Pfeiffer Beach at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California

Pfeiffer Beach at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California

When the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean, visitors may be treated to a brief beam of heavenly light as the sun’s rays glow through the keyhole arch in the sea stack off Pfeiffer Beach in central California. Sometimes called a ‘mini Yosemite,’ Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park combines a wide variety of ecosystems in its 1,006 acres, including redwood groves, the grassy banks of the Big Sur River, and the park’s titular beach, where garnet deposits in the sand can make the beach look purple. Who’s driving the first leg of this road trip?