By Balan Selvamuthukumaran ’27
Anyone that knows me knows that I am not the type to sit still. I always have to be doing something—clacking away at something with my hands, walking around, seeing something new—in short I cannot sit around and be idle for very long. This attitude generally extends to my weekends. I have to head out and see something whenever I can. So, last weekend, I took it a step further and headed out for Big Sur with some friends.
I have been to Big Sur in the past, though only briefly and really just for a minor stop. Over the summer, I drove down from San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway and of course as anyone who has driven Highway 1 knows, a large stretch of that is the central coast, and Big Sur. It was a gorgeous landscape, with towering cliffs serving as the backdrop for vast, expansive cerulean sea. I had read all about it in Kerouac’s “Big Sur” and was anxious to experience what he had, coming right up against the shores of that stormy wilderness.
Last weekend, I drove up to Big Sur, starting in Claremont and stopping along the way at a few places: Santa Barbara for more beaches and UCSB, and Pismo beach, a beautiful beach with gorgeous sunsets and rolling waves perfect for boogie boarding (which we did). The next day we got up bright and early and drove the stretch of Big Sur that was not closed, actually going into Pfeiffer State Park this time. The State Park itself was not particularly impressive—a few creeks and a moderately hilly hike were its highlights but Big Sur’s landscape itself was what we were there for, and it was all we had imagined it to be.
Sadly, all good things come to an end, and we had to depart Big Sur the next day, making our way down the winding coast back to Claremont—stopping in Morro Bay of course, foggy town of fishermen and surf bums all living one day at a time as was their wont. Back home again, back to trees and books and Baldy to the north.