When the theme of Earth was announced, my first thought was mountains. I love spending time in the mountains. The air always seems clearer, the views bigger, and how the colors and textures fade into the distance. On clear nights under a full moon, you can still see the layers. I wanted to recreate that layering effect and show the mountains fading into the background. But the question is, what mountains should I create? There are so many beautiful mountain ranges to choose from around the world. For this project, I chose an area close to home, the Santa Lucia mountains of California and one of the most popular viewpoints, the Bixby Bridge in Big Sur. The geology of California is amazing. The Santa Lucia range was created when the old Farallon Plate was overridden by the North American plate. As Farallon went down, the Santa Lucias were pushed up to 5,000 feet in elevation leaving Big Sur perched on the edge of the North American plate looking out over the Pacific Ocean and the plate beneath. The views that remain are breathtaking, combining several different microclimates and areas to explore. Please come with me as we take a drive down California Highway 1 and enjoy the beautiful view of Bixby Bridge and Big Sur!

Note: Entries have been not been edited or proofread to protect the integrity of the maker's original meaning.