From Big Sur Bluffs to Death Valley Dunes

After the hustle and bustle of Santa Cruz, we headed south to that land of legends, Big Sur. So many of the writers and artists and visionaries of the last few decades found this place inspiring, wild, and beautiful. And it's no wonder. Highway 1 kisses the cliffs for dozens of miles along the coast, often hundreds of feet above the ocean. The forest and the ocean meet and create breathtaking views. We spent the night alongside a creek in Big Sur, then drove south along the coast the next morning.

The southern end of the Big Sur region houses an Elephant Seal Rookery, and we stopped to see them lounging in the sun. It was amazing to see them, after so many nights of hearing seals and sea lions barking in the distance.

Along the highway, we met a French couple and their baby who needed a ride. They were going to Morro Bay, CA, and when we got there they offered to let us stay at their campsite in exchange for the ride. We ended up getting along very well. I got to practice my French and we have new friends in Paris!
Morro Bay itself was also a great place. It is a surfing, fishing, and harbor town. Morro Rock dominates the shoreline, and sea lions come up to the docks to rest at night.

Finally, it was time to leave the Pacific. We waved goodbye and headed east again, this time tracing our path from our last trip Out West, through Sequoia National Park to Death Valley.

Now we are in Pahrump, NV on our way to Las Vegas for a rousing good time. We are seeing Penn and Teller and staying in the Rio, our first Hotel for this whole trip. We made it 6 days straight without paying for a RV park, and now we are ready to splurge. After Las Vegas, our trip is nearly over, with a mad dash for the East Coast in time for the new semester.
Au Revoir, California!

Adventure on Highway 1.

For the last few days, we've been driving down the California Coast on Highway 1. It is an absolutely amazing drive, albeit at times nerve wracking because of its high cliffs, narrow roads, and sharp turns.

Free-range cows on an overlook next to the highway.

We spent the morning frolicking in our underpants on this beach. The water is much colder than the atlantic or caribbean at this time of year, but it is still that perfect green-blue.

Red rock beach, a ten minute walk downhill from our overnight spot on the cliff above, and just north of Stinson Beach, CA.We met a bunch of friendly people who were interested in our van and our story, and we found out from them that this was a clothing-optional beach. Naturally, the next day we ran down and jumped straight in the water (well, some of us needed a little coaxing.) There is nothing as liberating as swimming in icy pacific waters in nothing but your birthday suit. Not to mention the sea lion jumping just offshore. It was a perfect day.

To top it off, a perfect Pacific Sunset.

From coast to coast

We have reached a milestone on our adventure. The Pacific Ocean welcomes us.

Keep an eye on this space for more info. We're not updating in any particular order so you might see a few adventures that are out of sequence. We're doing our best but the internet is not as plentiful on the road.