22 December 2007

Big Sur Country

As we sit inside, with below freezing temperatures outside, it is nice to think back to our summer on the coast. We traveled down Highway One on several weekends, enjoying a world class stretch of coastline called Big Sur. Named after the river which flows through the area, it is a rugged region of wilderness on the sea. We enjoyed the Pfeiffer State Beach and the State Parks, with the majestic redwoods and jagged rocks and cliffs carved by the Pacific. I also had a chance to read Kerouac's book of the same name, which chronicles his trips to a cabin beneath the Bixby Bridge in the 60's. Landmarks like the Bridge and Nepenthe (a restaurant with a spectacular view) are still there, and the coast itself is timeless. By far one of the darkest books Kerouac wrote, it is a stream of consciousness in a period when Jack was an extreme alcoholic. I had no bouts with delirium tremens during our trip so his experiences there were quite different than mine, but I imagine everyone who visits Big Sur is affected profoundly.

Bixby Bridge

Pfeiffer State beach

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Waterfall

The Coast
Check out the rest of the photo album here:
Big Sur

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