A Day in Big Sur
Our first stop was McWay Falls. We drove down to the falls, grabbed a parking spot, and paid for parking with the cash-in-envelope method that California Parks have used for over thirty years. We then pushed our way through the crowds and down to the overlook, with people fighting one another for a spot at the rail to get an unobstructed view. Years ago when I first came to the falls, the trail continued on. Today, there is a large fence and a warning sign to keep out due to danger. The danger is due to rock and land slides that have happened only a hundred feet or so further down the trail. Though I can’t condone it, it would be pretty easy to slip around that fence. And if you do, there may be a bend that gets you away from the crowds where you can’t see anyone. You actually may even get a very beautiful shot of the falls, with no fence or railing, people, and in peace and quiet. Again, I can’t condone it. But just saying…
You may not know this, but I do all of the creative for Hevias, a boot & loafer company out of Texas. I stock their entire product line, and grab a few items to take with me when I’m out and about. They needed some new creative of their waterproof suede drivers, so I thought Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur would be a great place to grab some shots. Unfortunately, my Stetson Stratoliner decided to take flight and within seconds was out in the ocean. I instinctively dove in and made it to my hat, getting completely soaked. People on the beach were shouting that it wasn’t worth it. Hindsight, it probably wasn’t. But I got it, and got it back in my van. After being home a couple of days and letting it dry and brushing it, I think it’s mostly normal. Mostly.
As we continued on, we headed up to an overlook of Bixby Bridge. This is such an iconic place in Big Sur. By the time we got there for sunset, most of the crowds were heading home for the day. Between the mid-summer late sunset and the howling Pacific winds, the average tourist wouldn’t stay this far away from evening comforts. We had this place all to ourselves, which was pretty great. We parked the van and hung out, sharing in some beers and stories, riding the Onewheels, and just admiring the beauty of a west coast sunset.
If you didn’t know, my van is named Poppy, after the white California poppy. Sunsets sure look really good with Poppy.
The day concluded from the other side of Bixby Bridge, where Jacob and I decided that the lack of cars on the road and the magic of blue hour were perfect conditions to ride our Onewheels down the PCH across the bridge. The day was incredible, and I need to do a better job of making it down here. I live just over an hour from this spot, and every time I come down here I wonder why I don’t do it more often. Need to make that happen.