Squirrels, a Tree and the Crocodile Rock at Pebble Beach
The 17 mile drive is a beautiful scenic drive along the coast line near Monterey. I've been there only twice; back in 2015 and even 30 years earlier. One thing I still remember from the 30 years earlier visit were the cute squirrels.
The 17 mile long road will take you along Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove with animals and great scenic views.
The 17 mile drive is nearly 2 hours by car from San Francisco.
If you see people standing around bending over, they're most likely to feed the cute squirrels that bustle around almost everywhere there. Be careful and watch the road so you don't run over one of those cute fur balls.
As soon as a car stops, they squirrels show up, approach the car and the visitors and beg for food. And they beg quite hefty.
Be careful with your fingers and don't try to fool them pretending you have food. If you don't, they will try your finger. I know what I'm talking about ;)
But I nearly freaked out when I saw what people fed to the squirrels. Almost everything from potato chips, burgers and even fruit gum! Come on guys, If you want to feed them, give them a walnut or two, but don't use animals as waste bins :/ You're doing them no good.
Squirrel at 17 Mile Drive; maybe wondering where it hid its supplies?
Posing squirrel at the 17 mile drive; (cc) by-nc squics.com
To get this close up I used the Moment Tele Lens with the native camera app in burst mode. I pressed the shutter release, held it and slowly approached the squirrel. As those cuties are very trusting, they don't run away.
You'll also see many beautiful beaches with interesting rock formations along the 17 mile drive. I found this one and called the shot "the Crocodile Rock". See how this rock formation looks like a crocodile lying around?
Rock looking like a huge crocodile; (cc) by-nc squics.com
And finally this probably the most famous view on the 17 mile drive. It's the lone cypress that I also photographed with the Moment Tele Lens.
The lone cypress at the 17 mile drive
There's a lot more to see at the 17 mile drive. Though it's just 17 miles, take your time and plan for a few hours. There are lots of viewpoints worth spending some time.
