Morgan Brown Research Adventures Images Scenery California Mendocino San Francisco Area San Diego Big Sur Julia Pfeiffer Burns Marathon Mount Carmel Mount Manuel Point Lobos SP Soberanes Canyon Tickle Pink Inn Round Top Carson Pass Ski Canada Colorado France Glacier NP Hawaii Italy Nevada New Mexico New Zealand Norway Oregon Random Sequoia/Kings Canyon Texas Utah Yosemite Virgin Islands Kim & Morgan Mom & Dad Books that Morgan Recommends... Day Hikes Around Monterey and Carmel: 77 Great Hikes By Robert Stone. A nice sampling of area hikes. Nice coverage of Manuel Peak hike, though most are easier. More Weekends for 2 in Northern California: 50 Great Romatic Getaways By Bill Gleeson and John Swain. Great book. It introduced us to the excellent Tickle Pink Inn. Top-notch photography and good taste.

High surf near Soberanes Point, CA.

What's here?

• Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park - Not to be confused with Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, you've probably seen photos from "JPBSP", even if you haven't heard of it. The waterfall above McWay Cove is famous. We camped in the highly sought-after "environmental campsites" with James & Liz Rickett in August, 2001. Later, we enjoyed the stellar ocean views from the Pine Ridge hike. We returned in June, 2003 with Kim's parents and saw the same things, although we got better photos with our digital camera.
• 2002 Big Sur International Marathon - Kim and I ran the 2002 Big Sur International Marathon, our first. For a mildly humorous account of the race, read my race recap
• Mount Carmel - On November 9, 2002, Kim and I hiked to the wooded summit of this 4,430-foot hill in the Ventana Wilderness.

• Mount Manuel - This 3,380-foot peak, also known as Manuel Peak, dominates views to the east from Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The incredible views to the east, south, and west on November 11, 2002 did not disappoint.

• Point Lobos - If you have a half day in Carmel, don't miss Point Lobos State Park! The eponymous point, located roughly 3 miles south of Rio Road in Carmel, has long been a local landmark. Whalers exploited the height of the granite crags to spot passing whales, and kept a whaling station at sheltered Whalers Cove. Today, the area is a mecca for sealife; if you visit in the spring months, you will see seals, will probably see one or more sea otters, and have as good a chance as anywhere of spotting a whale. We have been to Point Lobos many times, but only managed to get pictures online from a June, 2003 visit with Kim's parents.

• Soberanes Canyon/Rocky Ridge - This steep loop hike, a local favorite, typifies the strong environmental contrasts along the California coast. The Soberanes Canyon trail winds through a heavily forested, damp river valley, and then climbs abruptly up a denuded hillside to a 1600-foot ridge, which is totally exposed to winter winds and the summer sun.

• Tickle Pink Inn - Our 2-night stay (November 9-11, 2002) at this quaint hotel in Carmel Highlands tickled us pink. Though quite expensive, the stellar views and many perks made for an enjoyable time. The Inn is centrally located between the great hikes to the south and the city of Carmel to the north.

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Modified: 05/07/06, 19:23:04 PDT , by morgan
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