8.29/30.13 : morrow bay & big sur.

After the sunrise in Malibu, I swiftly made my way up to the Big Sur area after stopping for a beachside breakfast in Santa Barbara.

The California coast is something to be seen in person, but I tried my darndest to somehow capture with my camera. This post covers Morrow Bay up to just below the Monterey Bay/Santa Cruz area and spans my first and second day.

My first night camping was nearly a disaster. Armed with only a hammock and hoping against hope to find a place to hang it the night before Labor Day weekend, I lucked upon a packed campground with only three spots left and was able to rig it up using one decent tree and my car. It wasn't ideal, but being my first night camping alone, I wasn't too bothered by the fact that I was surrounded by fellow campers in their much more sophisticated setup. I had the place to myself in the morning when I woke up with the sun (one of the many joys of hammock camping) and was able to make and enjoy my breakfast and coffee before the other folks even began to stir.

The coastal drive that morning was beautiful and the landscape varied incredibly from one curve to the next. Each stop seemed to be better than the last and I wondered how I'd ever make it to my planned destination. My last stop in the Big Sur area was a pull-off that was absolutely packed with cars. I saw the direction everyone was walking in and went the other way, up a hill to a path that was a bit less trodden. Following the path towards the ocean, I didn't come across a single person as I ventured further from the road. Eventually, I was led to a tiny hidden cove and beach with not a soul in sight. Cliche as it may sound, taking the road less travelled really did prove fruitful.