This kind of goes along with my last post. Sent to me by Martha Diehl. Contact Martha if you want to order one for YOUR driveway!
Author: bigsurkate
Appointed appellate counsel for indigent defendants (retired.) I have lived in Big Sur since 1984, first on the north coast, and on the South Coast since 1989.
Cultural Differences in bathrooms
One of the complaints Big Sur residents have about our tourists is the failure to use bathroom facilities, but to turn our entire coast into a bathroom.
I have traveled a fair bit, and often times to countries not as advanced as ours. I always carry my own tp in another country unless I am staying in a hotel that caters to western travelers.
One of my readers has been meaning to send me this article, Lana Weeks, which I found fascinating. I have not traveled to India, only Europe, Peru, Morocco, Greece, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, New Zealand, Mexico. Some of these have had different toilet etiquette than we have at home, but it has been easy to adjust. I had never really thought about all this when we are facing this health issue on our coast, but it is time we do.
So, I did a bit of research on line, and found this sign meant for people from other cultures who are not used to western toilets.
But even more fascinating is a comparison of the different bathroom etiquettes in different parts of the world. I have known and experienced outdoor toilets in Paris in the mid-60’s, the whole in the floor toilets in many of my stops, and no toilet paper in most. But for a comparison of different provisions re toilet facilities, nothing beats this comparison.
Until we understand cultural differences and address them, we will never resolve our “Big Sur as a toilet” issue with all the international tourists we attract. Something to think about… Maybe we don’t merely need to make it known WHERE bathrooms are, but how to use them.
Girders arrive at Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge
I bean delivery, photo by Steve Harper:
That guy in the back end is steering it, sort of like a long fire engine.
There are 15 girders, each 62 feet long and 62 tons.
Below photos by Cal Trans
Girders arrived at the bridge site this morning.
Most of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to reopen tomorrow
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is reopening tomorrow afternoon, Friday, July 28. This will allow access to the Overlook Trail, the parking and picnic area. The environmental campsites will remain closed until further notice.
Andrew Molera State Park opened earlier this week and they have expanded the trail openings to include the Bluff, Panorama, Ridge Loop trails. This includes access to Spring Beach from Bluff trail.
Bobcat trail is also open.
Creamery Trail is open and the only access to Molera Beach.
Molera Horseback Tours has been given the green light to resume operations on Creamery Meadow Trail.
Ventana Wildlife Society Discovery Center has been given the green light to resume operations in Andrew Molera State Park.
John De Luca, Sector Superintendent/ SPS III (acting) states, “Parks has made great strides and has been working continuously to improve recreational opportunities since the beginning of 2017. Although many of the beloved trails are still currently closed, I encourage the community and the visiting population to celebrate what is now currently open.”
This is good news as it will probably prevent the illegal camping and campfire that took place here earlier this week.
Dispersed Camping on Nacimiento Rd to be banned
The paperwork has been completed to ban dispersed camping along Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. It is currently out of the district for review before it comes back for signature. We won’t know for sure how long it will be banned until the order comes back into the district. It is not in effect until signed, but it is a very good step.
Monterey County Visitors Bureau Response
Hi Kate
Thanks for sharing this feedback. And I’d also like to thank you for sharing with your followers the list of things we are doing to support responsible tourism in Big Sur (https://bigsurkate.blog/2017/07/21/monterey-co-visitors-bureau-outreach/). One of the main points of that list was to illustrate the wide range of ways we are trying to support the businesses in Big Sur and the people they employ – but do so in a way the emphasizes respect for the environment and the people who live in Big Sur.
As much as we are doing to maintain balance, there is always room for more ideas and collaboration. So appreciate your sharing this latest comment. Some feedback on that:
· Bixby Bridge – clearly we know people are going to take pictures. So much of our messaging is designed to encourage people to be safe and smart. To use proper parking/pull-outs and be cautious at all times… We’ve posted such messaging in our social channels, stress this with travelers who come to our Visitor Center and among other things on our website, we have a Dos & Don’ts page for Big Sur on our website that further elaborates on this.
· On the line of copy about “sleep under the stars” – this was vague so we made more specific and refer directly ‘sleep under the stars… at Fernwood Resorts’. This has been updated in our material.
· One of the comments in today’s post (https://bigsurkate.blog/2017/07/26/moco-visitors-bureaus-disconnect-with-big-sur/) was whether MCCVB was directing people – on purpose or inadvertently – to private property. We certainly do not do this, in fact, we ask travelers to be respectful specifically of private property. But we’ll look at our messaging to see how we can further emphasize.
Again, we appreciate your sharing the outreach we are doing with your followers as well as receiving critical comments so that we can address. In fact, we’ve gone to great lengths over the years – not just related to the road closure – to ensure we are not ‘disconnected with Big Sur’. But there is always opportunity for more and better connectivity. So please feel free to reach out to me directly anytime with any suggestions.
Given that Big Sur is one of the most iconic and beautiful places on Earth, we know people are going to travel to experience it. The question is how can we make them more respectful tourists – that is a top priority.
