CALIFORNIA

Big Sur, the first time I have heard of this place was on my last day at work in Connecticut. When my co-teacher learned I am leaving Connecticut for California, he told me to see Big Sur. His eyes sparkling from excitement as he was telling me that, “It is an experience you will treasure in your entire life, and will haunt you in your dreams to go back to it again, and again! It is like, my heaven on earth!” I had no idea about what he was telling me, but I knew he was speaking from his heart. Being a true- blue New Englander or North Easterner, his excitement about Big Sur, which is in the other side of the coast, was inspiring.

My first visit to Big Sur, the place did not disappoint me. The pictures that were just in my mind before were finally in front of me.

True indeed, Big Sur is like, heaven on earth. In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the Portuguese explorer who discovered California or the west coast said, “There are mountains which seem to reach the heavens, and the sea beats on them.” And that’s how Big Sur stays in my mind as well.

Big Sur is a very serene, mostly remote and mostly natural place. It is very slow paced, probably not an image many would associate California with, especially that this place is between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Big Sur is a coastal wilderness, thanks to California state for preserving this magnificient stretch and keep it as pristine as it could be 200 years ago. Even though a highway (California Higway 1 or Pacific Coast Highway) was created in 1935 just to make more people see this ruggedly beautiful natural setting, but I am glad that despite the creation of the highway, this wild stretch of coast and mountain remains as serene and peaceful as it could be.

The PCH or CA Hwy 1 is California’s first scenic highway. It is a long windy road that requires so many sharp turns along the edge of a cliff overlooking the vast pacific ocean. Big Sur is at the edge of the American West, where mountains plunge into ocean making CA Hwy 1 look like its tiny ribbon.

A tiny ribbon that cuts through the edges of the rugged mountain terrain.

Big Sur is not a national park, nor a state park, not even an officially-established city or town. This place has no borders, just unincorporated county land.

However, the long stretch of Big Sur’s coastal wilderness includes numerous state park, where people could camp, hike, scuba dive, etc.

Hiking trails in the Big Sur region range from relatively flat nature trails through mostly redwood forest, or along rocky coastline. A short hike in Julia Pffeifer Burns State Park will lead to a beautiful sight: the McWay Fall.

Mcway fall drops 80 ft off a cliff onto the beach nestled in a pretty little cove.

There is no access to the beach where the water at Mcway Fall drops as the cliffs would be too crumbly and dangerous to descend. The view is stunning, the waterfall right by the ocean is alluring but out of reach. But that adds to the beauty and mystery of Big sur. If one wants to get down to the beach, and probably endure to swim the very cold water to the waterfall, there is a trail at Partington Cove that drops 200 ft to the ocean.

The little cove is home to sea otters, seals, and kelp forest. Big Sur is a showcase of coastal wilderness, incredible marine and land biology (sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, elephant seals can be spotted in the cove), magnificient geology and exemplary thermodynamics that most people do not see.

Redwood Forest at Big Sur

Big Sur is more for nature lover, as there is no place to shop here. This is no Disneyland, but definitely more than a wonderland. There are no theme parks, no museums, but a lot of living museums. Its culture is defined by how God manifests its supreme artistry in mingling wilderness. The wildflowers on the trail,

California poppies, the state’s flower, littering on its slopes,

wildlife,

makes this place more than a Disneyland! This is nature’s wonderland that we should contribute in taking care of. No theme parks can compare to the joy of knowing and experiencing the power of nature. Experiencing it up close, as close you could get, at Big Sur!

Driving Tips: If you are afraid of heights, drive South to North as Big Sur meanders on exposed cliffs, driving at the side of the mountains may be less scary than on the exposed cliffs overlooking the drop-off. But if you are okay with driving on exposed cliffs, drive from North to South as you do not need to make a left turn whenever you see a beautiful spot to stop, and another left turn when you need to go back on your route. North to South will provide an easier driving, but it would be along edge of the road overlooking the cliffs that drops to the Pacific Ocean.Fore more information: http://jrabold.net/bigsur/activ.htm