Mother Nature has played a bigger-than-usual role in Northern California this year. We saw people skiing in July and, to the south, those same storms caused the collapse of Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge and a landslide on Highway 1. As a result, a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway is now unreachable by cars and has been dubbed “Big Sur Island.” Until the bridge repairs are completed this fall, visitors have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bike along the cliffs on the road, sans cars. Hotel Carmel and La Playa Carmel, in nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea, have teamed up with Big Sur Adventures, an e-bike rental shop, to offer two-wheeled weekend adventures, available for only a few months.
Note: Although the section of the Pacific Coast Highway that allowed for unobstructed cycling has since been reopened, Big Sur still offers plenty of opportunities for road and mountain biking.
Mimi Towle has been the editor of Marin Magazine for over a decade. She lived with her family in Sycamore Park and Strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed raising two daughters in the mayhem of Marin’s youth sports; soccer, swim, volleyball, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics and many many hours spent at Miwok Stables. Her community involvements include volunteering at her daughter’s schools, coaching soccer and volleyball (glorified snack mom), being on the board of both Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Currently residing on a floating home in Sausalito, she enjoys all water activity, including learning how to steer a 6-person canoe for the Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club. Born and raised in Hawaii, her fondness for the islands has on occasion made its way into the pages of the magazine.
