What is Big Sur?

About six years ago, I sat on my knees, looking at a map, I found the town of Big Sur not far south of Carmel. A more thorough look at the map showed me a Point Sur just north of the town and who in California hasn't seen a photo of the famous Bixby Bridge also not far north of the town. I remember thinking: "If we see this Bridge, visit Point Sur, and check out the town of Big Sur, then we've explored Big Sur."
Back then, my question had been: "What is Big Sur?" and in that brief search on the map, I thought I had answered that question. When your Mom and I made that first trip to Big Sur, I quickly learned that Big Sur is so much more than those three spots I had honed in on. The other day, before we left Carmel for Big Sur, your Uncle Ryan asked me, "what is Big Sur?" Having visited Big Sur three or four times per year since that first trip six years ago, I was much better prepared to answer this question now.
Big Sur is an 80 mile long and 20 mile deep stretch of coast that begins just south of Carmel and continues all the way south to San Simeon. It is wild, rugged, and unforgettably beautiful -- the only place where the coastal mountains come right to the Ocean's edge. High cliffs, white sand beaches, sparkling blue waters, green slopes, redwood groves and a rainbow palette of wildflowers - that is Big Sur. A winding and often dangerous road, completed in 1937, follows the Big Sur coast, called the greatest meeting of land and sea on earth.
What is Big Sur? In our years of travel, we've visited hundreds of miles of coast all over the world. There is nothing like Big Sur. Big Sur is more than just the natural setting. There is something magical about it. Nowhere else have we gone where we feel so disconnected from our world and so connected to the natural world. It is no wonder that so many are drawn to this region and those that feel its draw know that this place is as close to heaven as one can get.
Inspired by our latest visit, we searched the internet for home listings in Big Sur. Hey, if Brad Pitt could afford a tenth home here, we could surely afford our first, right? Our search turned up dozens of dream homes. A few were the perfect eco-cabins we were searching for: simple homes built of natural materials, a permacultural response to the Big Sur landscape. Unfortunately, the rustic cabin, escape from the world type of experience that Jack Kerouac, Henry Miller, and so many others were able to find here is no longer available to the common person. Simple homes were in the millions, and more reliable, roomy, full-time homes neared the 10 million mark. I guess it's time to make some rich friends.