Because of my late mother, I had a chance to witness the beauty of morning glories in bloom during the late autumn. However, a snowstorm in October killed all the buds on my morning glory. My visual enjoyment of flowers has thus entered hibernation.
While staying at home, I felt my enjoyment of flowers during the hibernation was lacking so I started to look at photos of the unique flowers I took before. One nameless flower brought out a story about California Route 1. My late mother features in this story too.
Bixby Creek Bridge
Along CA Route 1, driving south to Los Angeles from Silicon Valley, you will pass the Bixby Creek Bridge, one of the many iconic sites found on California Route 1.
Bixby Creek Bridge was opened to traffic in 1932. The length and width of the bridge are 714 feet (218 meters) and 24 feet (7 meters) respectively.
Because it is a iconic site on Route 1 and Route 1 is very famous, the bridge attracts tourists during all seasons. However, there is no paved parking lot near the bridge, so tourists have to park their cars in the dust dirt area, if they stop near the bridge.
Nowadays, when I visit Bixby Creek Bridge, I always drive southward while crossing the bridge and stop at Hurricane Point, where the traffic is less crowded and featured paved parking spots. I enjoy watching the natural beauty of the Pacific coastline and the magic of human ingenuity seen in the Bixby Creek Bridge from Hurricane Point.
Standing at Hurricane Point and looking down to Bixby Creek Bridge, the mountains set off the beauty of the bridge and the curve of the ocean coastline emphasizes the spectacular sight of the bridge. I felt it is better to view the bridge at Hurricane Point than from somewhere closer to the bridge proper.
In September 2018, when I stood at Hurricane Point looking down the bridge, I realized that this is the first time I have come alone at a famous site since my mother passed away in May 2018. I could not resist to tell my mother: “Mommy, here is the best place to view Bixby Creek Bridge. You must be able to see this from heaven.”
While chatting with my late mother in my heart, I felt a closer connection to flowers, because my mother loved flowers very much. Small flowers blooming on a big bush on the coast side of the road naturally drew my attention and I was excited to tell my mother: “Mommy, there are nameless pretty small flowers blooming at Hurricane Point.”
The fragile pretty small flowers, ignoring the strong harsh ocean wind, were quietly blooming at Hurricane Point. I admired them for a while.
In September 2018, I drove southward along Route 1, bypassing Carmel, crossing over Bixby Creek Bridge, before stopping at Hurricane Point, a few times. My trips are namely for the nameless small flowers quietly blooming there. This type of effect came as a result of the strong attraction to beautiful flowers I have, a personality trait I inherited from my beloved mother.
Episodes
Standing at Hurricane Point, looking down the ocean, mountains, and Bixby Creek Bridge, on a sunny day and during the fog.
The big bush on the coast side at Hurricane Point, on a sunny day and during the fog.
Myoporum, the pretty little flowers blooming on the big bush on the coast side at Hurricane Point
（Revisited CA-1 again, not for the hills nor the sea, but for a blooming tree, at Hurricane Point. The fragile pretty flower, a year-round beauty at a harsh location.)