Santa Cruz heading South to Silver Peak Wilderness

I still have some time by the nice beaches.  The water area here is called Monterey Bay.

The state beach by La Selva, which interestingly is Spanish for forest.

I guess the elk are all gone now.

I read John Steinbeck's book about this area and I was anxious to see what it looks like now.

Fisherman's Wharf

I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium on an earlier visit.

This next stretch will have several State Parks and it should be easy to move as the mood moves me.

Be sure to check this area out.

Use some different muscles and take a hike in Point Lobos State Reserve.

In researching, I was reminded that Edward Weston, a famous photographer during the early 20th century used this area as a base for a time period.  I love his work. Check it out.

This is a trail in Garapata State Park. You can enjoy the beach and the coastal redwoods. There are road pull off parking spots.

Point Sur State Historic Park

Like in Michigan, lighthouses get placed in places that are hard to navigate by ship.  

Andrew Molera State Park is another place along the Big Sur Coast.  The conditions is considered the most reliable in the area by surfers.

McWay Falls at Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park.

Lime Kiln State Park

I had not heard of a lime kiln and I grew up in the limestone area of Indiana.  For three years, 1887-1890, a company quarried the local limestone and heated it in these kilns to extract the lime.  From here it was placed on ships.  

Prewitt Ridge State Park