After our big city time in San Francisco, it was lovely to head to the beach. There were many memorable moments in Big Sur, as we continued our winding path of grandeur along Highway One.
We found two whole dried-up sand dollar skeletons on a tiny beach we came across.
We marveled at the Bixby Bridge, one of the most photographed bridges along the Pacific Coast.
We were fond of the fauna too.
This spot in Big Sur was quite a haven for birds.
When we were there, Monarch butterflies were slowly starting to go through Big Sur on their migration south. We hoped to see more of these royal insects at Andrew Molera State Park, but were excited to see a few. It seems we were a little early for them.
Did you know that Monarchs like to hibernate in the same trees every year? Of course, the same individual butterflies do not go to these same trees, as the migrating Monarchs just live to be six to eight months old. Somehow, the butterflies just know where to go year after year.
Did you know that it is only the Monarchs born in September and October that migrate? There are four generations of Monarchs born in a year. The ones born in September and October are the fourth generation; they live the longest and have the responsibility of migrating. The previous three generations die in two to eight weeks during the breeding season.
Big Sur was full of wild beauty. It has been a place of wonder for many artists and writers. For instance, Henry Miller lived there for almost twenty years.
If we are ever in the area again, we hope to check out the Henry Miller Memorial Library. It looked really cool, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us to stop in.
Here’s what their website has to say about the place:
“The Henry Miller Library is a public benefit, non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization championing the literary, artistic and cultural contributions of the late writer, artist, and Big Sur resident Henry Miller. The Library also serves as a cultural resource center, functioning as a public gallery/performance/workshop space for artists, writers, musicians and students.
In addition, the Library supports education in the arts and the local environment. Finally, the Library serves as a social center for the community.”
And there’s a cat named Theo who lives there.
I can easily see why Big Sur has inspired so many people. It sure does make your heart swell.
“Big Sur is the California that men dreamed of years ago, this is the Pacific that Balboa looked at from the Peak of Darien, this is the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to look.” –Henry Miller
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