Big Sur in Monterey County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

High Seas: The Ocean Highway

West Coast Connections

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 26, 2022

1. High Seas: The Ocean Highway Marker

Click on photo to read photo descriptions.

Inscription. Well into the 20th century, travel by land along California's coast was arduous and time consuming. Steamships and schooners offered a faster and more reliable means of transporting goods and people over long distances. The main landings along the central coast were Monterey, Port San Luis, and Santa Barbara. Most ships bypassed the isolated settlements of Big Sur, except for prearranged supply stops.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels.

Location. 36° 10.167′ N, 121° 41.095′ W. Marker is in Big Sur, California, in Monterey County. It is on Cabrilla Highway (State Highway 1 at milepost 37), on the right when traveling south. The markers are near the cliff at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Big Sur CA 93920, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Central Coast

and specifically on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Daring: Dog-hole Ports (here, next to this marker); Esselen: We Are Still Here (here, next to this marker); Pioneers: Homesteading the Sur (here, next to this marker); Red Giants: Trees of the Mist (within shouting distance of this marker); Condors: Returning to Our Skies (within shouting distance of this marker);

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Inspiration: A Wild Coast and Lonely (within shouting distance of this marker); House with a View (approx. 0.9 miles away); Two Women From Two Worlds (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Big Sur.

More about this marker. This is the second of four panels mounted to a stone and masonry foundation. There was a nonfunctioning audio player to the right of the foundation.

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, April 26, 2022

2. High Seas: The Ocean Highway Marker

Second from the left.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 251 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.