Find hidden beauty at Big Sur

Moody fog rolls over the mountains down to the ocean on California's Big Sur coast.

The enormity of the scene hit me in waves as I traveled along Hwy. 1, soaking in the views of plunging wildflower-covered cliffs, rock formations jutting out of the cold, blue sea and silky sand beaches.

Driving through Big Sur along the curvy two-lane coastal road feels like a ride on a slow-motion roller coaster but instead of whizzing by in a blur, the scenery looms larger and more breathtaking around every turn. As I passed between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Lucia Mountains, nature's grandeur compelled me to stop and climb out of the car at each lookout — and there are many — to take photos with the rest of the tourists drawn to the area each year.

Big Sur, or el sur grande, the big south as the Spanish defined it, can seem like a daunting trip, considering the rugged, mountainous 90 miles to explore from Car­mel in the north to San Simeon in the south. But the central 24 miles from the Bixby Bridge to McWay Falls can easily be seen over a day or two, tend to draw the largest number of tourists and are filled with scenic wonders.

"The drive from Carmel to Big Sur, the beauty is amazing. You never experience a drive like that anywhere in the world," said Henry Guzman, 38, a bartender at the Big Sur River Inn's restaurant, who commutes from Monterey each day.

The area also is known as the muse of many artists and authors, including Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller. Miller, who lived in the area for 15 years, wrote, "It is here at Big Sur that I first learned how to say 'Amen.'" The Henry Miller Memorial Library along Hwy. 1 features Miller's writings, drawings and paintings.

Much of the region's beauty — such as the northern Bixby Bridge area — can be seen from your car. But then there are some amazing sights that are worth a hike to see — among them Pfeiffer Beach, Partington Cove and McWay Falls.

Then it's a sharp right and 2 miles down a scary one-lane road. The road has a couple of turnouts so motorists can make way for those traveling in the opposite direction. At the end of the road, there's a car park and bathrooms — and perhaps some residents with a hippie vibe, out checking on their gardens. There's also a horse ranch and many interesting dwellings.

Past all that lies a path to the beach. The walk is about a mile round-trip, mostly through sand, but the reward is a feast for the eyes: massive rock formations and arches jutting from the water. The surf foams over rocks and when the sun sets, the palette changes from blue and yellow to magenta and orange and finally to lavender and black.

Partington Cove is another unmarked wonder, not to be missed. It's in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and also a mile walk from Hwy. 1. There are two large turnout areas where you can leave your car. The steep descent down a dirt road leads to the tunnel John Partington made through a granite cliff to where he built a shipping dock in the 1880s.

As the trail splits, visitors pass over a small creek, then go through the tunnel. On the other side are beautiful views of the cove and ocean. My travel partner and I had the place to ourselves. Walking back through the tunnel to the trail split, we went left for amazing views of a boulder-and-rock beach with pounding surf, where previous visitors have created rock sculptures.

McWay Falls draws enough tourists to fill the parking lot at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. From there, it's a short walk to the falls trail.