Chapter 7: The Bypassed East

Big Sur is similar to the Bypassed East because it is located near major transportation routes but not on them...

Located right off Highway 1 Big Sur is only accessible through the Highway via driving, riding a bike or taking the Monterey Bus.

 

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The Physical Environment:

The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination. Big Sur's Cone Peak is the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states, ascending nearly a mile (5,155 feet/1571 m) above sea level, only three miles (4.8 km) from the ocean.Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Sur

Climate:

Due to Big Sur's close proximity to the ocean modifies temperatures year round, providing a mild climate with minimal variations. Over 300 days a year of sunshine with seasonal rains. Cool coastal fog often develops overnight and usually clears by midday in summer. Spring and fall are usually Big Sur's best weather, with clear, warm days and cool starry nights. Go inland just one or two miles and the influence of the ocean becomes abundantly clear: summer days in Big Sur's valleys often reach into the nineties while the beaches are still filled with fog. 

Agriculture:

Big Sur has many ranches, and forests, but mostly farmers sell their produce at local farmers markets in Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey. Also, many local restaurants buy most of their fresh food from local farmers and some places even ship certain products such as honey and wine across the US. 

Franklin Peace’s Big Sur Story:

When Franklin Peace’s father caught a loose swarm of bees in Monterey in 1940, little did young Franklin suspect that this event would lead him to a lifetime of beekeeping and honey-gathering in Big Sur. 

. .That was in 1950, the property was Glen Deven Ranch, and sixty years later Franklin’s hives are still there. In 2001, Dr. Seeley and Virginia Mudd bequeathed Glen Deven Ranch to The Big Sur Land Trust.

“Glen Deven is a good place for bees,” Peace, who is 83, now says. “The hillside above is all sagebrush, which makes for the best honey in California.”

At one time, Peace had a hundred hives going. He would sell honey to hotels and restaurants in Big Sur as well as to a supermarket in Santa Cruz. 

Peace understands the value of bees and beekeeping. “Bees are good for the soil, good for pollination,” he says. Beekeeping affords him a deep connection to both land and community.