While we were on our assignment in Modesto and Manteca, I really wanted to check out Big Sur. Unfortunately, it was closed because of restrictions. After going there, I am not quite sure how they could close since Big Sur is massive!
I guess I should explain Big Sur. Big Sur is located between Carmel and San Simeon and the only road to get in, around, North, South, East - West... you have to take Route 1. In the contiguous United States, this is the longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline and one of the most beautiful coastlines in the entire world! It has tons of hiking and biking trails along with places to camp and backpack. This land is luscious, green, and very remote. Waterfalls, views of the ocean, and cliffs that go on for miles. I kept seeing this online and thought, we must go!
From Modesto and Manteca it is roughly 3 hours so it was a bummer when we realized we couldn't go. Thankfully, work was able to change our schedule so we could make the 6 hour drive from Woodland Hills to Big Sur. Not long before we arrived in Woodland Hills, there was a large mudslide in Big Sur making Route 1 closed in a certain spot (it is still being worked on). This means we had to drive all the way around Big Sur to the top to check out the State Parks we wanted to see. Not to mention, the state parks in Big Sur that are closer to us are open for camping, but the hiking trails are still closed due to the fires last year. So, we had to take the long way there!
Ironically, we ended up back in Monterey at Old Fisherman's Wharf to get lunch before heading into Big Sur. We were not planning on going back to the same area, but once we got there we said... wait, this looks familiar! We were in this area when we went to the 17-mile drive (check that post out here https://kyakel.wixsite.com/adventureswithkara/post/pebble-beach).
We decided to check out a different place to eat at Old Fisherman's Wharf, even though the place we went to in October was practically calling our names since it was so delicious! Abalonetti Bar and Grill is located a few doors down from where we went before. To be honest, I don't think either of us would go back. The calamari was not as good and neither was the clam chowder. We definitely would suggest Old Fishermen's Grotto instead!
Next was a small hike at Garrapata State Park called Soberanes Point.
It was really neat walking out to the edges of the cliffs and watching the water crashing in.
And because he always takes pictures like this next one, I had to put it on here...
We would rate this hike as easy to moderate. If you stay on the cliffs, it is not bad, but when you hike up to the point you can start to get out of breath, but it is worth it! When we left we went to check out the Bixby Bridge! Well first, we got excited and stopped at the wrong one... say hello to the less popular bridge known as, Rocky Creek Bridge.
Yes, we stopped at the wrong bridge due to clear over excitement from me and not having cell service made it difficult to know when it was coming up. We couldn't stop laughing when we got into the car and realized it! So then, we finally saw the Bixby Bridge!
After this we headed to our campground in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and enjoyed the views of the drive.
Here is our little campsite!
One thing to keep in mind is that Big Sur is very luscious which means it rains so your fire pit will be difficult to start and your tent will be sitting in mud. Thankfully there were a few days of sunshine prior to us arriving, but I can only imagine how bad it could be. We ended up using our camping box as fire starter since we had nothing left! Definitely a learning experience for us.
Then we explored the drive south of our campground.
One place on our list was McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We originally were planning to see this the next day, but we realized we were practically there so we checked it off our list. McWay Falls is an 80 foot tall waterfall that is extremely illegal to hike to (says on everything do not attempt). So we enjoyed the view from afar!
You do not have to go into Julia Pfieffer State Park to see it. You can see it by pulling off the road and walking over to the view point which was what we did! Next we drove towards our campground and stopped at Pfieffer Beach. The road to get here is very narrow and seems like a one way road, but it is two lanes. There are houses down this small winding road so be aware of cars pulling out of drive ways. There is a $12 fee to come here as well.
Online it said to find purple sand on the beach!
We walked around and took pictures before settling down at a spot to watch the sunset.
Once we found our spot we covered ourselves up with a blanket, had some drinks and snacks and enjoyed the view!
We headed back to our campground to make some backpacking meals we decided to try out. REI had a sale and I figured, what better time than Big Sur to try them out! We settled for some mac n cheese and a mudslide for desert. We quickly learned a few things:
Cooking in the dark is very difficult.
It takes much longer when it is cold outside for the pot to start to boil.
Measuring the water is important.
READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE PACKAGE
The mac n cheese was good, but we did not add enough water or stir it at the right time so it was a little crunchy... and our mudslide... well it had too much water. Either way we both were happy with the meals and would definitely buy them again! The next day we slept in somewhat late and made our blueberry, walnut, oats, & quinoa cereal when we woke up.
