One of California’s best scenic drives is Highway 1 through Big Sur — and this week’s historical shelter is not only boasting a Highway 1 address, but it was built by one of the foundational members of the Big Sur community.
Back in the day, Big Sur was quite the hotbed of artistic talent, from sculptor Harry Dick Ross, to novelist Henry Miller, collage artist Jean Varda, painter Emil White, poet Robinson Jeffers, writer George Sterling, poet Eric Barker, painter Ephraim Doner, Jack Kerouac, and photographer Ansel Adams.
Big Sur’s pioneer era began sometime between 1821 and 1846 and ended in 1937, with the opening of Highway 1. In the years in between, families that still call Big Sur home today took root — Pfeiffer, Bixby, Post, Trotter, Dani, Notley, Partington, and Harlan.