Last July, after visiting Los Angeles, Judy and I drove our rent-a-car up the 101 to Big Sur.

The last time I visited Big Sur was in the early-1980s, when it was still possible to hitch-hike the coast, or take the Green Tortoise, which today is more a hostel chain than a bus, where foam platforms replaced the seats and luggage racks were converted into bunks.

Hard to explain what it was like to enter Pfeiffer Beach with no one else around. Kept looking behind the trees, for St. Peter.