After driving 58 miles south of Monterey, hikers can view Salmon Creek Waterfalls at Big Sur minutes from the highway. In order to park, you would have to search for a horseshoe shaped turn. It can be tricky to locate. If you are lucky to find the area, you can see cars parked along the highway.
The drive can be a treacherous adventure with falling rocks, mudslides, not to mention finding a safe parking space to see Salmon Creek Waterfall up close.
If you are hiking from the highway, the Salmon Creek waterfalls can be seen about a third of a mile. The falls are on the boundary of the Salmon Creek Trail and the Silver Peak Wilderness. We hiked on the trail to the waterfalls that thundered on the boulders. We took our time climbing on the boulders to get closer to the sound of the crashing waves of water. We sat and relaxed for an hour and half.
Be sure to check before traveling and searching the falls. The storm and rainfall around the waterfalls can cause road closures. Be safe.
Moss Landing beach is a great location for whale watching, situated right on the edge of the Monterey Bay Submarine Canyon.
On a cloudy, windy day when this video was taken at Moss Landing Beach, we caught a view of the harbor mouth, where whales often follow schools of fish. They congregate near the beach, frequently surfacing when a school of krill is nearby. Pelicans and a flock of shore birds also dive for the meal. Despite the risk, these birds manage to make it through alive.
Consuming Krill and Small Fish That Swim in Groups
These whales, also known as baleen whales feast from spring through fall, primarily consuming krill and small fish that swim in groups. Humpback whales are “gulp feeders,” meaning they swallow their food in one large gulp. They widen their mouths by stretching the grooves and then push water out through the baleen. Here we could see a humpback whale enjoying a meal just a stone’s throw from the shore, near a rocky area.
Bubble-Net Feeding
To catch their prey, humpback whales employ a fascinating technique called bubble-net feeding. In this technique, a group of whales swims in a circle that gradually shrinks, while blowing air from their blowholes to create a bubble net above them. They may dive as deep as 20 meters (66 feet) while performing this technique. This can be done in two main ways: upward spirals and double loops.
In upward spirals, the whales blow air from their blowholes as they circle towards the surface, creating a spiral of bubbles. In double loops, they perform a deep, long loop of bubbles that gathers the prey, followed by a slap on the surface and then a smaller loop that prepares for the final catch.
Sometimes, people witness a combination of spiraling and looping. After forming the “nets,” the whales swim into them with their mouths open and they are ready to swallow.
If you’re hoping to spot whales, locals recommend visiting between spring and fall, from April to November, especially when humpback whales are most active. With their love of krill and baitfish, they often put on spectacular “lunge feeding” and breaching shows right at the surface. This spot offers one of the best free views because the deep canyon waters get quite close to the shore here. People can witness whales fin-slapping and lunge-feeding without the need for a boat.
In 1986, Don Seiden, Professor at the Art Institute of Chicago, had high respect for Marlene Krueger on pursuing her lifelong aspiration. Marlene had always envisioned a future where people of all ages can engage in a simple gesture with light. This innovative approach sought to assist at-risk individuals in externalizing overwhelming emotions, processing trauma in a secure and non-threatening environment, enhancing self-assurance.
Marlene Develops a Prototype
Helping People Through Light Therapy With Prof. Don Sieden
“Throughout my life, I had a vision to develop a device that harnesses the therapeutic properties of light.
“Growing up at a ranch when I was six, I’d roam freely through rows of translucent sweet peas glistening from the sun light.
As the peas were illuminated, I experienced a calming transformation when the pods glowed.
A flood of light beamed, as I picked up one of the translucent pods, as if reassuring me. A connection with nature enveloped me, and the pain I had experienced earlier disappeared.
Since that moment, I’ve been driven by an unwavering desire to recreate that timely experience for others to experience.“
Light Therapy
Light therapy involves using light with a touch of a hand. There’s a sense of joy that ease anxiety and help the nervous system.
College Experimenting with Kinetic Lights
According to the students, “watching kinetic light in motion is a great way to express overwhelming feelings, boost confidence, and work through trauma without having to talk about it. It’s a safe and non-threatening way for treatment”.
Projecting With Light
The light therapy acts as a mirror to our internal human state, that involves empathy, triggering dopamine-driven pleasure, that provide a type of non-evasive way of healing from complex issues, with emotions such as sorrow and fear.
