Big Sur

Everything you have heard about Big Sur does not do justice to the reality. The reality is crisp, cool mornings, foggy mid-mornings and sharp, winding roads that hug the rugged coast. I always envisioned this drive in a convertible Porsche or Mustang, but (now) that, to me, would not provide the exhilaration of each lean into the turn, each sweeping arc of the tires, the total concentration that goes into each curve of the road. The unfortunate part of the ride is that I miss a large portion of the scenery. I find that I spend a good bit of time double backing on this road to catch something that I glimpsed or thought I glimpsed. On those occasions I usually find myself face to face with scenes like below... If you look close enough, you can see the road spanning the cliffside. 

With the erosion along the coast...

...I find it hard to imagine that anyone would want to build their house so close to the edge of impermanence. Actually, if I think on it some more, what an amazing place to live and watch the world. The sunsets you could talk about, the weather at your back door and the solitude allowing you to soak it all in...

... and if all that wasn't enough, they had their own private beach.

An hour down the road I met up with what I perceive to be the inspiration for one of Dr. Theodor Geisel's characters.

I suppose it was easier to say, "Cat in the Hat" than, "Sea Lion in the Hat".  It is also much easier to envision a walking cat than one of these beach slugs on two legs. You just can't deny the facial similarities.