i have wanted to see big sur and the bixby creek bridge for as long as i can remember. they are the reason i first became fascinated with the california coastline and were the primary reason i decided to finally drive the pch. i knew the numerous pictures i had seen over the years could not compare to seeing the bridge in person, and it was number one on my list for our trip.

in the spring of this year, a long stretch of the california coast dealt with devastating landslides, including the stretch of highway 1 between san simeon and big sur. many parts of the highway were closed, and at one point i wasn’t sure if we would actually be able to see the bridge.

as the summer progressed and repair crews assessed the damage, we found out that we would in fact be able to see big sur and the bridge via a detour through paso robles. the detour was well worth it, and my parents and i enjoyed the drive through wine country.

near monterey, we rejoined highway 1 and headed south to catch sight of the bridge. one of the positives for me was that because we were driving south, my parents were on the side closest to the coast and were mesmerized by the view. i said it the day of and i’ll say it again: watching my mother watch the water was the best part of that day.

as we got closer the fog seemed to settle, and we turned a corner and there it was. my mother and i immediately jumped out of the car and scrambled across a few rocks to drink in the view. i am not an engineer and i do not pretend to understand what it must have taken to construct that bridge, but it is absolutely stunning to see it in person.

xx