WALKING WOMAN T
here is no deny- ing the
beauty and wonder that leap up where the mountain- ous landmass of California meets the raw beauty of the Pacific Ocean here on the California Central Coast in a place called Big Sur. Visitors from all over the world come to drive along the miles and miles of Pacific Coast
visit some of my favorite busi- nesses and restaurants. I snagged a rare reservation for a summer camp- site at Limekiln State Park, near Lucia through Reserve
PHOTO BY ROSEMARY RIDEOUT
The Big Sur Community by Rosemary Rideout
Highway which parallel the uplifted coastal range at the very edge of the continent, pulling off at turnouts along the way, smiling into cameras held at arms-length with slivers of the coast- line and Pacific behind them, all to capture a little piece of this beauty to take home with them.
Because it is so relatively close to home, I have been fortunate to explore it many times, in all seasons. This past winter Mother Nature dealt a one-two punch to the Big Sur community when winter rains caused two major slides, the first cutting off access to the north, near the Bixby Bridge and then a sec- ond, bigger slide south at Alder Creek, cutting off access to the south, making Big Sur and surrounding communities
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an island. It’s a good thing the people who make up the coastal community around Big Sur are hearty pioneers. Over the years they have experienced quite a few of these types of events, including fires and slides, and pride themselves in their self-sufficiency. The community works together to take care of their own. A blog by long-time resident and community leader, Kate Woods Novoa, also known as BigSurKate, tracked the day-to-day progress of the work and provided a glimpse into the heart and people of the community.
When the work was finally com- pleted to clear the Alder Creek slide and open the southern section of the highway on June 10th, I was ready to go and have a look at the work and to
America and packed up my camping gear and camera equipment. A look at the calen- dar promised the opportunity to view a nearly- full moon rising over the Big Sur
Coast if Mother Nature cooperated by keeping June’s persistent marine layer at bay.
Even at mid-week, just after the reopening of the road in both direc- tions, the tourists had found their way back and restaurants and businesses seemed to be thriving. The drive from Carmel to Ragged Point makes for a full day if you allow yourself the time to get out at any number of pull-outs. I like to visit each of the state parks and walk a bit of the close-in trails to stretch my legs and to reconnoiter pos- sible spots for photography opportuni- ties.
My campsite at Limekiln State Park was right on the creek, so I was able to enjoy the stimulating rush of
Out & About • July 2011 29
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