BIG SUR, JANUARY

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hi,

I will be driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco next week, coming in from Fla. I would like some Big Sur tips for:

Sunsets: Beaches

Sunsets: Overlooks with broad view of coast

Waterfalls

Also, any tips for the butterflies at Pismo Beach or the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas?

Thanks

Guy

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Also, would like tips for any location along the way to shoot breaking waves.

Thanks, Guy

 

[Terry]

What date are you leaving. We are just entering a very stormy weather pattern with a lot of rain/wind predicted for all of this week.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

We will be driving the coast from Jan 23-27

Guy

 

[jlm]

gas up outside big sur

 

[Jack]

gas up outside big sur

:ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL: Excellent advice!

Waterfalls -- the only one of note near the road -- the PCH -- is at the North end of Pfeiffer. There are also a handful inside the parks if you want to hike to them.

Beaches -- again at Pfeiffer, there is "hole in rock" that makes a decent foreground element for a sunset. However, many CA beach parks close at sunset.

Definitely plan on spending a few hours at Point Lobos, especially Weston Beach, though you cannot shoot sunset here due to closure per above.

Monarch butterflies -- the 4th generations hibernate every year in Pacific Grove, and can be found hanging by the thousands in almost every Eucalyptus tree in or around PG.

 

[kdphotography]

Waterfalls----actually, south of Pfeiffer and Big Sur (proper), the most famous waterfall to see is McWay Falls. Parking right off the highway and the easiest access. Spend the ten bucks to pay for parking (helps maintain the trails) and don't rip up the side of the already eroding hillside to the trail. We'll make a quick visit to McWay Falls in February for Capture Integration in Carmel...it's just too easy not to!

 

[Lisa]

For breaking waves, parts of Point Lobos State Reserve are spectacular. The best area I saw for waves was a part of the reserve called something like "Devil's Cauldron".

Lisa

 

[stephengilbert]

Here's a site with live surf cams, as well as a week's forecasts of surf conditions for the west coast: http://www.surfermag.com/surf-reports-and-forecasts/index.html