Where there blessings—disguised or otherwise—following the wrath that nature unleashed on Big Sur last winter? Could someone really find silver linings in those dark clouds that dumped torrents of rain and misery on a close-knit community? Given the sheer destruction, the turmoil, the unemployment, the personal hardships, the beleaguered businesses and economic losses, it's … [Read more...] about Silver Linings
Travel
Flying High for 40 Years
The Ventana Wildlife Society Celebrates Conservation Success
Throughout the summer of 1991, wildlife biologist Kelly Sorenson crisscrossed the Central California coast in a dusty Mazda pickup. On one particularly memorable trip, he drove for seven days straight, up to 14 hours a day, to scout mountain peaks between Big Sur and Marin County. As part of an ambitious species recovery program spearheaded by the Ventana Wilderness Society … [Read more...] about Flying High for 40 Years
What Lies Beneath
I stand on the deck of the vision, soaking in the view of the big sur coast when a man wearing dry-suit underwear and ugg boots bumps into me, tossed by a lurch of the boat. “Come here often?” I laugh. Diving off the coast of big sur is not something anyone does often. There is nowhere to put in a boat south of point lobos or north of morro bay and those dramatic cliffs make … [Read more...] about What Lies Beneath
The Call of the Wild
Let’s get one thing out of the way: any day in Big Sur, whether the weather is foggy and damp, or the destination is tricky or trafficky, is a good day. Not to go all woo-woo, but Big Sur is a place that’s both extraordinarily lovely and a state of mind. Anyone can feel the difference–even if going from comparably appealing Carmel or Monterey–by simply opening the senses to the … [Read more...] about The Call of the Wild
Carmel’s Hidden Gem
For such a small geographical region, the Monterey Peninsula area is home to a lot of secrets. One such is San Clemente Rancho, a privately owned 2,600-acre tract located near the end of Robinson Canyon Road, south of Carmel Valley. This is the site of 100 cabins, owned by “members,” concentrated on only 160 of the acres. The remainder is a bucolic, remote and serene vacation … [Read more...] about Carmel’s Hidden Gem