The days, weeks, and months are running together. I can’t believe June is almost here and we are still in lockdown in this part of California. I try not to focus on all the things that I can’t do, but instead on the things I can. While I can’t hike any of the trails or visit the beaches, I can hike our very steep road and enjoy its beautiful vistas. And I’ve enjoyed watching the change of wildflowers with each…
There is so much beauty in Big Sur, it can hardly be contained in a single blog post! This is part 2 of a series of winter photos I took. Many of these were taken at Garrapata State Park. It is almost 3,000 acres and can be reached by numerous turnouts along Highway 1. The word ‘garrapata’ means tick in Spanish and the park is aptly named! Ticks are numerous in Big Sur and one should always check themselves carefully…
Big Sur is rugged, majestic, breathtaking, and awe inspiring, but it is never more beautiful than in the Spring. The grass is green from the winter rains, and poppies and wild flowers bloom with abandon up and down the coast. Here is a pictorial trip from two magical weeks spent in this slice of heaven. Photos are my own or taken by my talented daughter, Kelsey Burns. …
Being an optimist doesn’t mean I always think things are rosy. Two weeks of a giant wildfire terrorizing your community and neighboring towns clearly isn’t a good thing. But acknowledging the fear (yes, there was a lot of fear and worry), and then trying not to dwell on something I couldn’t change was a daily struggle. I tried to see the bigger picture. I saw tremendous acts of caring and giving from people just wanting to help. And don’t even…
Months ago, I had planned a trip to Big Sur when my parents would be visiting me in Santa Barbara. Our daughter and a friend were coming too. Nature had other ideas. With one of the wettest winters on record (over 80″ of rain) and five years of drought, the damage was severe. Mudslides, rockslides, and the loss of Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge cut a major part of the beautiful Highway 1 and Big Sur off from the rest of the…
I just arrived home from a few days with a dear friend in Big Sur. Frankly, I wasn’t sure we were even going to be able to go as a huge fire was roaring through parts of the region. The fire started on July 22 by an illegal campfire in one of the state parks. As of this writing, it has consumed over 79,000 acres and is 60% contained. It will be weeks before it is completely under control. It…
What a crazy, fun filled few days I had with my daughter in Big Sur. We were celebrating her birthday but needed no excuse to explore this amazing part of our country. Most often we stay two nights at my brother-in-laws ranch, and with such limited time we tend to stay close by. With 385 acres to wander, we are never bored. But with the gift of four nights, we expanded our horizons to some new places, and of course a few of…
Big Sur has been the subject of many books and movies, as well as countless poems expounding on its beauty. To me it’s a place like no other. It’s a deeply personal and spiritual experience. It is nature at its most glorious and no matter how many times I go back, it takes my breath away as if seeing it for the first time. Big Sur is impossible to describe. The most incredible photograph can’t capture how small I feel…