Big Sur along the winding Highway 1 is the most scenic wilderness coast in California, but you better watch the road and use the turnouts for your sightseeing. Stretching for nearly 90 miles, this rugged, undeveloped shoreline offers a succession of spectacular vistas. Big Sur has inspired poets and photographers for decades, and it is considered one of the last great wilderness areas in the lower 48 states. Some of my friends during the turbulent 1960s went to Big Sur to "find" themselves; there are still a number of self-awareness and fitness organizations operating in this desolate area.

The beaches of Big Sur are to be walked and admired, but don't even think about going into the chilly water. The cold water is accompanied by hazardous currents that rule out swimming. Pfeiffer Beach is the best beach in the Big Sur region, boasting a wide sandy beach. Offshore of this amazing white sandy beach are sea stacks and other rock formations, a testament to the erosive power of wave attack. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is the only place on the California coast where you can see a waterfall plunge directly into the Pacific Ocean. The water drops about 50 feet to the beach below, and is most dramatic after a coastal rain. The beach at Jade Cove is a special place where visitors can hunt for granules and pebbles of the semi-precious mineral jade. Even jade boulders have been found here. You are allowed to keep anything found below the high tide line on the beach.

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