Big Sur... another moment of sublimity...

Our last day (after lecture) in the Steinbeck Institute took us south to (through) Big Sur for a fabulously photogenic tour of the southern coast accessible from the scenic CA Rt. 1. The photo above depicts a bridge apparently utilized in many automotive advertisements (think fast cars whipping around hairpin turns at 80mph with the surf, sand, and trees blowing incessantly and majestically in the background) and it is immediately obvious why the admen/adwomen would choose such a locale... it is simply hard to believe a place this beautiful exists, much less in the continental United States.

While the drive south to the town of Big Sur and our final destination of Pheiffer Beach was absolutely beautiful, it is hard (even for a moment) to not feel like you are on the verge of teetering over the edge of these curvy roads to oblivion... mere millimeters, it seems, from absolute obliteration on the rocks. As we hurried south, this imminent sense of natural power and dormant violence became more apparent... From the sheer elevation of the cliffs to the powerful wind and waves, it was easy to feel insignificant in the presence of such natural beauty.

The state of California has done an amazing job maintaining the natural authenticity of this coastline... very few homes and "McMansions" mar the coastal vistas you see below:

After taking several "pull out for photo" stops along the way, we stopped to grab snacks in the little township of Big Sur... quite an idyllic scene... in an effort to combat my infamous "low blood sugar blues", I consumed what must have been about 3,000 calories of yogurt covered pretzels... mmmm....

Our final destination in the Big Sur region was Pheiffer Beach... which was, in the words of one of our counterparts, tantamount to visiting "one of the wonders of the world...." The wind on this particular day was extremely intense... so much so that I feared for my camera's lens... so the pictures I took are primarily from the sides of the cliff faces as opposed to out in the open. The purple-hued sands can pack a punch when mother nature wants to smack you in the face! In spite of the winds, this was a wonderful natural experience (I thought) to "go out" on... bringing one final and interesting fusion of the land and sea elements so closely examined in our Steinbeck country endeavor. Big Sur was something special... something with a hint of secrecy and power that I don't think I'll ever forget... but don't take it from me--check it out for yourself...

Tomorrow, I plan to start my final retrospective on my experience in the 2013 NEH Steinbeck Institute... clearly, this was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life... and one I am beyond proud to have been affiliated with. I'll miss all of my Steinbeck buddies!