We left on Sunday morning and headed north. Our destination was five hours away, but we decided we would stop if anything caught our eye along the way. Once we got on the Pacific Coast Highway (the PCH) that follows the shoreline, there were plenty of things to see. We pulled over at a vista point to take in the view, and were promptly greeted by an aggressive welcoming committee of ground squirrels. They approached without hesitation and I hollered at Zach to get a banana out of the car, partly because I wanted to get a closer look at them, and partly because they looked like they would eat human flesh if they weren't satisfied with people snacks.
Once we had quelled the hunger of the man-eating ground squirrels, we went to check out the ocean view. And what did we promptly spot? An otter! Two otters in fact, swimming around and playing. It's quite possible that it was a mom and a pup, but we can't be certain. It was the first time I've seen them in the wild, and I was delighted to see one floating on her back and trying to break open some food by tap! tap! tapping! it on a rock on her belly. Delight!
Our next stop brought an even more spectacular sight:
Hundreds of seals napping on the beach. They looked so warm and soft, like perfect pillows. Occasionally one would use a flipper to throw sand on his back, and we saw one cover his head with sand and then make a breathing hole in the mound by blowing air out his nose. Further down the beach we saw what we think was an elephant seal. It was like the most enormous slug you've ever seen lobbing itself toward the water bit by bit.
On to our destination: Treebones Resort in Big Sur. "Resort" is an interesting word choice. We loved the place, but when you share a communal bathroom, is it really a resort? Treebones is a series of yurts that offer ocean views and an unplugged experience. No cell phone reception, no tv, no computers. It feels like a campsite but offers more comfort. There is a lodge with a free waffle breakfast, and they also serve dinner and have a little gift shop and games and books to borrow. Really, there was nothing to do, which is just what we wanted. We played a lot of Scrabble, sat by the fireplace, and looked at the ocean. And we tried the homemade pie both nights. Apple and strawberry. Mmmm.
We took a drive up to Big Sur proper...
...and had lunch at a riverside restaurant.
On the drive back we pulled over at another vista point and heard loud barking coming from the beach. Sea lion barking. We caught sight of them and listened to them talk for awhile.
Back at Treebones, we discovered this:
A "bird nest" built by a Bay Area artist. It faces the ocean and you can sleep in it. It has a mattress and is quite cozy. I'd love to come back and do this when the weather is a warmer.
Treebones is a new favorite. But next time, we want one more day. To sit. And do...nothing.
1 comments:
Forgive my ignorance but is a ground squirrel the same as the ones that purposely throw acorns at you at Furman? Or do these live in the ground like a ground hog? Or are they "ground" because they are not of the "flying" variety? I never knew, what I didn't know about squirrels. But as Carrie Bradshaw says, "It's just a rat with a cuter outfit."
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