• Local Events,  Travel

    Purple Sand & Stone Arches at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur

    August 1, 2018 /

     

    For a few brief weeks around the winter solstice, the sunset casts an ethereal glow through the Keyhole Arch.
    It’s fun to just sit and contemplate the myriad of sea stacks from the beautiful beach.

    If you are heading to Big Sur, the exquisite Pfeiffer Beach is a must see.  It is easy to miss the unmarked turnoff for this secluded beach.  Take a severely sharp turn off Highway 1 on Sycamore Canyon Road at mile marker 45.64, the second right turn after Big Sur Station if you are heading south.  The meandering, narrow Sycamore Canyon Road is bordered by the occasional and surprising home, given the solitude.  Follow Sycamore Canyon Road just over two miles to reach the parking area.

    Manganese saturates the rocky outcroppings with its purple hue.
    The disintegrating manganese in the cliffside creates a beautiful violet variation in the beach’s sand.

    Take a ridiculously short .1 mile hike on a flat, sandy path from the parking area to the beach.  The path is flanked by Monterey Cypress and the Sycamore Canyon Creek, on the left, flows down to form a serene pool at the beach.  The sun beats down on the purple-hued sand and huge waves roll and crash against the rocks and beach.  The wind is usually blustery and harsh in this area.

    You will be wowed by the sea stack formations here.  There are three arches.  Two stand side by side, close to the beach.  The third, called Keyhole Arch, stands further north, alone and solitary in a wall of rock several yards out in the ocean at high tide.  For a few weeks, beginning in mid-December, sunlight comes through the northern keyhole arch perfectly (or close to it) due to the angle of the sunset, and photographers will gather to get that perfect shot.  The surf here can also be incredibly powerful, with huge dramatic waves.

    The Keyhole Arch is said to be the most-photographed attraction in Big Sur after Bixby Bridge.

    Pfeiffer Beach is not a state park, but rather, a part of the Los Padres Nation Forest.  During the spring, the low bluffs above the beach are dotted with wildflowers, including California poppies, verbena, Indian paintbrush, and lupines.  The cliffs and arches at Pfeiffer Beach are primarily granite which continues to erode over the years with the sea’s crashing waves.

    Helpful Tips:

    • If you are heading south on Hwy 1, the Pfeiffer Beach turnoff is on the right, shortly after you pass the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park entrance.  The very sharp right turn is at mile marker 45.64 on unmarked Sycamore Canyon Road.  Sycamore Canyon Road is a paved, ungated road.
    • Pfeiffer Beach does not allow you to park outside and walk in, as you can at other places such as Point Lobos.  Au Contraire.  You have to pay the $10.00 entrance fee to enter in your vehicle.
    • There are a limited number of parking spots and when they’re filled you are out of luck.  They do not allow overnight camping, and no RVs or campers are allowed in due to the narrow road.
    • Be aware that there is a “nude” section at the extreme far north end of the beach so that if you see a swimsuit or clothing lying on the beach you may be approaching a naked person!
    • Pfeiffer Beach can also be extremely crowded on weekends so you may want to visit during the week when it is less busy.
    • There are pit toilets available but no water to wash your hands.  I recommend bringing hand sanitizer.
    • It can be quite chilly and very windy, bring a sweater or jacket.
    • The walk from the parking lot to the beach is short and well marked.
    • Dogs on leash are allowed on the beach.
    • Picnic tables and benches are available near the parking lot.
    • GPS coordinates for Pfeiffer Beach are 36.2383,-121.8150.
    • No campfires are allowed.
    • Swimming and wading are not recommended due to dangerous waves and rip currents.

    Cost:

    Daily admission is 10.00 or you can purchase an annual pass for 50.00.  Both cash and credit cards are accepted.

    Hours:

    They are open daily 8 am to sunset.

    Helpful Links:

    For more information, see Sycamore Canyon and Pfeiffer Beach

    Thank you for visiting my blog!  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, & beautiful vistas!

