California, part two (December 2017)

Written by ceddammit

It’s that time of the week! Throwback Thursday – when I finally get around to sharing photos from not-too-recent trips. This week is a continuation of my Christmas 2017 trip to California (part one is here). The journey resumes at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Here, I went for the short hike known as the McWay Waterfall Trail. There are some nice views at various overlooks along this trail, as you can see below…

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, part of California’s Big Sur Coastline

But the real draw here is McWay Waterfall, which tumbles out of the mountains directly onto the beach inside a tiny but gorgeous inlet…

McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California

In addition to the natural scenery of the Big Sur Coastline, this stretch of California Highway 1 is also known for its beautiful concrete-arch bridges. Here we have the Big Creek Bridge, built in 1938…

Looking up Big Creek Canyon from the Big Creek Bridge

I encountered two old-school rest areas along this stretch of the highway:

Rigdon Drinking Fountain
The environs of Rigdon Drinking Fountain
This old-school rest area is known as Seven Stairs.

As I continued north on California Highway 1, I saw this stuff…

The road on the left is fenced off at the other end. I could not find a way to get down to this beach.
Condor or vulture?
Rockslide catcher
I feel like this tree might start throwing apples at me.
Powerful wave smashes into a stubborn rock.

As planned, I only made it about halfway back up the Big Sur Coastline by sunset. So I got the following pics of the sunset over the Pacific before heading to my next hotel…

Who needs a stump grinder when you can convert an old tree trunk into an immovable and uncomfortable chair?

I drove north along the remainder of Big Sur in the dark, and continued to my hotel well past the end’o’Sur. The next morning (Dec 27th, 2017), I made a few stops on the way back to Big Sur, the first of which was Monastery Beach…

Don’t see many signs like this back home in Colorado.
They don’t call it Monastery Beach fer nuthin’
I’m not sure if those are monks or cows.
I’m not sure if those are monks or egrets.

I found that the historic concrete-arch bridges aren’t limited to the Big Sur stretch of Highway 1, as my next stop was the Malpaso Creek Bridge, built in 1935 and located in the city of Carmel Highlands…

Malpaso Creek Bridge
below Malpaso Creek Bridge
below Malpaso Creek Bridge
above Malpaso Creek Bridge
More vegetation from outer space

As I continued south toward Big Sur, I seent this stuff…

Yet more vegetation from outer space
I heard of natural bridges, but a natural boat ramp?
Erosion where a hill was cut out to put the highway through…
…leading to semi-natural hoodoos

I don’t know the exact point where the Big Sur Coastline offically begins, but for me it starts at the Granite Canyon Bridge…

Granite Canyon Bridge (built in 1932)
Granite Canyon Bridge and scenery just south of it

Next stop: Bixby Canyon Bridge, built in 1932…

My next stop was Rocky Creek Bridge. As you can see in the next photo, an alien spaceship appeared and emitted a blinding light (I assume they were here to deliver more plants). You may have heard that alien appearances often result in batteries being drained. This is what happened to my camera’s batteries, and is thus why I have so few pictures from the remainder of this day.

Rocky Creek Bridge (1932). The people at lower right were abducted by the aliens.
Garrapata Creek Bridge (1931)
Garrapata Creek Bridge saw its shadow, and there were thus six more weeks of winter.

The next day (Dec 28th, 2017), I continued north to Santa Cruz, California. I started at Natural Bridges State Beach, and walked east along the shore of Monterey Bay until I reached the Santa Cruz Wharf (which was played my Michael Dorn).

Natural Bridges State Beach, California
Natural Bridges State Beach, California
Natural Bridges State Beach, California
One of many small beach coves along the shoreline of Santa Cruz, California
Take that, cliff!
Somebody crashed the bejeezus out of their bike.
Pay no attention to the man atop the cave.
Street runoff forming an artificial waterfall, resulting in extremely mossy rocks
It’s not all cliffs and coves…they have a big beach, too.

So I walked out onto the Santa Cruz Wharf, where I had a fresh seafood lunch. The fresh seafood is one of my two favorite things about this wharf. The other is the fact that sea lions perch on the wharf’s structural supports and just hang out there all day…

The wharf also has solar street lamps…
…a view of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk…
…and a SNORT!
Looking from the wharf toward the city center of Santa Cruz

Finally, it was time to visit Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Amusement parks on beaches were once common around the U.S.A. There are almost none left, making this park a rare treat.

Another view of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk from the city wharf
I’ve eaten lots of amusement park food, at dozens of parks. Never seent this before.
No, this coaster is not named “dippin’ dots”! It’s called Undertow.
The Giant Dipper, which opened in 1924, is a great old woodie.
Like many roller coasters of its era, the Giant Dipper starts with a tunnel.
The sun sets on another fine California day.

After dark, I drove from Santa Cruz to a hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, where I spent the next two full days. Come back next week for Cedric’s Adventures in San Fran!

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