September 8, 2011

BIG SUR (California)

Copyright May Rogers
All rights reserved 2011.
Photos shot using Sony DSLR A390

Sept 2011. Last Labor Day weekend, we traveled the 90-mile stretch of winding cliff roads, blanketing fog, turquoise sea, sublime sundown and wild nature side. Every curvy road revealed picturesque scenery beyond description. Big Sur is geographically located between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Coming from San Jose where I live, it takes 5 to 6 hours drive. Roadtrip!

I won't bore you with so many words, since this is "postcard travel" I will load my blog with photos and significant travel tidbits. For now, here's my photographic take on beautiful, beautiful BIG SUR (otherwise known as Big South Country). Read more about it here. National Geographic also released a nature documentary called Big Sur.

Find MM.Rogers Photography on Twitter


Bixby Creek Bridge is one of the most photographed features on the West Coast because of its location along the scenic Central Coast of California. The narrow road gave me the creeps and boy, I was glad I didn't drive. The drive from Carmel to San Simeon (California State Route 1 running through Monterey Bay) takes about 3 hours.

I believe my husband is a fish. He's a born surfer. He loves the sun, the sea, the waves and anything it has to offer. We couldn't help but stop at some of the highest cliff points just to see what's beneath and beyond. While I truly believe I spotted seabirds down below, of course he spotted surfers. (see photo below)

Cold-water surfers. We were way, way up with max zoom in but they're still small. While we watch, my thoughts keep coming back to a question: are there sharks out there? As far as I know from my stay in Hawaii, sharks linger in temperate water to feed but they do love and thrive in cold water.

The blanketing fog can go thick at nights and the drive back is quite a challenge (scary). Some roads are under construction, some with "falling rocks" signages, some are one-way passes. But with the right music and golden sunset, this is the perfect roadtrip. Just pray it won't rain.

We stopped by Lucia Lodge to rest a bit. It has this fantastic view of the sea, delicious-smelling food, meeting of sky, clouds and sea. And a peach tree somewhere out front. Awesomeness! We could have stayed here for the night but if didn't say "no vacancy".

I travel in colors (red pants) so I won't be missed. No, it's not a joke. It helps to wear bright colors like blue, yellow, orange, red, violet, green when you're nature traveling especially when hiking forest areas as safety againsts hunters.

The winding road that I thought was endless. Believe me, your patience will lead you somewhere unforgettable. Just be ready to absolutely do nothing. In Big Sur, you will learn to mingle with the birds, the seals and nature and the cruel cold wind. It's even written in their local Big Sur Guide.

What many travelers can't resist doing - taking sunset photos. It was peaceful, I saw families, couples, friends drive by all loud and talkative and get silenced by the magnificent sunset that lasted for 20 minutes.

What I love about photography - to capture rays of sun, golden sky, peripheral view of the subject and my hubby's curious back all in one shot

We reached our destination San Simeon (see next blog for more). A long exposure shot at San Simeon Beach Park. The beach was so inviting that we decided to go cold water swimming the next day. That was before a cop came and posted "Warning: SHARKS!" by the pier. According to him, a great white shark was spotted circling the beach.

My favorite shot of me (oh no the hair!). All photos shown here are owned and taken by me for personal purposes. If you find any photo to your liking or to repost, please contact me at info.mayrogers@yahoo.com

 The first time I pointed my camera lens towards the blinding sun.


Next: Wildlife of San Simeon

No comments:

Post a Comment