Big Sur

Jill's Journal: If yesterday’s 17-Mile Drive was scrumptious, then our time in Big Sur today was like the frosting on the cake. A feast for the eyes and senses. Absolutely, positively, completely stunning.

I think I’ve found my very favorite spot in America. This picture and the one above is of McWay Falls. It’s an 80-foot waterfall cascading out of the rocks and onto the sand just feet away from the waves. The colors in the cove are every hue of blue. It is tranquil. It is mesmerizing. It is paradise. It is perfect.

One more picture because I’m just completely head over heels in love with this spot. It’s just a short little walk off the road to get there and it’s worth every single step. The walk is, however, intense with little kids who are full of energy. The trail is literally on the edge of cliffs with only a flimsy railing between a slip and massive injury or death. One big stumble and children could very easily slide under the railing and over the edge, all in an instant. We were more than relieved to make it back to more solid land safely with all three children intact.

Oh, and by the way, this is from standing in the same spot and turning the other direction (north instead of south). That view isn’t too shabby either. Wow.

We found another wonderful spot too, Pfeiffer Beach, which is well off the beaten path. Rob overheard locals talking about and it was also worth the trip.

It’s remote (two miles down a twisty, one-lane road), it has ribbons of purple/maroon sand (seriously – see photo above!), and it has spectacular rock formations with all sorts of tunnels and “doors” the waves crash through at will. This is where artists and poets must go to find their muse. It is absolutely inspiring.

It’s an enchanted and serene place. We could have stayed for hours. I imagine sunset here would be phenomenal.

This is the famous Bixby Bridge, probably the most familiar landmark of both Big Sur and the Central Coast. What an engineering feat for 1932! Like everything else in this area, beauty abounds on every side.

We enjoyed lunch outdoors next to the Big Sur River.

Here's the Point Sur Lighthouse, which has been in operation since 1889. Before Highway 1 was built in the 1930s, this was an isolated, treacherous area. Four lightkeepers with their families staffed the lighthouse and supplies arrived only once every four months or so by ship.

Of course I have a gazillion more pictures, but I’ll stop here because it’s all just so beautiful and this post might go on forever. Big Sur = A Very Happy Place.