Pacific Coast – Honeymoon Adventure Part 5
Wednesday June 3rd –
We woke early in the still dreary woods of Butano State Park and made a warm cup of coffee. There is something about being chilly in the forest that makes a cup of coffee taste that much better. The plan for the day was to choose our stops as we traveled along. We set out around 8am with the intention of having breakfast on the beach in Santa Cruz.
We stopped at Natural Bridges State Beach first. From the parking area, we looked over the top of the stone arch way. Shore birds gracefully landed on the rocky island and we made the short walk onto the beach to catch a better view of them.
Walking out onto the beach gave us a whole new perspective on the bridge. The waves filled the space in between the two rock walls and made an intense booming sound with each crash. The tide was growing higher and the waves slamming against the rocks cast a spectacular white spray high into the air, causing the birds to squawk and fly higher into the sky.
We climbed out onto a cliff overlooking the ocean and unpacked our small breakfast. Digging into our sandwiches, we had the whole rocky ledge to ourselves. The enormity of the Pacific Ocean spread out in front of us, reflecting off of the crystal clear blue sky. Despite the waves relentlessly breaking along the edge of the rocks, there was a deep tranquil feeling to the pattern of it all. Waves reached the jagged shoreline in front of us at three different points and the sounds they created were bold and orchestrated.
Two surfers climbed to our ledge and stopped briefly to smile hellos before jogging down to the waters edge, eager to ride the rough waves.
Shallow puddles of water rested on the surface of the smooth cliff bed and I enjoyed watching the few clouds in their reflections. This trip was intended to remind me that I needed to take time to slow down and enjoy my surroundings. It was close to impossible to do anything but stare out at the ocean to what seemed to be the edge of the Earth. Nearly all of my senses were engaged in this experience. It completely clears your mind. In front of us, lay the kind of view that makes you close your eyes for a moment to take a deep breathe before reopening your eyes to experience it over again for the first time. I stared off for as long as I could before blinking; I wanted to imprint this image into my memory forever.
I knew that we were nearing the end of this journey, and I was thankful for the sounds around me as they pushed those thoughts from my mind. Long since finishing our breakfast, we stayed watching the waves crash. Soaking in the last of Natural Bridges State Beach, we packed up our things and returned to the car.
We continued on to Santa Cruz and drove along the cliffs. This was not my first time experiencing the Pacific Coast, but it felt new and exciting to me as an adult. We fell in love with Santa Cruz. We felt an instant connection and dreamed of moving there someday. The coastal homes built just beyond the road overlooking the two story sea cliffs were extraordinary. Excitedly, we shared how wonderful it would be to live along the coast with sunsets and sea breezes to bask in every single day.
Next we stopped at Seacliff State Beach and really loved the atmosphere.
The pier seemed to separate the beach. To the south, there were many people sunbathing and playing in the water while groups of people grilled food under the provided wooden pavilions. The right side of the pier was quiet and docile. Mounds of washed up seaweed and driftwood replaced the towels and beach chairs that inhabited the left side.
The large wooden pier was beautiful and full of people fishing. We stayed for a bit and wandered along the beach, just skimming the edge of the cold water.
Continuing down Rt. 1, we stopped at Sunset Beach for lunch. This was a beautiful beach but rather windy once we climbed over the dunes and quite similar to our east coast beaches. We left shortly after we finished eating.
We made a random stop at Point Lobos Reserve which turned out to such a wonderful spontaneous decision. We were totally amazed by the scenery.
There were jagged cliff edges and beautiful, colorful coves full of Sea Lions. It was hard to believe that we saw so few people while we hiked along the path.
The trail we took was South Shore Trail and it was well maintained and quiet. We drove to Whale Cove and walked the first steep staircase to a wonderful overlook. The morning had grown slightly overcast at this point and the cloud cover gave the ocean a dark, eery feeling.
We continued our drive down South Rt 1 twisting and turning with the roadway, beautifully nestled between the mountains and dramatic coastline.
There were many beautiful overlooks that we stopped at to look at the cliffs and rocks below.
We came to Kirk Creek Campground by midafternoon. Immediately, I fell in love. The entire drive through Big Sur was spectacular, and our campsite did not disappoint.
Our campsite was directly over a cliff and we looked over the hills at the Pacific Ocean below us. Every view from our site was spectacular.
As late afternoon approached, half of me couldn’t wait to watch the sun set right in front us, while the other half of me knew that sunset signified the end of our last day of camping on our trip.
Anticipating going back to our lives was daunting and upsetting to me. Of course, I missed my family so much but I didn’t miss the daily grind that we were stuck in. Something clicked for us while we were on this road trip. I have changed somehow and I know that I have to follow through with making adjustments to how things have been. It’s sad to me to know that our trip is almost fully behind us now. I feel immensely grateful for everything that I have seen and I have tried to absorb every single moment of this experience. But I am deeply upset to have to leave this in the past.
I love Pennsylvania for the memories and family it holds for me, but it’s not enough to quench this thirst to travel and explore more. I know that now. This has opened up a side of me that I didn’t know was here; A side of me that I love and trust more than I have ever before.
After enjoying our dinner, we watched as the sun barely peaked through the bottom of the cloud cover.
