John and I decided a couple weeks ago that we wanted to drive up highway 1 and see the coast and then do some camping and hiking in Big Sur. We looked up camp grounds and most had first come first serve tent camping so we figured we would get there about 10 on Sat. and grab a spot so we didn’t make reservations. We got packed up on Thursday and then as soon as John got home from work Friday we hit the road. We expected painful traffic through LA but it went surprisingly well. We went through LA because John wanted to get dinner at Phillipes famous French Dip restaurant. This is apparently where the first French Dip was made and was also featured on one of John’s favorite shows Man Versus Food. We got a beef and a lamp dip with some potato salad and they were very good. We even got lucky and got a meter right in front of the restaurant and there wasn’t a long line, so far we were having a very easy trip. We then cut through LA and hit Highway 1 (PCH) in Santa Monica. We breezed through Santa Monica and up through Santa Barbara and since it was dark at this point we skipped the PCH and opted for the 101 to just outside of Pismo beach where we stayed the night. I had found a new Candlewood Suites in Santa Maria, CA for $100 bucks online and so once I saw we weren’t going to have any problems making it there I called and got us a reservation. We hit the hotel at 11 and it was very nice and new, just what I like. We both were out in no time and since we were excited about the trip the next day we woke up bright and early and were on the road at 7:30.
We had breakfast at a café in San Luis Obispo, I had read good reviews for it on Yelp and we both liked our egg scrambles and were protein loaded for a day of hiking. We only made one stop on the way up since we wanted to get there early to get a campsite. We stopped at the elephant seal viewing lookout and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of seals laying and playing on the beach. It was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip because they are such strange animals and we got to see them in their natural environment so close. We hit the road and made it up to the south side of the Big Sur area and started looking for a camp site. We quickly saw one site after another with a full sign hanging up. Once we reached the north side of Big Sur with nothing but rejection at all the campsites we started begging. We would pull up to the camp sites and try to explain that we were just two little people with a little tent we needed to put somewhere. They would laugh at us and reject us. Finally we found one campground that had a tent cabin available and since we had searched all other options we were forced to pay the $85 dollars and take it. I am very cheap so this was irritating to me because tent sites are only $35 and most of their tent sites are only $60 so I couldn’t figure out why ours was more expensive. Then John explained that we were in the adventure tent so that somehow made it more exciting. I figured that we paid extra because our cabin had a real bed versus a cot like most of the other tent cabins and I will pay the extra $25 for a bed. We also had a lamp which makes camping much better. We brought our propane stove and made chicken, zucchini, bread, and smores for dinner. We also brought our DVD player and watched a movie while we ate by the campfire, we were really roughing it. Between all the food and drinks we slept quite well in our expensive tent.
We woke up the next morning surrounded by redwoods and a relaxing creek. They had decent bathrooms at this place so besides using my wet wipes to give myself a bath I was able to brush my teeth and wash my face. We threw everything in the car to start our scenic trip back down Highway 1. We had to stop at the Big Sur Bakery for breakfast and had a great quiche and coffee cake. It worked out well because the parts of the coast we saw when it was really sunny on the up were different than the parts that were really sunny on the way down. I wouldn’t normally recommend taking this trip during the summer because the coast of CA stays pretty cloudy from May through July. Luckily it got sunny during the middle of the day for our trip and was perfect hiking weather.
On Sat. we did two different trails and hiked about 7 miles. They were really difficult hikes, had good views, and it was the perfect weather. After we hiked on Sat. we drove up to 17-mile drive around Pebble Beach which is supposed to be the most scenic part of the coasts. We found out that this drive cost $10 buck when we got there but we sucked it and paid. I would say that it is a bit over rated. I saw other parts of the coast that were much nicer but now we can check that off our list of things to see. John can also say he has seen Pebble Beach, it is always fun to see places on TV and know you have been there. Sunday we did 3 short hikes on the way out of Big Sur and that was plenty because we were pretty tired. There are parts of highway 1 that aren’t right on the coast but we decided to be true to the road trip and followed it the whole way home. We tried to stop at Hearst Castle outside of Morro Bay but apparently you have to pay for a tour if you want to go up and see it, did I mention I was cheap? We made pretty good time until we hit Santa Barbara. The 70 miles between Santa Barbara and Santa Monica took about 3 hours, since we had already been in the car like 8 hours by this point we were getting pretty sick of the car. But we wouldn’t cheat on the coastal trip so we stuck it out until Santa Monica. We ended the trip with clam chowder and fish and chips on the Santa Monica pier. Not the best or preferred food spot but due to exhaustion we took what we could and got on the road home. Luckily traffic from LA to San Clemente wasn’t bad and we were home by 9.
Along the way we talked about how CA is unique in the way that it can seem like pretty much every state. The landscape is so varied that you can feel you are by the creek in KY, the ocean in FL, the Midwest in the middle of farmland, or WY in the middle of mountains. It was a great trip and many times when were out hiking I thought about how much fun we were having together. It brings out those loving feelings that can sometimes just start to blend in with everyday life. I love those moments when you feel like your heart is just falling in love all over again and you realize that this bond you have with your spouse it totally unique and special. I will remember those moments over the tired ones that we felt at the end of the long trip home.
No comments:
Post a Comment