Big Sur Top 3 Attractions - Pacific Coast Highway - Bixby Bridge familytravel californiaroadtrip Weather [gNKJALKHgL8]

Garrapata Beach at Garrapata State Park is located along the northern Big Sur coastline about ten miles south of Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA. The waterfront of the park is ss united states four miles long, but the only sandy beach is at the south end. Garrapata Beach has two parking areas along the shoulder of Highway 1. Both offer the same type of access down steep dirt trails, but the southern route near the bridge over Garrapata Creek is wider, safer, and more direct.

Areas of this half-mile long beach have been clothing-optional in the past, especially at the north and south ends where secluded spots can be found, but nudity is prohibited. When the tide is not high you can access the small sandy cove at Garrapata Creek at the very south end. Swimming at Garrapata Beach is dangerous due to cold water and strong rip currents.

The state park has many hiking trails in the inland areas and along the bluff near Soberanes Point. Look for the trailheads farther north along Highway 1. Watch for snakes and check for ticks after your jeff ross cancer hike (Garrapata means tick in Spanish).

Bixby Bridge

Completed in 1932 for just over $200,000, the concrete span, one of the highest bridges of its kind in the world, soars 260 feet above the bottom of a steep canyon carved by Bixby Creek. One look at the canyons steep and crumbling cliffs, and its obvious that building the bridge wasnt exactly a cakewalk. First, a massive wooden framework had to be built, with materials brought by truck on what was then a narrow, one-way road riddled with hairpin turns. A staggering 45,000 individual sacks alex michelsen of cement had to be hauled up the frameworkand this is before advanced heavy machinery could help do the lifting. Each bag was transported via a system of platforms and slings suspended by cables 300 feet above the creek. Curiously, the span was completed before the road, and it would be five more years before the route linking Carmel (about 15 miles to the north) to San Luis Obispo would even be opened.

Today (as always) the bridge is a favorite attraction for photographers, from professionals to those in search of the ultimate depth-of-field selfie. But whether you are snapping away or not, be sure to take advantage of the multiple viewpoints; they are key for reveling in 360-degree views instead of just the direction you are going.

Filmed July 2020