Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/898390
above and beyond by playing a leadership role in aiding the community… They worked tirelessly to help locals stay informed about the situation, and worked to find solutions." For some businesses, the only options were renovation and reinvention. The storms battered Deetjen's Big Sur Inn, forcing closure of the resort (a member of the National Register of Historic Places). The Deetjen's Big Sur Inn Preservation Foundation started a Go Fund Me campaign to help contin- ue its not-for-profit mission to provide an affordable Big Sur experience. In late September before the bridge opened, the restaurant at Deetjen's served its first breakfast, and local resi- dents (along with a few hearty hikers) gathered for eggs Benedict and a side of community spirit. Staff members who had worked tirelessly for nearly seven months to clean and repair the buildings once again served customers. "Deetjens will persevere," says Matt Glazer, hired last summer. "It knows how to be Deetjen's. My job is to help preserve its history and help share it with everyone." Toren had to share his Henry Miller Library at The Barnyard in Carmel, where a satellite facility helped spread the gospel. "It's a different perspec- tive there, of course, but really fun," he says. Ventana Inn underwent a $17 million remodel, and is now open as Ventana Big Sur, with a new glamping program offering 15 safari-style tents with plush amenities—effectively reinventing Big Sur camping. Glen Oaks Big Sur has taken a more minimalist approach, offering rustic-yet-modern eco-friendly rooms with adobe walls, beds crafted from recycled wood and bamboo side tables, while strongly encour- aging its guests to commune with nature (rooms have no TVs, and sever- al cottages sit surrounded by an ancient redwood grove). The message to visitors now: Proceed with caution. "There's been a sense of entitlement to do what you want without thinking about impacts," says Wright, referring to traffic, pollution, illegal campfires, stress on flora and fauna. "Public agencies need to educate folks and do a better job of managing the lands." Gafill wants to keep the giant chess board, the cornhole games and the relaxed pace on the Nepenthe patio. But with the bridge open, a different kind of flood looms. "We all loved the quiet and the solitude," says Glazer, "but that will change. People will come. And anyone who runs a business struggles to reconcile that." 126 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 7 On Friday, October 13, 2017, a ribbon cutting celebrated the reopening of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, which had been closed for eight months. Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said, "This route…[is] a national treasure." Photo: DMT Imaging One of those lessons involved easing life's pace. Quiet island life reminded residents how it used to be.