Despite the clouds that surrounded the sun as it began to set, light eventually broke through in powerful streaks across the sky. It seemed as though the West Coast was giving us an amazing show to end our journey. As the minutes ticked by, the sun suddenly burst through the clouds and illuminated the entire campground with a brilliant glow of light.
There is nothing that I can say to fully explain this scene except that the sunset was absolutely amazing. It was directly below us, settling in for the night beyond the Pacific Ocean in a fiery orange and yellow glow over the cliffs in the distance.
I stood taking photos for a few minutes, but after many shots, I stopped to simply enjoy this beautiful scene. Every now and then, I realize how important it is for me to just observe and be present.
After the sun set, we met two fellow campers – Anne and Leigh. They were from St. Louis and after sharing hilarious stories of our previous adventures, we laughed on into the darkness and agreed to stay in touch. It’s amazing how many cool people we met while traveling to the destinations we have.
Thursday June 4th –
Waking up today on our last full day in California, I am surprisingly not as sad as I expected. I am more reflective than anything. I think this is a turning point for us. Not so much the end but the very beginning stages of our new lives. Maybe we will travel for years while we work on the road. Maybe we will find a spot outside of Santa Cruz and figure it out from there. But I know we will be back here. Soon. There is simply too much that makes me feel alive in this one place to not be here.
We packed up our site one last time, being more deliberate in how we loaded our gear knowing that we would not be using it again until we were back home in PA. We left our seaside campground in the early morning fog after a quick walk to see the beach from the walk in/ bike in sites. We drove North along Rt 1, stopping for coffee and a map. We found the unmarked road that leads you to Pfeiffer Beach and drove the windy, 2 miles down to the parking area. The morning was heavy with fog and clouds which meant we had the beach to ourselves.
Wandering around a turn in the steep cliffs that lined the beach, I tore off my sandals and left my camera gear on the beach to head into the water. It was icy cold and the waves were huge but I knew I wanted to get my feet wet. The waves crashed in the distance and with it brought a swell up to my knees. A sense of peace rested over me, and I no longer felt cold standing in the ocean.
The beach was cleansing me of any negative feelings I had that morning. It was beautiful. The rocky arches filled with waves slamming into the sides and the cliffs just behind the beach set a beautiful tone to finish our time in Big Sur.
Stopping briefly at Carmel River State Beach, the sand was much heavier and rocky. The waves were intense and the fog turned to spitting rain. The weather seemed to match our mood as we drove north towards Monterey. This was the first sign of precipitation we had seen in two weeks.
We continued up the coast and into Carmel. We stopped at UPS to ship our camping gear back east ahead of us. It was the point that made us both very aware of our time ending here in California.
We drove into Monterey, with no real plans in mind. We walked around Cannery Row for a short time but knew that we preferred to see the natural aspects of the peninsula instead. We drove along the famous 17 Mile Drive for most of the scenic parts. The day was intensely gloomy but the sights were still beautiful along the ocean. We stopped at Bird Rock and walked hand in hand onto the beach. Suddenly, a wave crashed on the rocks next to us and after a brief moment of catching each other’s eyes, we knew it was time to run from the water or be soaked. We ran, laughing up the beach.
We checked in to our hotel – Casa Mundras Garden Hotel -and settled in to relax. It had been a long two weeks and we were both tired.
Standing in the shower at our final hotel in California, I watched as the water turned dirty with the remnants of two weeks of wearing sandals and hiking boots wore off of my tan lined feet. The last whiff of camp fire washed from my hair, swirling down the drain, and I felt a tinge of uneasiness. I was the cleanest I had been in weeks but felt the most vulnerable. The last two weeks of living in near wilderness, amongst likeminded people, made me feel whole and human again. The stresses of my life before this trip had worn me down and taken me so far away from myself. I couldn’t think clearly before this time in California. The two weeks we spent out here had shown us the way onto a path that we know we need to follow from this point forward.
Tonight I would wear jeans and a sweater instead of my worn in hiking clothes. As I dressed, I fought the urge to run back to the UPS hub that held our camping gear and take it all back to set up camp. I stifled those thoughts, as my soul felt full and happy again.
We continued on; Ready to enjoy dinner made by someone else, instead of rehydrated food prepared in a bag with our own hot water, eaten off of a simple, cumbersome spork. We walked to Cibo for dinner and enjoyed some delicious Italian food. We stopped at one final bar before heading back to the hotel to rest for our day of travel ahead. Tomorrow we would return back home. We have created so many memories, and I know that we are only at the beginning of a long life of special moments, not at the end of a trip.
After note: Finishing this last piece of our journey was surprisingly difficult for me. I found that I continued to put off concluding it time and time again. After a few failed attempts at completing it, I realized why. Posting this fifth, and final, post signified an end to reliving this journey. As each week passed, the memories faded a bit more and I realized that this was now officially in the past. Editing both my photos and my writing was a way to recreate those moments in my mind. This trip turned out to be a defining turning point for both of us, and I did not want to part with those memories. But, I realize that the 2 week road trip itself was not what was defining but rather the life experiences we gathered along the way. It’s difficult to say that I have changed dramatically since this trip, because I feel as if I am always growing. But, I have come to recognize when there are big leaps in growth, and I feel that I have become more in tune with who I truly am after these two weeks in California. We will return, one day, soon. But, until then we will continue to live each day with the values that we learned while on this wonderful adventure.
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