Big Sur & Carmel Weekend
- MAD
- Nov 17, 2018
- 3 min read
It took an eight hour drive up the coast—through LA traffic—for us to get to Big Sur. Luckily, I am not only a (self-proclaimed) great driver, but also a great passenger*! Sherlock Holmes audiobook, our road trip classic rock playlist queued up, and two full coffee mugs (both for me), and we were ready to not only survive, but thrive!!!
I had never been on the California coast north of LA before this weekend, but I was excited to see all of unbelievable views and vistas I've stalked on Instagram. But I found the drive itself was wonderful! Driving through the fields of harvested crops and pastures of grazing sheep, cows and horses made me feel at home like the Midwest, except that the Californian rolling hills and valleys that would be considered mountainous back home. Then suddenly tall, tall trees and the steep, winding coastline cliffs seemed to come out of nowhere. With those views I’d volunteer to drive eight more hours!
Living on a dream and a prayer, we found an open camp site at the third place we inquired. We snagged the very last campsite at a Fernwood Campground and Resort, a private campground with a variety of site setups and a motel. We set up our camp about one hundred yards from a small river and underneath the towering Redwoods. We were definitely in a glamping situation as they also had bathrooms with running water and showers. David made an incredible sweet potato and peanut stew, inspired by Fresh Off the Grid, which was inspired by Oh She Glows. Don't knock it til you try it, people! It was soooo warm and sweet and spicy!!
On Sunday we woke up with the sun, which wasn’t until 0700 since the looming Redwoods blocked most of the light. For breakfast we had gourmet egg tacos with caramelized onions and heirloom cherry tomatoes. Energized, we set off to explore.
We hiked into Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, where we toured a small but interesting museum on the history of whaling. Whaling is grotesque and awful for many reasons, but nonetheless people did it and the historical gear, stories, and information on methods the museum held was fascinating. We were also lucky to catch a glimpse of one of the two Ospreys who roam the reserve. She was eating a bit of fish and withstanding the harassing crows. (Not a great photo of her perched at the very top of the tree.)
Heading north, we pulled over to park wherever we could spot people following coastal trails. We stretched our legs up a few hills and filled our lungs to capacity with the fresh and salty air. Using this follow-the-crowd method, we drove, parked, and explored several times before we ended up in Carmel-by-the-Sea, where we decided to walk around and grab some lunch.
It was crisp and sunny, perfect for walking around the charming downtown village of Carmel. All combinations of Mediterranean cuisine, lots of Italian, fresh seafood. Lots of art galleries, antique shops, quaint gift boutiques. Gelato, coffee shops, bakeries. I had forgotten we were on a camping trip. Before returning south, we visited Carmel Mission, a beautifully restored and preserved historical and religious site. That night I made Annie’s Mac n Cheese with sun dried tomatoes. If you haven’t made mac n cheese with sun dried tomatoes, do it ASAP, it’s a whole new level. Kodiak pancakes and real maple syrup for breakfast, duh.
On our way back to San Diego, we explored a few more short trails, and we stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to catch a rare coastal waterfall, McWay Falls.
This weekend escape together, going off the grid was exactly what we needed, even only one month after off-gridding at Yosemite. Two years ago, we climbed the Cactus to Clouds trail to the summit of Mount San Jacinto, and David asked me to marry him. This weekend definitely wasn't as physically challenging or full of amazing surprises, but it was another wonderful adventure with together.
* For road trips I am a fantastic passenger, but in terms of local trips and errands, most of my acquaintances would probably report an inordinate amount of what is colloquially known as “back seat driving.”
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