Please let me know of any further questions/suggestions/ideas. We’ll take all the collaboration we can get…
Many thanks
Rob O’Keefe
Thanks, Rob for being so receptive. Now, if we could just find ways to get the “on the ground funding” we need for porta potties, trash collection, and patrolling to prevent campfires and illegal camping. Anything you can do in that regard, we would be very appreciative of, because no matter how much educating we try to do, it will not reach probably more than 1/2 the people it needs to reach. Of the 4000 people a day who contact you, how can we know how many don’t bother?
MoCo Visitor’s Bureau’s disconnect with Big Sur
This is from the brochure the vistor’s bureau was handing out when the TapHouse trail opened to visitors on July 1st.
Do you see the problem here?? There IS NO legal camping south of the bridge until Limekiln State Park, some 25 miles south, and until just recently, it was ONLY accessible to locals and deliveries through Paul’s Slide. So, where are these visitors being directed to? One reader found hikers with overnight packs hiking Clear Ridge. Another, found hikers who climbed over the private gate and proceeded up the private road at Coastlands. And Marcus, quoted below, has several times found campers on the property he caretakers. This is where the visitor’s bureau is direcing visitors, purposely or inadvertently – our back yards.
I sent a copy of the below reader’s comment (thank you Marcus) to the Bureau’s 3 top marketing managers yesterday, but as of yet, have had no response. I wrote to Mark, Rob, and April at seemonterey.com and sent this:
“”Just to point out the disconnect the County Visitors Bureau has with the realities in Big Sur. They are advising people to stop at Bixby Bridge and take pictures when there are 20 parking spots and 200 cars trying to park there on weekends. Maybe that’s a bad idea? Also, on their 4 page brochure they were handing out to tourists on the Southside ,when they opened the trail, the second paragraph was telling people “to stay for an unforgettable sunset and sleep under the stars” when there is not one legal campsite to do that. Dangerous!”
Feel free to send them your concerns, as well.
Highway One closure update, 7/24/17
Photos of: 1) Paul’s Slide (PM 21.6) still showing some activity this morning; 2) Pedestrian Detour Signs at South Turn Around (PM 45–just south of Pfeiffer Canyon; 3) Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge (PM 45.52) Abutment 1 Work, Platform and Falsework and 4) Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge (PM 45.52) Launch Falsework at Abutment 2. ( reordered this so number 2 is last for a comparison)
HIGHWAY 1 UPDATE – Monday, July 24—NO CHANGES
Here is the pedestrian detour and a comparison of what it looked like a week ago last Friday, when Paul’s Slide was still closed. Glad to see the change, as it was a real challenge to figure out how to get into and out of the handicapped parking spot between the deli and the post office.
What do Venice, Italy & Big Sur, CA have in common?
Several people over the weekend brought my attention to an article in the Guardian, which I usually read in any event. This article, however, is not about the politics I usually read, it is about how tourism is destroying Venice, Italy.
Here is the link to that article: Guardian Article
To entice you to read it, here are a few tidbits:
“Earlier this month an estimated 2,000 Venetians marched against a tourism industry they argue has eroded their quality of life, that is damaging the environment and driving residents away: Venice’s population has fallen from about 175,000 in the post-second world war years to 55,000 today.”
Here in Big Sur, the tourist industry and media accounts are still referring to the same “3 million visitors a year” model that they were using in 1985 when I first moved here. No update on the number of visitors Big Sur is expected to entertain has been provided in the 32 years I have lived here, and it has tripled, quadrupled, or more, in my conservative estimation, during that time. If Nepenthe is serving 1000 meals a day in normal years, as has been claimed in all the recent news articles, then every single one of the 3 million people coming to Big Sur plus a 1/2 million more, are stopping at that establishment each year, and we know that while Nepenthe is an icon, everyone does not stop there. In fact, most do not.
“… Residents were hoping that Unesco would send a strong signal to the authorities by following through with a threat to place the world heritage site on its endangered list. Instead, the organisation recently granted the city another year to come up with measures to protect its monuments and preserve its fragile environment.
‘It feels as if we’re at a point of no return because it’s already out of control,’ said Beltrame. He would like tourist numbers to be limited, while focusing on improving the quality and promoting the city as a hub for scientific and maritime research.”
Here, we already have the Aquarium, the Marine Sanctuary, and maritime research, and more research on the fragility of our environment, the endangered species that call Big Sur home is needed.
Has the degradation of the experience of Big Sur for locals and tourists alike reached the point of no return here, as well? If we were a UNESCO site, would we be put on their endangered list?
Come to the Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council’s next meeting on August 11th, 2017 and share in the conversation. Details and Agenda will be posted when made available.
Brush Fire-Gilroy, 7/23/17
9 pm – Fire ran upslope in grass, hit the ridge, burned down the east slope under oak canopy where they got retardant around the head, C106 and C406 finished it off with quick turns out of a large ranch pond. Fast work on this one. Whew.
Fire crews are responding to a brush fire south of Gilroy on Sunday afternoon. The blaze is burning off Castro Valley Road, west of Highway 101, near Gavilan College. It’s not threatening the college. It started around 4 p.m., quickly spreading to 20 acres. There’s currently no containment. At 8 pm, it is up to 150 acres and 30% containment.
