John & Anne Wiley

Another of our favorite spots when driving along the Big Sur coast is Nepenthe.

5670 Nepenthe Restaurant

It’s usually busy, so we’ve only scored a table out on the view patio at left a few times. The cafe at right is easier when it’s open, and the patio tables with colorful umbrellas in the middle is where we usually find a spot unless inside by a window. On the ground, we’d never seen the part of the building to the left of that first patio. From the air we also see the buildings nearby, presumably residences for at least some of the great support staff.

5670 Nepenthe Complex

Here’s a rather blurry view of the restaurant from a different angle.

5656 Blurred Memories

It reminds me of delight at seeing planes go by from that deck below the patio as we enjoyed a delicious quiet meal and imagining ourselves up there was a garnish. Up here we can see that it’s actually quite a large community by Big Sur standards.

5661 Nepenthe Region

After the wonders of McWay, mellows out to the routine miracles of Big Sur again. Drivers who slow down and let the hordes pass might notice Partington Cove where you can walk down to the rocky beach and scramble or kayak for a look at the sea caves on the right.

5708 Partington Cove

Atop the point on the left is another creative Big Sur home, far from the suburban tract designs.

5705 Cliff Perch

If you’re not an otter spotter, next along this California Sea Otter State Game Refuge comes Torre Canyon where valiant firefighters managed to spare the watershed trees.

5698 Torre Canyon

Sprawling out toward the point are these homes with a private path down to a small beach near where the creek carved a deep notch to the sea.

5686 Private Partington

If you kept eyes on the road and whizzed past all that without noticing, you might stop to catch your breath at Lafler Canyon.

5682 Lafler Canyon

Looking like giant wine barrels, the buildings here house the Coast Gallery & Cafe with bright red rooftop umbrellas to signal tables where you can coast in to relax and enjoy the view.

5679 Coast Cafe

As you’ve guessed, we have many favorite spots along the Big Sur coast. One is the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, with all its McWay attractions.

5733 Julia Pfeiffer Burns

Though it’s less noticeable now, these mountains were devastated by the 2008 fire (link has my 9/1/2008 aerial). At the bottom of the pic above you can see a dirt path out to the point where you might get a glimpse of these sea caves.

5730 McWay Sea Caves

Though there are many attractions, the iconic spot here is McWay Cove where tourists stop to admire the pristine beach.

5721 McWay Cove

There’s some parking along the road, with a big lot beyond the top of this pic where a path leads through a tunnel under the highway to the trail you can see running off to the left. There you can look at the remains of the McWay Waterfall House built to include a view of the graceful waterfall that’s still running in this extreme drought.

5717 Falls & Caves

The house didn’t include a view of these additional sea caves on this side of the cove. There’s also the McWay Creek Falls a short walk up from the big parking lot. But this more commonly seen McWay Falls landing directly on the beach is the one most people think of because it’s so rare and serenely beautiful.

5721b McWay Cove Falls

Across yet another ravine from the Farm in yesterday’s post are another few buildings apparently associated with Esalen, with the top one in this pic named Cormorant Cove Guest House on gMaps.

5762 Cormorant House

After that it looks like regular “single family” living beyond that row of trees, because side by side on the big beige deck are two lounges with two white bathtubs below. Imagine living here with spectacular nature all around and Esalen next door.

5759 Single Family

Dotted along the coast beyond you can see homes and mansions surrounding the Buck Creek and Burns Creek bridges.

5748 Burns & Buck Creeks

To the left of Burns Creek is an especially nice estate with a home down closer to the water, where surf sounds and spray serenade sleepers in the storm.

5745 Cliff’s Edge

Nearby next to Anderson Creek is another home close to the pounding sea, built to a striking and fanciful plan.

5740 Play House

Back on the other side of the bridge are these seldom seen deeper sea caves that evoke the magic of what’s just ahead on the road for tomorrow’s post.

5737 Sea Caves