Pebble Beach Tourist Trap Tips by atufft Top 5 Page for this destination

Taking photo at the Lone Cyprus

Along the 17 mile drive there are numerous turn outs, the parking for many of which are quite busy, but I would reckon that the busiest is the Lone Cyprus. Until a few years ago, it was possible to walk out to the tree itself, but erosion and defacement of the tree resulted in a fencing off of the rocky area where the tree stands. Nevertheless, several spots along the fencing provide excellent portraits of tree and tourist, and so on a busy day tourists will elbow each other as they search for the uncluttered look of solitude along the coast in their camera viewfinder. Incidentally, what make the crooked cyprus trees so valuable in terms of scenic beauty can be summed in a combination of age, soil and weather conditions. Like the redwood, the cyprus tree has no life span and can live more or less indefinitely, so many of the trees seen here are quite old and distinctive in shape. The rocky soil and strong coastal winds contribute to a landscape of trees which must fight to survive.

Unique Suggestions: Be considerate of others and be efficient in your photography. Generally the manners of tourists are quite good, but those who linger at the famous spot will attract the anger of others. It's a famous tree that is no longer lonely, except maybe at night.

Fun Alternatives: Well, there's no substitute for this tree and your friend in a photo, anymore than the Eiffel tower or Golden Gate Bridge images can be avoided, but there are numerous other places to go along the 17 mile drive that are less crowded.