Endless blue oceans reflecting bluer skies on one side. Towering mountains on the other side. A narrow strip of road that is the US Highway 1 in between. Big Sur is a dream for nature lovers and avid road-trippers. It is not a town or a specific destination you can point out on a map; if anything, I would describe it as a journey of sorts. No traffic lights or outlet malls, just the unwavering coastline and countryside vistas for miles.
Big Sur is the perfect setting to experience a tranquil state of mind that comes from imbibing fresh pacific coast air and just driving. (I had Dory’s voice going “Just Keep Driving” in my head like a mantra!)
A special beauty among the many must-see spots on this coastal highway is Point Lobos. Often called the “greatest meeting of land and water”, Point Lobos is a marine preserve; a sanctuary for fishes, animals, rare plants and ocean life to exist and thrive.
From afar, Point Lobos is a headland with mega sized cliffs and rocks that pit against the ocean to create dramatic pools of water that I can only describe as being so blue. The artsy part of my brain was constantly trying to identify all the different shades of blue my eyes could perceive – Prussian, Cerulean, Ink blue to name a few. It really is a treat for the eyes.
Midway, we had a brief sojourn at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (this is now closed until further notice due to a forest fire 😦 ) Named after one of the pioneer women of Big Sur, this park boasts a large variety of trees, including the famous Redwood trees, and waterfalls.
Walking through the 1 mile long Waters trail, we got views of some lovely creeks, streams and picnic spots.
The awesome thing about Big Sur and the Coastal drive is that there are lesser known spots and treasures to look out for every few miles or so. One such place is the Elephant Seal Beach. These seals had been hunted to almost extinction, and have made an amazing recovery thanks to preserves such as these. In all honesty though, what I remember about this place is the nauseating smell; this is probably why I would make this place a one time visit in my books.
How awesome would it be to spend days just lazing around in the sun like these seals!
If anyone is planning to do this trip, I would definitely recommend staying somewhere overnight and making this at-least a 2 day trip to completely savor the experience. We booked an absolutely charming cabin and spent the night sharing horror stories around a campfire we built.
What I absolutely loved about this trip is that we didn’t know in advance where our next stop was going to be. It was a liberating experience to just keep driving and stumble upon hidden treasures and secluded beaches that beg to be explored.
With one last picture for the road, here is to more journeys with dusty shoes and beautiful views *Just keep living!* 🙂
Thanks for reading!
dustyshoesandbeautifulviews 
Leave a reply to gobeyondbounds Cancel reply