Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big country of the south". The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination. Big Sur's Cone Peak is the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states, ascending nearly a mile (5,155 feet/1571 m) above sea level, only three miles (4.8 km) from the ocean.[1]
Although Big Sur has no specific boundaries, many definitions of the area include the 90 miles (145 km) of coastline between the Carmel River and San Carpoforo Creek, and extend about 20 miles (32 km) inland to the eastern foothills of the Santa Lucias. Other sources limit the eastern border to the coastal flanks of these mountains, only three to 12 miles (4.8–19 km) inland.
The northern end of Big Sur is about 120 miles (193 km) south of San Francisco, and the southern end is approximately 245 miles (394 km) northwest of Los Angeles.
Places in Big Sur[]
Big Sur Mental Health Clinic -- The main compound is large, and grassy. Imagine a cross between a college campus and a hospital. The central complex is skillfully full hidden by secondary structures which are large and airy in nature. But the central core is a high security place. There are very disturbed minds in there. The Hannibal Lecter reunion. CoC characters who's have gone into negative sanity. That sort of thing.
The area surrounding the clnic is also flat and cleared of trees out to about 100 yards. After that, it's pretty heavily treed for California. with evergreens leading into steep hills. (They had to fight to find a level spot wide enough to hold the place.)
Dr Forrester -- A well centered man made of circles with a rim of happy fuzz around his head, a curly mustache and big eyes peering through his glasses.
Therilan's House -- One of a small grouping of houses backed by the Ocean. A typical Californian two bedroom slab bungalow. She has it filled with computers, and her huge and constantly rotating magazine and newspaper collection.
Pine View Apartments -- Low cost apartment building affordable by medical aides.