     

  • Food,  Local Events,  Travel

    Ventana: Birthday Celebration in Beautiful Big Sur

    July 13, 2018 /
    This is the third in my series of iconic Big Sur restaurant reviews; see links for Nepenthe and Big Sur River Inn.
    A thick veil of fog hovers over the water and blankets the hills as we head south on Highway 1. The road twists and turns, hugging the coastline. As we near Garrapata, torpedo-like rock formations of sandstone appear otherworldly. The ocean rumbles and waves gallop like horses toward the shore, creating milky froth as they crash into and over jagged rocks. There are four squid boats anchored off Rocky Point, their eerie green and yellow lights penetrating the mist.
    We are headed for my birthday celebration at Ventana, a resort complex in the most heavenly location ever.  Ventana means “window” in Spanish. Secluded between the Santa Lucia mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Ventana’s weathered cedar structures perch on a hillside 1200 feet above the coast. Picturesque Post Creek meanders through the 160-acre property, which contains landscaped pathways, canyons, groves of redwoods, Japanese hot baths and two pools. There are 59 guest rooms, suites, and villas and 15 safari-style canvas “glamping” tents, as well as tent only camping sites.
    History
    Ventana is located on land first homesteaded by the Post family in 1890. The Post home, which housed several generations of the family, still stands at the entrance. Ventana first opened in 1975, the creation of Lawrence Spector. Spector co-produced the 1969 anti-establishment hit “Easy Rider” which was written by Peter Fonda, Terry Southern, and Dennis Hopper. Ventana still retains vestiges of its ‘70s hippie beginnings, from its original weathered cedar siding to its clothing-optional policy in the hot baths and the Mountain Pool and nude sunbathing in prescribed areas. From the beginning, Ventana has drawn celebrities, including Dennis Hopper, Ali McGraw, Steve McQueen, Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, Barbara Streisand, Julia Roberts, Robert DeNiro, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, and Lupita Nyong’o, among many others.
     
    Glamping
    The glamping area, one of the newest renovations, is nestled in a 20-acre ancient redwood forest a half mile hike beneath the main resort. Each tent includes beds with luxury hotel linens, hot and cold water, and propane- and wood-burning fire pits. All glamping furniture is built from “reclaimed” redwood from the property. Ascot wine-and-cheese picnic backpacks,  custom curated picnic baskets, natural timber walking sticks, and daily housekeeping service are also provided. But wait, there’s more! The glamping tents also include electrical and USB plug-ins, teak-enclosed showers with heated floors, a sheet turndown service every night, hot cocoa, and hot-water bottles to warm your sheets.  Apparently, these are often sold out.  Actress Mandy Moore recently celebrated her birthday during a girls’ glamping weekend at Ventana.
    Classes
    This IS Big Sur and not surprisingly, Ventana also offers some pretty far-out classes, including meditation, yoga, tai chi, Pilates, beekeeping, charcoal sketching, mandala coloring for couples, string art & mindfulness, candle making and aromatherapy, bird-watching, photography hikes, mushroom foraging, daily hour-long guided walks, and drum circles. Taylor Swift recently took a falconry class at Ventana during her stay this year.
    Glass House