We both enjoyed that as well! We were really surprised at how much we liked the meals and were shocked at the portion sizes and protein inside. Once we finished that, we packed our hiking bags and headed for Buzzard's Roost Trail which is located right across from Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
This trail is roughly 3 miles and all up hill. Aaron hated all the switchbacks on this trail, but it was a really pretty trail.
At the top you are given this view!
After we soaked in the views and wished our families Happy St. Patrick's Day while we had cell phone service, we headed back down.
You can notice in some of the pictures all the black bark on the trees, that is from forest fires!
We even saw a banana slug!
At the beginning and end of the trail you walk along a nice little creek.
After this we headed to Andrew Molera State Park. We were happy to find that since we have a campsite at Pfeiffer State Park it was free entry at any of the state parks in Big Sur! When I looked up this park, it said online that there was a great trail that was 8 miles long and a loop of all the trails with amazing views and was a must see. Then I read that you have to cross through knee deep or less water. Aaron hates the cold and well frankly I am not the biggest fan of getting my feet wet while I am hiking. So we originally intended on not doing that. Then we found out that to access pretty much any of the trails, you have to cross through it! So we prepared ourselves and shoved our shower towels into our packs and headed out. First stop was crossing the Big Sur River...
It was one of those feelings where when you are half way you can't feel your toes anymore so you want to stop, but stopping will just prolong the process. It wasn't great, but when we got out of the water we immediately were warm since the water was so cold it made the 40-50 degree temperature feel great! First we headed down the Creamery Meadows Trail.
At the end you arrive at the beach.
Then we headed back and went to the entrance of the Bluffs Trail. Once we hiked up a small hill, we were given views of the ocean.
It was stunning. The blue ocean and luscious green cliffs going on for miles was breathtaking.
We hiked the Bluffs Trail for awhile, stopping to take photos and continue on.
Eventually we turned around. The 8 mile trail would be something we would've had to start much earlier in the day. Not to mention, we drove by the Big Sur Taphouse the day prior and said, "We should stop there!". It being St. Patrick's Day and us both being Irish, we decided to stop in.
After this we headed back to our campsite to enjoy a fire and smores.
When we woke up the next morning we were just relaxing in our tent since we knew it was going to rain that day. Our friend Louis messaged us the day prior because he wanted to meet up with us. We were not sure when because we had horrible service, but we told him what campground we were at. We weren't sure if he got the message... until we heard "Aaron? Kara?"... We responded with "Louis?". He said, "Hey guys!!!".
Louis got in late while we were already asleep and drove around the campground looking for something that looked like it was us! He saw my New York plates and hoped that it was the right vehicle. He parked his van in the camping spot that was open nearby and it worked out perfectly! We all caught each other up on our lives. He told us about his new travel assignment in Santa Clara and we caught him up on our assignment. We all decided to head over to a café at the Ripplewood Resort for breakfast.
After this we decided to all head down to Morro Bay. Aaron and I had a reservation at the Morro Bay State Park planned for that evening. Louis decided to join us and we were able to let him stay on our site for $10!
Then we headed to the Morro Rock which is a giant rock caused from plugged volcanoes. Formed about 23 million years ago and is 576 feet tall!
On our way to it we saw some otters in the water and a white cat!
Not sure why the cat was there, but it seemed to be used to it's environment. We walked around the rock and checked out the break wall as well.
After this, we headed to a grocery store and picked up supplies for dinner and a fire.
When we got back to the campsite, we started eating our snacks and checked out Louis' one wheel!! While we were ridding it around, 2 other people joined in on theirs.
Later on we cooked up our dinner and chit chatted until we went to bed.
The next morning we walked down to the marina in hopes that the café there had breakfast, but to our surprise they didn't.
So we went to Carla's Country Kitchen. The food was really good, service wasn't the best, but we enjoyed sitting outside eating with views of the ocean and Morro Rock!
From there we said our goodbyes to Louis. It is always sad saying goodbye to another traveler because you never know when your paths will cross again. We are hoping he visits us this summer, and we definitely want to visit him while he spends the summer in Alaska!
We had such a fun trip in Big Sur and it was such a surprise to hangout with our friend Louis as well! Big shout out to my parents for reading my Christmas list every year and being so supportive of all my hiking adventures! I couldn't do any of this without you all!
Comments