If there was a Hall of Fame for Trees, first-ballot entries would definitely include The Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar, The Cedars of God in Lebanon, General Sherman in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park and The Tree of Life in Bahrain.
Also a sure-fire Hall of Famer? The Lone Cypress on 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach.
The Los Angeles Times describes the mystical and inspiring tree this way:
It stands along famously scenic 17-Mile Drive, raked by wind, swaddled in fog, clinging to its wave-lashed granite pedestal like God’s own advertisement for rugged individualism. … This tree is to the Monterey Peninsula what the pyramids are to Egypt, what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.
Founder and staunch environmentalist Samuel F.B. Morse identified The Lone Cypress as the ideal embodiment of Pebble Beach Resorts.
“Morse saw the solidity of the rock, vaguely reminiscent of Gibraltar, yet with the life of a rugged tree, native only to this area, clinging with tenacity above the power of the ocean. Land, tree and ocean were the basis of this development, and therefore The Lone Cypress became the perfect symbol.”
The pinnacle of any visit to 17-Mile Drive is winding through a pop-up forest full of fantastical Monterey Cypress, before arriving at the Tour’s most stunning reveal — the revered Lone Cypress.
The Lone Cypress. #Monterey #17miledrive #lonecypress
The Lone Cypress improbably sprung from a seedling on that rocky outcropping before the birth of our country, some 250 years ago.
The Lone Cypress is surrounded by its incredibly rare brethren. Monterey Cypress grow natively in just two places around the world — between Fanshell Beach and Pescadero Point in Pebble Beach, and across the Carmel Bay at Point Lobos.
Here’s a look at a cousin of The Lone Cypress — the gritty Old Veteran, draped over a cliff at Point Lobos:
Why is the Monterey Cypress only found natively in these two locations? The connection has not been confirmed, but the historically inactive Fanshell Beach Fault seems to create a distinct visual divide between nearby Cypress Point to the south, and Spyglass Hill to the north.
Here’s a look at Fanshell Beach near Cypress Point Club, with a giant grove of Monterey Cypress emerging:
There’s bucket list courses…. then there’s Cypress Point Club – Pictured is the epic 13th hole with the 14th in the background. ————————————————- Photo Credit: @gunga_galunga_golf ————————————————- #golf #golfcourse #golfporn #golfing #pga #lpga #cypress #beautifulgolfcourses
And here’s the middle of that grove, just outside the entrance to Cypress Point Club:
You’ll notice that Monterey Cypress sheltered from the coast are giant. One stop up 17-Mile Drive from The Lone Cypress is the protected Crocker Grove, home to the oldest and largest Monterey Cypress in existence.
And here’s how wildly the wind can reshape Monterey Cypress along the coast. Check out the 17th hole at Cypress Point Club:
What a special and enchanting corner of Pebble Beach. There’s nothing like it in the world!
Facebook Conversations
- Pebble Beach Resorts
- Inside Pebble Beach
- The Lone Cypress Stands Alone