The first track, running along the California coast of the Pacific Ocean, promises many surprises, and one of them is a small house where distinguished eminent guests stayed. The names of these people are known to all, they are remembered. And the house where they stayed is located on the territory of the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in California on the picturesque coast of Big Sur. And the reason why it was worth living there is very banal - a breathtaking view from the veranda of the house. The good news is that now this beauty is available to tourists, and they can walk along the trails or just look at the ocean. So we decided to stop and check out what this gem of route number 1 is.
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| McWay Falls and Cove at Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park |
Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park was established in 1962 on the site of the 650-hectare Saddle Rock Ranch at the request of its owners, Congressman Lathrop Brown and his wife Helen, and named after their friend Julia Pfeiffer Burns. The house, where many famous guests stayed, no longer exists, as the owners asked to be torn to pieces. But at one time it was the best house on the coast and was even the first to be electrified (electricity was generated by McWay Creek).
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| McWay Falls and Cove at Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park |
Interesting Facts:
- The first owner of the Saddle Rock Ranch was Christopher McWay, who farmed and raised cattle on a rocky ocean shore (we saw the same thing on Point Reyes near San Francisco ). He was a pioneer in his field, and McWay Bay and Falls are named after him.
- In 1924, the Brown family bought the ranch from McWay and they then built a sequoia cabin on top of the cliff opposite the falls.
- In 1940, the Browns built on the site of the cabin a modern two-story Waterfall House with rich finishes, exquisite furniture and expensive interior items.
- During the construction of the highway from Carmel to San Simeon in 1932, a Pelton hydro turbine was installed on McWay Creek to power a 32-volt electric generator, which became the first source of electricity in the Big Sur area. Three houses, a blacksmith shop and a small funicular were connected to it.
- In 1956, the Browns moved to Florida and their home was looked after for a long time by Julia Pfeiffer's granddaughter and her husband, who lived there. And in 1961, Helen Brown transferred the Saddle Rock Ranch to the state of California.
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| McWay Falls and Cove at Julia Pfeiffer Burns Park |
Trail to the Falls and McWay Bay
The trail leading to the observation deck of the waterfall is quite small and does not require any effort. Nice walk. Along the way, we stopped several times to take not only classic photos of the waterfall, but also capture the bay from different angles.