One of the iconic treasures of California is Highway 1, the ribbon of road that runs from Orange County, in the south, clear up to the redwood forests in the north — and traverses, along the way, hundreds of miles one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines. A frequent victim of Pacific storms, the coast highway is often blocked in various places, sometimes for months or even years at a time; so when it is completely open, as it is now, it behooves to take advantage of the opportunity for exploration.
So, to celebrate our latest anniversary, and the end of my cancer treatment regimen, Carol and I took advantage of a beautiful spring day yesterday to run up Highway 1 to Big Sur, a bit over 2 hours’ drive if you’re not constantly stopping to take photos. (Obviously, it took us longer.)
While in Big Sur, we visited a beautiful beach, down a winding, unmarked side road, that is generally unknown to tourists (Sssh!); had a fantastic meal at the galactically awesome restaurant Nepenthe, perched on a high cliff overlooking the sea; and finally, visited a cool sculpture gallery where everything cost several hundred times the cost of one of my photos. Then we drove home in the glorious westering sun.
It was, to put it mildly, a very nice day.
Ronald Crittenden 