Big Sur

We were up and on the move a bit after 4 a.m. on Thursday. I drove first. My eye lids started dropping around Santa Barbara. Tricia took the wheel, but first, we needed grub. The early morning hours choked any normal civility one could have during that time. We tried dining at a Denny's like an old couple, but instead we laughed, pushed and teased. The scene fully matured when Tricia blew boogers from her nose; she darted for the ladies room. If I were only a bit funnier orange juice would have been included. From the look on the waitress's face I gathered we were no where near her normal Thursday morning crowd.

After a couple bathroom visits we wished the waitress a swell day and hit the road. I dozed in and out until we approached Morro Bay.

It was just like I remembered it: cool, damp and beautiful.

The rock had not changed, but the water teemed with life. A group of seals were strangely floating there and I believe I saw a bat ray descend deeper below the water's surface.

The photo below is for Dean.

We stayed for an hour or so and when I finished my love affair with the seals

we left for Cayucos.

Cayucos is a sleepy little beach town. The main street consists of a short strip of shops, some of which look old, and others quite modern, but nothing too fancy. There is a fishing pier (pictured below) and there is a quaint family-style restaurant that turned me on to Pepper Plant sauce. We ended up finding the little mart that carried it and we bought two. 

We found Moonstone Beach on our last trip to the Central Coast. It's basically Cambria, but the signs say Moonstone. We ate clam chowder and fish and chips then took a stroll along the coast.

The elephant seal vista point is near Hearst Castle. We stopped, along with a hundred strangers, and bathed in their stink.  

Treebones abruptly appeared. Big Sur owns small signs. Adding to our confusion was the resident cool guy; Oakleys and all. He was working on the sign and his truck practically blocked the entrance. If you've ever been to Big Sur you know people drive like the Devil is chasing them. I pulled off in a rush and made a scene full of dust while I screeched to a stop wondering if I had made the right decision. I did. I simply had to pull around the work truck and make my way up a serpentine road. 

We settled in to our yurt and spent the rest of the day exploring the perimeter and beyond. By beyond I mean the ex-meth lab we stumbled on across the highway. 

Above: The front door.

Below: The front door, sink and Tricia. 

Above: The bed and table.

Below: Our little heater. It works well if you place your ass really close to it.

Above: The ceiling. It had a hard plastic covering and at night we could see the stars.

Below: Another yurt perched on the hill side. 

Above: The same yurt, but with an example of the view. 

Below: Yurts are on top of the hill. We hiked down to explore another trail across the highway.

Above: The trail we were curious about.

Below: About the point we stopped hiking. These vehicles looked like the residual of a violent temper tantrum. To the left sits an old dilapidated shed-like home. We stopped and turned around. Later, I asked the front desk guy if he knew anything about the place and he said supposedly an old former astronaut owns the land, but hasn't done anything to it for years. Apparently the old man is a bit looney. Since the land has just sat there people have used it to squat, and at one point it was used to cook meth.

Here's an example of a different kind of camping. They call it The Nest. You spend about $90 a night for a camp site, but this creation comes with it. People sleep in it, read in it, think in it and probably fuck in it, but now I'm just guessing.

Here's the view from the inside.

After exploring, we started drinking. 

Then we watched the sun fall.

At night we played war, we ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and we slowly fell asleep to the sound of wind whipping through the loose flaps outside of our yurt. The tree branches rustled above our heads and an occasional Big Sur racer cruised by, but sleep was good.