High School Students gather around a device invented by Marlene Krueger
Here is a collaborative experience where high school students watch light patterns that shines through a light device invented by Marlene Krueger. Here students place their iridescent work in the central device, aimed at creating light with motion.
Marlene Krueger’s life-long vision of creating a device that uses light to heal is her calling. When she was just six, she spent her days exploring the family ranch, surrounded by rows of sweet peas that sparkled in the sunlight. As the peas glowed, she felt a calming change, like the pods were whispering to her.
One day, a beam of light seemed to reach out, as if to reassure her. She picked up a translucent pod, and it felt like a connection with nature embracing her, and the pain she had felt before, vanished. From that moment on, she was determined to recreate that magical experience with others.
At the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the top schools in the world, Marlene Krueger was determined to bring her vision to life. She wanted to invent a type of lumia light, just like the one she had imagined as a child, when her experience with pain went away.
In 1986, Marlene Krueger developed a prototype of her vision. A course in Kinetics, Electronics and Neon inspired her to proceed. Her dream of giving people the chance to heal through light therapy is about to actualize.
To make her dream a reality, she called Dr. Billy Kluver in New York. She saw a phone number in a magazine that listed his work with machines that move, and kinetic light. He was known for working with many pop artists in New York.
At first Marlene thought a receptionist would answer the phone, but instead, she spoke with Dr. Billy Kluver, himself, an engineer at Bell Laboratories who empathized with the pop artist requesting his expertise in engineering with their kinetic light devices. Marlene talked for almost an hour about everything under the sun, sharing her purpose in life.
Billy Kluver was so impressed with Marlene that he invited her to meet with him in New York City, along with his wife Julie Martin, a contributing writer with “Art in America.” She wrote many of Dr. Kluver’s experiments with a broad spectrum of kinetic light confiding with famous pop artists in the 1960s.
Marlene mentioned she could make it during Christmas break, and that was the plan. Dr. Kluver also gave her the number for Earl Riebeck, the inventor of the infinity mirror that was shown in “Star Trek.” He suggested Marlene call him up, and he’d be happy to share some of his insights. So Marlene did, and they actually talked for hours. Later, he invited her to visit him in New York City so he could show her all his inventions. She went.
Her trip to New York was unforgettable. The experience in New York sparked Marlene to devise a more advanced prototype.
After Marlene finished a prototype she allowed herself to test it out with her professors at the Art Institute, as well as city-wide high school teachers and college students who were at risk.
During her final year, she was determined to keep her dream alive. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Immediately she was invited to present and talk about her work with colleges in auditoriums filled with 4-500 people. In addition, her work was recognized, and she received an invitation to exhibit her prototypes and large-scale installations at a gallery located at Merchandise Mart, in downtown Chicago.
Within the Big Sur region of California, Pfeiffer Beach is known for its stunning Keyhole Rock. Every year, photographers from all over the world flock to the beach during the chilly months of December and January to capture the breathtaking sunset that peeks through the arch.
The steep cliffs that surround the Big Sur coastline has a unique view, making it one of the few spots you can easily access the ocean.
Tall Cypress Trees along Big Sur California
Los Padres National Forest
The road and beach at Pfeiffer Beach are located within the Los Padres National Forest. The road is named after the Western Sycamores that line its path and are close to the beach.
In the summer, from June to August, you can expect frequent fog and cool temperatures, a local phenomenon called “June Gloom.”
A Brief History
The Pfeiffer family first settled in Sycamore Canyon, near the coast, in the winter of 1869. Michael and Barbara Laquet Pfeiffer were traveling to the southern coast of Big Sur when they stopped in Sycamore Canyon. The area was so captivating that they decided not to move south again the following spring. Their eight children married and lived there for many generations. In 1910, the family opened the Pfeiffer Ranch Resort at their original home. Plus, there’s an Esslen midden site nearby.
Back in 1884, John Swetnam and his wife, Zulema Florence Swetnam, built a cabin right by the Big Sur River. John was so kind that he gave away the first 700 acres (280 hectares) of land, which later became Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
In the video below, I briefly show how I painted a sunset at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur. The colors in this scene are just amazing! You can see the deep crimson red, warm orange, cool teal blue, vibrant ultramarine blue, and rich purple sand. I wanted to share a step-by-step guide on picking and mixing colors to make such a beautiful picture right there on the Big Sur coastline. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAhR0uI22CQ
