Julia Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California, 2009.

My first trip to Big Sur (not counting January of last year's harrowing drive in a tiny Hyundai rental in the biggest storm of the year along the precipice, during which we didn't see much) was a few months ago. Sarah and I took the MST bus into Monterey and transfered to the 22, the Big Sur line, which has only two runs per day. By the time we got to the terminus, the famed Nepenthe restaurant, we had only four hours until the last bus home. I managed to find the turn off to the beach, and hitched down the two-mile drive to the ocean. It is spectacular, and I had never seen anything like it - and I had ten minutes there! I fired off a few shots with my G9 and my iPhone, and hit the road, getting a ride to back to Route 1 with a lovely older couple. (See my previous photos under the label 'Pfeiffer Beach.') I highly recommend it. Pfeiffer Beach, that is!

Paul is happiest when he is (partially) covered with salty sea water. (Photo: Ginny Dwyer.)

After our excursion to Pfeiffer Beach, Ginny treated us to a light meal at the famous Nepenthe Restaurant in Big Sur. This is a view from the counter... and the counter. (Sarah took the top photo.) The changing light as the sun emerged from behind clouds and selectively bathed the distant hills with orange highlights was breathtaking. The scene alternately looked like a Hudson River School painting, a painted backdrop, and... Big, Big Sur. 

One of the great features of Pfeiffer Beach is the offshore rocks with holes through which the ocean surges dramatically.

As you can see, the surf was spectacular. Julia Pfeiffer Beach (not to be confused with Pfeiffer Big Sur) has some of the most spectacular cliffs along the coast, and an offshore "mountain" with two large openings that the surf crashes through (see the next group of photos). The bottom photo shows the surf ricocheting off opposing cliffs, creating some really dramatic spray.  

We found this hapless critter near our picnic spot; we assumed it was dead, until we got a little closer, and it began to move. Knowing the rules about not approaching sea mammals on the beach, I implored Ginny to keep away, even though her impulse was to help it get back to the water. On our way out, the marine mammal rescue squad was struggling down to the beach with a cage, and were going to take it to their facility in Moss Landing. NOTE: leave marine mammal rescue to the experts! If you are in California, and you see an animal on the beach, do not approach it, but call the experts. Their number is (831) 633-6298. Here, Ginny poses with the stranded baby sea lion. 

That's Sarah on the left, Ginny (from back home in Northampton, Massachusetts) on the right. During her whirlwind California tour, Ginny drove down from Oakland to visit us in Pacific Grove. She picked me up and we spent some time in Carmel, where she was staying, and then drove Sarah and me to Pfeiffer Beach, where we spent a few hours picnicking and strolling along the spectacular coast.