Big Sur, Nepenthe, and Other Things

Big Sur. A place of great beauty and drama. A Wonder of the World, an international treasure taken for granted stands waiting mindless of humanity. The sheer cliffs that drop a thousand feet or more to the violent sea thrashing and pounding at the granite below. The dichotomy of danger and great beauty can only be watched from a distance, less one be swallowed up and taken by the forces of nature. Those experiences changed the core of who I was and gave me the gifts of wonder, dreams, and endless possibilities. A long time ago, but yet it has stayed with me, a part of who I am. The grounding I have when I am there is like no other place on earth. Now older, with the inability to scramble on the rocks and hike the distances I used to be able to easily walk, I treasure the time I had, and look forward to the next visit, hopefully soon, to feel at one with that universe. I can still make it to Nepenthe, stay the night at Deetjens, and drive down Sycamore Canyon Road to Pheiffer Beach. That I can do those things renews my dreams and endless possibilities all over again. We need to make sure that this place survives through the future, without development and further commercialization to encroach this wondrous beauty. It is the immortal gem of our country.