    The Glass House Gallery sells paintings, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, ceramics and local photography. You can have your picture taken on the see-through overlook outside the gallery and fool your friends into thinking you are standing on the edge of a precipice!
    Weddings
    Ventana hosts many weddings. Their website states “Imagine saying your vows overlooking the canyons and forest or surrounded by redwoods. Enjoying a sunset reception or dinner under a canopied arbor. And dancing under the stars to celebrate your new adventure together.” Apparently, both Natalie Portman and Ann Hathaway could imagine this. Both had their wedding receptions here.
    The Restaurant
    The Sur House restaurant features delicious concoctions by Executive Chef Paul Corsentino. Meals feature coastal cuisine, including local seafood, free-range meats, and fresh produce from Ventana’s gardens. There is also a 10,000-bottle wine cellar featuring central coast wines selected by local vintners and Ventana’s sommelier. Craft cocktails and beer are also offered. Sur House decor is both elegant and rustic, featuring natural wood and leather furnishings.
    We arrived at our 6:30 pm reservation time and had planned to dine on the terrace. Instead, we were told that we could not be seated outdoors for our meal because “the temperature drops too quickly” and it would be too cold for us. The temperature was a balmy 75 degrees, nonetheless, we were ushered to an indoor table by a window where, like a fish in a glass aquarium, I could envy, in the distance, a couple having drinks at a table overlooking the ocean. After ordering our food, I dashed outside to get some photos of the terrace.
    Ventana offers a prix fixe meal; you are offered four courses for a set price. However, they do allow you to order items a la carte. My friend and I shared our first and second courses, the tuna tartare and soft shell crab with tropical fruit, melon salsa, and Napa cabbage. For the third course, my friend ordered the Alaskan Halibut and I the Ora King Salmon. These were both superb. For my birthday, they brought a platter with samplings of ice cream, mousse, fruit, and cake. I felt like I had just finished Thanksgiving dinner when we were through. It was decadent and thoroughly satisfying.
    Following our meal, I watched through the window as hummingbirds levitated up and down through the air. Then three black crows landed on the terrace, the black of their feathers contrasting with the deep oranges and reds of the landscaping and furniture. It was a wonderful birthday. Good food, fresh air, and a beautiful vista of the ocean. And that’s what Big Sur is all about.
    • For more information see Ventana.  
    • Address: 48123 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920.  Directions on how to get here.
    • Phone: 800-427-7623.
    • Sample Menus
    • Check road conditions before you go, it is easy to do. Go to  Caltrans  and enter 1 (the highway number) then search. 

    Thank you for visiting my blog.  Wishing you peace, love, happiness, & beautiful vistas!

     
  • Travel

    Point Pinos Lighthouse, Pacific Grove

    June 13, 2018 /

    Point Pinos Lighthouse, located In Pacific Grove, is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast of the United States.  In 1855,  it was the second lighthouse built in California.  Alcatraz Island Lighthouse had been built 8 months previously, but in 1909 was replaced by the famous prison.   Point Pinos was built atop a quaint house enabling keepers to tend the light without fearing the elements.  Point Pinos Lighthouse uses a Fresnel lens manufactured in France in 1853.  The beacon is still used by the Coast Guard to aid navigation and the city of Pacific Grove maintains the property.   While it began as just a narrow light beam fueled by whale oil, in 1912 it used an “eclipse” that made the light blink on for 10 seconds and off for 20 seconds.  Today, the light is electronic and is on for three seconds and off for one, which helps mariners identify it.   Point Pinos stands 43 feet tall, approximately 90 feet above the ocean, and its lens can be seen 17 miles out to sea.

    History

    Point Pinos Lighthouse has had many keepers, but perhaps the most interesting was Emily Fish.  Emily Fish’s sister died in childbirth, and at age 17, Emily married her dead sister’s husband, Malancthon Fish,  and raised her sister’s baby daughter, Juliet.  Mr. Fish, a medical doctor, died when Emily was 50 years old.  Following his death, Emily applied for the position of lighthouse keeper at the Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove, CA.  This was considered highly unusual, as most women only received their positions upon the death of their lighthouse keeper husbands.  Emily, however,  was an anomaly.  She bucked the norms and defied gender roles.  She would not be foiled in her efforts, proving that no matter how old you are and what society thinks, you should always follow your dreams and aspirations. 

