Drive On The Pacific Coast, Ca

One of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve had is the drive from San Simeon to San Jose in California. We cross Monterey bay, the Big Sur, Bixby Creek Bridge before entering the 101. This stretch is by far the longest and the most breathtaking drives along a coast line I’ve been on. The Monterey bay alone runs for around 94 miles. Imagine a long road sandwiched between the blue Pacific Ocean on the one side and green hills on the other dotted with brown rocks and boulders. The cold moist breeze and the warm sun rays come together to form spectacular rainbows tempting one to reach out and grab them.

A hazy shot of a rainbow

Pacific Ocean to the left & hills to the right

One of the highlights on this drive is the vista points interspersed along the road, of which one in particular is fascinating. The Elephant seal vista point attracts many people. This is a long patch on the beach where Elephant seals come once every few months to mate. At first they appear as huge elongated mounds of the sand on the beach, but upon closer examination, random movements of flapping and scratching can be seen. The male elephant seal is almost twice as big as the female. The beach plays home to many males, females and pups and it is a joy to watch these huge ocean pachyderms basking in the sun.

Elephant seal vista point

Female seal with pups

More elephant seals

Another highlight on this stretch is a massive arched structure called the Bixby Creek Bridge. Built in 1931 and is located in the Big Sur. It is one of the tallest and biggest concrete bridges in the world. It is also one of the most photographed bridges along the Pacific coast due to its impressive architecture. 

Bixby Creek Bridge

  

For all nature-lovers and for those looking for a quite and relaxing drive, this stretch is the one. You will not be disappointed.