Unspoiled Coastline

Quote of the day:
"I can't stand purple. It doesn't suit me."
--Jenny Joseph, who wrote the often-quoted poem that begins “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple.”

The photos for the last several days were taken on the Fiscallini Ranch Preserve in Cambria, California. It is a stunning piece of untouched countryside along the California coast.

In Southern California the coast is packed with population and development, pretty much uninterrupted from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara. (The coast of Camp Pendleton Marine Base in San Diego County is also undeveloped, but faces the unfortunate inconvenience of being bombed from time to time during training exercises.)

Just north of Cambria, Highway One begins its climb through spectacular Big Sur. The highway is very well-traveled this time of year. Most of those heading north don’t stop in Cambria except for gas or lunch, because they are anxious to see Big Sur or Hearst Castle. Most of those heading south don’t stop in Cambria except for gas or dinner, because they’ve seen enough coastline for one day.

Merrie and I have been going to Cambria every year for 20 years. It’s a real treat to visit an actual small town on the California coast. In between visits, we forget how different it is from anything in Southern California. Then we arrive again, and we walk across the Fiscalini Ranch. It is amazing.