The 2012 Big Sur Chanterelle Cook-Off and Festival will be held on February 24 and 25 at The Ventana Inn and The Big Sur Lodge. Proceeds from the event will benefit the health and wellness programs at The Big Sur Health Center.

This annual event celebrates the unique natural wonders of Big Sur, the extraordinary culinary skill of 12 local chefs, world-class local vintners and brew masters, and the talents of local Big Sur artists.

Saturday night was special. Carole and I enjoyed dinner at the Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant and without question it was the best dining experience ever!! And ever covers lots of great restaurants in Northern California. Congratulations to owners Michelle, Philip and Mike. Your talents are amazing and appreciated. As they say at the Bakery, “come to your senses and slow down.” Amen

In the early 1930′s, Helmuth Deetjen settled in Castro Canyon on the wild coast of Big Sur. What started as a barn and outbuildings is now the world famous and reknown Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn. For those of you looking for the perfect and relaxing Big Sur experience, a stop and stay at the Big Sur Inn is a must.

The Carmel River originates in the Santa Lucia Mountains and drains a watershed of about 255 square miles. This picturesque river flows for 36 miles northwest through the Carmel Valley ending at the Pacific Ocean south of Carmel-By-The-Sea. When the rains begin in October the river awakens and starts it’s trek to the ocean. At the ocean’s edge this is a dynamic event with the ocean and river in a constant battle for advantage. The ocean relentlessly builds the beach while behind the sandbar the river looks to break through and end its journey. Please enjoy my presentation below and stay tuned as we update you on the events.

Wildcat Cove is a dramatic and very private coastline setting situated at the foot of the Carmel Highlands Inn. Located approximately 4 miles south of Carmel, this rugged section of the coast is tucked out of sight from those traveling south by car on Scenic Highway 1.

I recently spent the afternoon hiking around Lopez Point on the old Harlan Ranch Homestead. This stunning setting shows the wild Big Sur coast at it’s best. The swells were immense and the air crystal clear.

Please enjoy this selection of photographs from some of our recent listings . These photos tell a wonderful and moving story of how the light plays with different scenes,  surfaces and textures and delights our senses.

Pfeiffer Beach is one of the very special places in Big Sur, private and secluded. It is located down Sycamore Canyon approximately 2 miles from Highway One. As you enjoy this spectcular location, notice there is no one else in sight. Just Carole, Ben and Summer.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Pfeiffer Beach is the rugged rock formations which magically protrude out of the sand.  This is a mystical place  full of foggy apparitions and  distant windblown sounds.

Next time you are in Big Sur, take an early morning walk on the beach and then have a great breakfast at The Big Sur Bakery. It doesn’t get any better.

Real estate markets in Carmel, the South Coast, Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula  depend on the health of  the economy in Northern California.  Approximately 65% of all buyers in the local marketplace  are from the San Francisco Bay area. We tend to lag 3-6 months behind these Northern markets and recent news from San Francisco indicates a much stronger 2011 as compared to 2010.

Combining this with the strength of the economy in Silicon Valley and the likely pent up demand as buyers wait for signs of recovery, a case can be made that the Carmel area will see a more vigorous market as 2011 unfolds. I have included for your study a Bi-Weekly Market Watch  from Rick Turley, President  Coldwell Banker Northern California, and from Donna Crowder, Manager of one of the leading San Francisco Coldwell Banker offices,  the San Francisco Market. We will be tracking these numbers in order to keep you current with the changes.

The Big Sur Coast of Central California is over seventy miles in length and stretches from the Carmel area on the north, south to the San Luis Obispo County line near San Simeon. The eastern boundary is the western slopes of Santa Lucia Mountains; the western boundary, the Pacific Ocean.

The western slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains, reaching an elevation of 5,200′ at Cone Peak, drop precipitously to the sea. Much of the coast is bounded by sheer cliffs. Great offshore rocks punctuate the dramatic meeting of land and sea. Beaches are few; strong currents, waves and cold water make swimming hazardous. Nearly fifty separate streams flow down the mountains to join the sea. Several of these, such as the Big Sur and Little Sur Rivers, Big Creek, Garrapata Creek and Salmon Creek, have substantial year-round flows and support migrating as well as resident fish. The Big Sur coast is rich in plant and wildlife diversity. Coast redwoods are found in the cool, moist canyons. The Santa Lucia fir and many other rare plants are present. Mountain lion, deer and many smaller terrestrial animals and birds make Big Sur their home. The California sea otter refuge runs the length of the coast, providing safe harbor for the sea otter, perhaps the most playful member of the coast’s diverse marine wildlife.

The climate in Big Sur is mild. Although the winters bring some of the heaviest rainfall in California, the summers are long and dry. Coastal fog is typical on summer mornings near the shore, while inland and at the higher elevations temperatures can get quite high.

The rugged mountainous terrain of the Big Sur coast has had a profound effect on historical use of the area and will continue to serve as a limitation on the kinds of activities that can be carried on and the scale of development. Natural constraints to development, including availability of water, difficult access and unstable soils on steep slopes require extra care and imaginative solutions when contemplating new land uses.

The scenic qualities and the natural grandeur of the coast which result from the imposing geography, the rich vegetative compositions and the dramatic meeting of land and sea are the area’s greatest single attraction. Big Sur has attained a world-wide reputation for spectacular beauty.

Although it has remained a rural area where sturdy pioneering families still carry on ranching, Big Sur’s residents have also achieved acclaim for their cultural contributions. Many well-known writers, artists and artisans have been inspired by the coast’s dramatic vistas and timeless solitude. A strong community identity continues to attract new residents. Today, tourism and private residential development are the strongest trends affecting management of the area.

Approximately half of the areas 150,000 acres lie within the Los Padres National Forest and the Ventana Wilderness. Nearly 10,000 acres are contained within units of the State Park System. Approximately 60,000 acres are in private ownership.