Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin This is an image of Bixby Bridge in Big Sur California. The bridge was built in 1932 and has become ..
. [+] one of the most iconic structures on the California coast. Big Sur, where the Santa Lucia mountains overlook the Pacific Ocean, is one of the most iconic places in California.
The beautiful Central Coast area was named by Spanish settlers living on the Monterey Peninsula in the 1700s. The called the bucolic forested area El Sur Grande, now Big Sur. Big Sur is a real place, but its mountains, forests, beaches and general remoteness also make it a state of mind.
It is not a single city or park, but rather a patchwork of public and private lands. Big Sur runs about 90 miles between Carmel-By-The-Sea and San Simeon, home of the Hearst Castle and a large elephant seal colony. California’s famed Highway 1, which covers those 90 miles, was an engineering marvel when originally “carved into the mountains” in the 1930’s.
Automotive and travel publications consider it one of the most beautiful drives in the world. However, use the numerous turn-offs to view the scenery, rather than lose focus and end up flying off the twisting two-lane road. Unfortunately, the area is also prone to flooding and rock and landslides, like one at Mud Creek that on May 20, 2017, dumped more than 6 million cubic yards of sediment on the highway, closing a quarter mile for weeks.
This year slides and bridge issues have shut down various parts.