    She thrived in her position, and for over twenty years, lived and worked at the lighthouse with her menagerie of French poodles, Holstein cows, horses, and chickens.  She excelled at gardening and created an oasis of grass, hedges, and trees on the lighthouse grounds.  From her home in Oakland, she brought antique furniture, paintings, china, and silverware. Being a lighthouse keeper was no easy chore; rather, it was a difficult and demanding life.  Emily, however, excelled at her job, and soon became known as the “Socialite Keeper” because of her flair for style and fashion and her reputation for entertaining guests at the lighthouse.  During her keep, Point Pinos Lighthouse consistently received high marks for being well-kept. 

    While Emily is the most memorable female lighthouse keeper at Point Pinos, she was not the first.  The light’s first keeper, Charles Layton, was serving on a posse in pursuit of an outlaw when he was fatally shot the first year he was appointed. His wife Charlotte, left alone with four children, replaced her husband as keeper until 1860 when she was remarried and her new husband took over the position.

    If you are planning on visiting the area and would like to tour the lighthouse, please see pointpinoslighthouse for information including directions, hours, and parking. *Photo courtesy of Jay Slupesky, follow him on Instagram @jayslu

  • Local Events,  Travel

    Point Sur Lighthouse in Big Sur, California

    June 4, 2018 /

    Located between Carmel and Big Sur, the 48-foot high sandstone Point Sur lighthouse stands duty, warning ships approaching the treacherous coast. Point Sur, a National Historic Landmark, is the only complete turn-of-the-century light station open to the public in California.  The lighthouse was originally fueled by whale oil, lard oil, and kerosene before becoming electric in 1948.  It used a Fresnel lens invented by Augustin Jean Fresnel, a French physicist, until the 1970s.  It is still in use today, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.    

    During its history, Point Sur has been home to four lightkeepers and their families. Beginning in 1899 up until 1974, these lighthouse keepers and their families lived in isolation in this remote and desolate place.  Supplies were brought every four months by ship.  It is hard to imagine what life must have been like for these folks, without the modern conveniences that we take for granted and so distant from the rest of the world.  To live at Point Sur clearly required grit.  Point Sur could originally be reached only by boat, as it was an island.  Now, it is reached by walking a little less than a mile from the parking lot below.

    Despite a light that could be seen for 23 nautical miles and a coal-powered fog horn, the Point Sur lighthouse still witnessed its share of shipwrecks.  If you are interested in ghosts and haunted places, you may enjoy the Ghost Hunts and annual Halloween Tours. Nature lovers may also enjoy the Whale Watch Tours.  Gray whales are often seen on their migration route during the winter and during the summer you may see humpback and blue whales.  

    Tours last approximately three hours and are led by docents.  It can be very cold and blustery so bring a jacket or sweater to be on the safe side.  You will also have to do a great deal of walking, so sensible footwear is advised.  You have to climb almost a mile with a 360-foot elevation to get to the lighthouse.  There is a picnic area surrounded by a cute picket fence so bring a lunch and enjoy the amazing views!  If you are planning on visiting the lighthouse and have questions regarding parking, fees,  and tour schedules, call 831-625-4419 or see Point Sur Lighthouse

    • September through March Tours are Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 am and Wednesday at 1:00 pm
    • April through August Tours are Saturdays and Wednesdays at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, Sundays 10:00 am, and only in July and August, Thursdays at 10:00 am
    • For regular tours, adults are $15,  ages 6-17 are $5, and children 5 and under are free
    • Moonlight Tours in 2018 are Sunday, August 26 and Monday August 27 at 6:45 pm, and Monday, September 24 and Tuesday, September 25 at 6:00 pm
    • For Moonlight tours, adults are $20, ages 6-17 are $10, and ages 5 and under are free
    • Arrive early; first come, first served (reservations are not accepted)
    • Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover are accepted
    • No visitors may remain in their vehicles
    • No pets ( even left in cars), large motorhomes or campers, baby strollers, or smoking is allowed

    Thank you for visiting my blog!  Wishing you peace, love, happiness & beautiful vistas!