Weekends
on the California coast can be made or broke with the weather, and for Kristin's and my trip South to Big Sur, we have been beyond blessed. The sun has
been out, temp is tolerable (with a puffy) and it’s just incredibly hard to tell
that we’re anywhere near mid-winter.
For
a postponed b-day celebration we’re spending a few days down South in honor of
Kristin’s big 3-0 milestone. Spending a mellow weekend with my favorite gal is
just the perfect icing on the cake of the amazing winter I’ve had so far. Hard
to believe it’s only the end of Feb.
We
began our travel South, buzzing down HWY 1, taking the long road through costal
towns to Big Sur. The wind was on, and the surf was pretty sad looking all the
way South – though we popped in most breaks for at least a quick look. We
had a nice lunch stop in Moss Landing at Phil’s Fish Market (on the reco of
Warren), then jumped in some Kayaks to explore a bit of Elkhorn Slough (also on
Warrens reco). We were lucky enough to see lots of bird life, seals & sea
lions, tons of otters and even got frisky with some star fish.
We
pulled into the lavish Ventana Inn for sunset and settled in by the fire with
a bottle of champagne in our wonderful room. Though activities were set with
high expectations Saturday, the day ended up being more of a lazy one. Wind was
back on the surf, so we spent some time in the truck on the dirt and drove the
lazy backroads from Bixby Bridge back South to Andrew Molera – bisecting a
portion of the El Sur Ranch. We were lucky enough to score some prime outdoor,
wind protected, real-estate at Nepenthe for lunch with just spectacular views
of the Pacific. Massages, coed Japanese hot tub & sauna were followed by dinner here
at the resort. Kristin says “Yes, please!" & "Thank you.”
Sunday
we shed the pampered life of Ventana and had quite the different day. We drove
South to check out McWay Falls where a small creek trickels out of Julia
Pheiffer Burns State Park, and pours over an 80ft drop directly onto the beach
of one of the most picturesque coves I’ve ever laid eyes on. Heading back North
the surf looked like it could be manageable so I was able to sneak in a session
at the Big Sur Rivermouth. I rinsed the salt water off in the river then
Kristin and I jumped on the bikes for an incredibly gorgeous sunset MTB ride
along the Bluff, Panarama & Ridge trails in Andrew Molera State Park.
Panorama was more difficult than either of us could handle, but the downhill
payoff, as the sun set in the Pacific and the moon rose over the hills, more than
made up for the challenging ascent. Though not caught on camera an absolute highlight was the ride through the ridge top Oak forest as the setting sun lit them up like fire.
Just
another amazing weekend, and so great that a highlight like this one is in our
own back yard.
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| All packed up for a romantic weekend getaway |
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| Lunch stop at Phil's in Moss Landing |
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| Kayaks heading up Elkhorn Slough |
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| It is hard to keep up with this gal |
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| Amazing scenery as we wind our way up the waterway |
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| Who's checking out who here? |
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| Headed back to the dock after a nice paddle |
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| Fisherman on the rocks at the mouth of the harbor at Moss Landing |
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| Stunning coastal views as we weave our way South |
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| Amazing light all the way |
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| And we've arrived at our destination of Big Sur |
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| Kristin is a fan of the luxury |
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| Sunset view from our deck at Ventana |
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| We leave the paved for the preferred dirt path – Bixby bridge out the valley |
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| Weaving our way through El Sur ranch's redwood forest |
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Silvia treats us well on the Old Coast Road
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| Kristin's preferred seat in Silvia, perched as we cross one of the small bridges |
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| Switchbacks we descended |
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| Pacific views as we pop out of the redwood forest |
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| More views of the stunning ocean |
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| Good things come to those who wait – amazing scenery for our lunch at Nepenthe |
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| Sipping rum by the fire after an amazing day on the Central Coast with Kristin |
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| Up and at 'em – views South as we weave our way to Julia Pheiffer Burns State Park |
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| Stunning McCay Cove |
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| Water spills directly onto the beach |
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| Happy couple on our final day in Big Sur |
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| Even the views behind the views are spectacular – looking North from McCay Cove |
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| Water was cold but surf was pretty fun |
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| Kristin & I head out for an evening ride |
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| It was hard to keep our eyes on the dirt with such amazing coastal scenery |
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| Final shot before the camera died as we summit out on our ride |
