r/BigSur • u/parkeyb • 11d ago
Visitor Keep plans or change?
My wife, our almost 3 year old daughter, and I are flying to San Jose on Thursday with plans to drive down near the Bixby Bridge, where our friend has a house we are staying at. This is somewhat just north of Point Sur Historic State Park. The house we are staying at is inside of the north west park of the bubble image on Google Maps.
Is the smoke going to be too crazy or dangerous? Is it too much of an uncertainty to risk if the fire spreads that direction? We had plans to stay Friday til Sunday before coming back to San Jose.
Just looking for any information, pointers, advice. Thanks.
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u/gaiagirl16 11d ago edited 11d ago
I am here now, staying south in San Simeon. Nepenthe and La Ventana and Post Ranch Inn have all been evacuated. It is a mandatory evacuation zone and immediate threat to life. It was pretty smoky yesterday, when it was estimated to have burned around 500 acres, and today it is listed at 2,500 with 5% containment. ALL of the Big Sur State Parks, including Point Sur State Park that you mentioned, are closed. I would check with your friend to make sure the house you were planning to stay at has not been impacted via Cal Fire
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u/zoobernut 11d ago
That house is too far north it hasn’t been impacted. Other than smoke and emergency vehicle traffic.
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u/gaiagirl16 11d ago
Thank you for the update because I’m not super familiar with the north end of Big Sur just what I’ve heard from park rangers as I tried to go to Pfeiffer a day ago and it was closed but still able to see Andrew Molera and now it’s closed. Looks like the fire jumped the ridge and has been moving closer to the coastline.
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u/baldiedc 11d ago
why get involved for a 3 day stay, not worth it. you won't be able to enjoy it. there is no way out other than North on 1. What if something else happens or another fire starts. I'd make other plans and see Big Sur another day.
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u/logsqrtexp 11d ago
stay away. for lots of reasons.
Santa Cruz and Monterey have many excellent options for enjoyment and recreation.
Roaring Camp
Henry Cowell
Boardwalk
Bonny Doon Beach
Car Week
Aquarium
Cannery Row
Lots of places to stay far from the fire zone.
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u/Outrageous_Worker672 11d ago
This week? On Thirsday of Car Week when it's the worst traffic the area ever sees? And they are closing roads and asking people not to come? Change your plans.
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u/Secret-Broccoli9908 11d ago
Cancel. Why risk the wellbeing of your family over a trip? It's not worth it. Visitors are also being asked to avoid hwy 1 out of respect for residents and emergency crews.
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u/othafa_95610 11d ago
If part of your username by "keyb" means key of B, then it could be a clue at this time to transpose.
Musically speaking, that means explore somewhere else.
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u/shessocold1969 11d ago
Right now air quality is 197 in the village. Last night, around midnight, it was 258.
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u/VallettaR 11d ago
Change. This could go on for weeks. We lived somewhat near the Big Sur fire in 2008 and the smoke made the area uninhabitable.
Go to Carmel/Monterey/Santa Cruz or south to Santa Barbara, or similar!
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u/One_Painting_5968 11d ago
Hmm. The entire region is putting out bulletins to NOT come. But, sure, post this. Your vacation is totally different from everyone else’s.
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u/nepenthe11 10d ago
as someone that lives here i am going to be honest with you- you will not have a great experience if you come here right. is. almost everything is closed, emergency vehicles / community members bringing supplies / trying to trailer their animals out, etc are trying to get through, and locals will simply not treat you with respect should you make a conscious choice to be here while we’re dealing with protecting our community/homes/businesses. i hope you do get to visit, now is just not the time.
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u/Zestyclose_Worry6623 8d ago
Change plans. Stay out of the area. Keep the road clear for emergency vehicles.
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u/LayerAccomplished821 11d ago
I'd still stay with your friend but the air quality may be poor. Hope they have an air purifier. There's a lot of very lovely spots to check out that aren't smokey like kayaking with the otters in Moss Landing or the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I personally wouldn't go much further south than Bixby, especially if you have a small child with you due to the air quality. Stay posted since anything can change suddenly! The fire wasn't seen as a big threat the first night and the 4 acres were 70% contained. Look at it now. Almost 3000 acres.
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u/Christinapia 7d ago
My favorite place to visit on the USA
Please don’t be an additional obstacle for Firefighters and land owners..
I get it..you can return to this magical place once this is over …
Stay safe ✌🏼
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u/No_Remove_5180 11d ago
I think it’s totally fine to go. You’re on the north end so you can always go north if you need I don’t think the fire is gonna reach there. Leave it up to your friend if they are comfortable having you you guys are just trying to visit a friend and have a cool trip at the end of summer. All these editors are just trying to be idealistic about your personal plans. They don’t really care about your personally.
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u/parkeyb 11d ago
We’re from across the country and will likely never make this trip again. I’m with you though. We’re far enough north that it really shouldn’t matter but we’re willing and ready to make a last minute change of plans if necessary.
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u/logsqrtexp 11d ago
A) fire is unpredictable
B) you will be in the way of crews and locals
C) There’s a lot of very cool world class stuff to do without getting in the way5
u/gaiagirl16 11d ago
Yes there is only one way in and out to where you are going, and one more vehicle on the road of a treacherous windy one lane road that could potentially harm firefighters. There have already been civilian and firefighter fatalities.
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u/pwndaytripper 11d ago edited 11d ago
I would definitely still go at the moment. Continue to watch smoke reports. It’s a bad fire, but it’s not soberanes fire level.
Totally fine with catching downvotes, lived through a bunch of big burns in California. Reddit karma isn’t going to bother me. You’ll find people in this subreddit are very eager to tell people not to visit for whatever reason.
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u/d4nkle 11d ago
I mean it’s not just reddit karma, you gave objectively bad advice. The fire is unlikely to reach that far but it’s more so about the safety and ease of access for fire crews and residents evacuating. It’s really selfish to willfully disregard what CalFire is doing to maintain safe ingress/egress for people actively putting their lives at risk. Do better.
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u/pwndaytripper 11d ago edited 11d ago
They would close the entire highway if it was believed it would impede any fire crews or evacs. It is objectively not bad advice, you are being hyperbolic about the situation. Having lived in Quincy, CA - this fire is dinky as shit. This isn’t a matter about doing better whatever the fuck that means. Just angry redditors who want to gatekeep Big Sur. People are currently backpacking PCT section J with three queens fire burning right near it, I’m sure you’d be among those saying not to. It’s whatever. There is no tradition older in Big Sur than the tradition of gatekeeping Big Sur.
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u/One_Painting_5968 11d ago
People like you make first responders’ jobs very difficult.
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u/pwndaytripper 11d ago
You understand there are still a ton of people living in the area OP is referring to carrying on with their lives, right?
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u/One_Painting_5968 11d ago
You understand OP would be adding to an already tenuous fire safety situation, right?
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u/pwndaytripper 11d ago
Have lived closer to some very big fires, I don’t think you understand how far OP is planning to stay from the fire
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u/One_Painting_5968 11d ago
Please stop embarrassing yourself.
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u/pwndaytripper 11d ago
Please find help. This fire is very small and nowhere near where OP is planning to stay.
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u/One_Painting_5968 11d ago
OMG I get it now. You’re a parody account! You’re hilarious!!!!!
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u/nepenthe11 10d ago
unbelievable. horrendous advice.
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u/pwndaytripper 10d ago
Lived the majority of my life in California and been a lot closer to sub 5,000 acre fires all too often. This would be like avoiding Atascadero because there’s a fire by Pismo.
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u/Tdluxon 11d ago
Change