(also, new windshield is on my list of shit to fix next, I swear!)

The road winds up and down and around rich people's houses, golf courses and oh yeah, the coast. BEAUTIFUL views on both sides of the road.  We only got out 3 times, to walk on the rocks a bit (remember we just came from the tide pools), to see the Lone Cypress, and so I could go pee.

The water here was a beautiful turquoise color. Melissa said she wants to paint her room the colors of the ocean. Sounds good to me. 

Jess found a dead little crab wedges in some rocks. 

"crabstasche" 

Yes we are strange.

The Lone Cypress

from wikipedia 

Chief among the scenic attractions is the Lone Cypress Tree, a salt-pruned Monterey cypress (macrocarpa) tree which is the official symbol of Pebble Beach and a frequent fixture of television broadcasts from this area. In 1990 the Monterey Journal reported that Pebble Beach's lawyer, Kerry C. Smith, said "The image of the tree has been trademarked by us," and that it intended to control any display of the cypress for commercial purposes. The company had warned photographers that "they cannot even use existing pictures of the tree for commercial purposes."^[3] Other legal commentators have questioned the Pebble Beach Company's ability to invoke intellectual property laws to restrict others' use of such images.^[4]

We were enough to get a parking space in the "tree" area. There were a ton of people, including two tour buses. We went up to the AUDREY rail (wonder how long ago that was carved into that rail?)

and were greeted by this squirrel who was looking for some snacks. I'm pretty sure it wanted Cheetos. Sorry little squirrel I don't have any Cheetos.

 Trevor with the tree in the background.

 Scott and I

 Yep, looks like a tree. 

You can't see from the pictures but it has A LOT of help staying up and together. It has a large strap type thing around the left side of the tree and on the right there are wires/ropes holding it up.

After that we got back in the car and drove around until we found an area with some bathrooms. Next to the bathrooms was a real estate place with fliers in the windows with properties for sale. Yeah most of them were MILLIONS of dollars. Like two million for a crap house and up. 

That got Jess and Scott on a conversation about how unfair it is for some people to have so much money. I say if you worked for it good for you but if you were born into it, lucky lucky you!!

Scott wants to go back and ride bikes through the "drive".

"It's free if you go in on a bike"