Friday 30th September

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Last night we had another briefing covering our next few days of travel. This was conducted around a patio burner under a wooden gazebo overlooking the campsite pool surrounded by mountains - can think of worse places for a meeting! As we were told the journey for today would take awhile, we set off nice and early again. First stop was to give Ellie her breakfast, having researched last night on google maps the nearest petrol station. Although we have been equipped with a satnav we have now started using google maps as well, which we find clearer.

After another fill up we headed off down Highway 1 to the beginning of the so called 'Big Sur', a very scenic piece of land shoehorned between the Santa Lucia Range and the Pacific Ocean. It was named by the Spanish settlers living on the Monterey peninsula who called it el pais grande del sur- the big country to the south. Unfortunately due to the terrible forest fires that have been raging in this area since July, most of the Big Sur's state parks are still closed, so we had to make do with stopping at the many vista points and drive offs as we drove along. The scenery was spectacular, but it is easier for the navigator than the driver to appreciate it!.

We walked down the Overlook trail next to the Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park to see the famous Mcway Falls, which tumble down the granite cliffs falling into the sea or, as was the case when we saw them, the beach. Then we stopped at the Rookery to see the large congregation of elephant seals lying on the beaches. They were quite noisey and a little smelly.

We had been told that Hearst Castle was worth a visit, but you needed at least 2 hours there, so we hurried up to the ticket desk and managed to get 2 tickets for the 2.10pm upstairs tour. After quickly grabbing a bite to eat we boarded the bus to take us the 5 mile winding drive up to the castle. What a place it was, very opulent and over the top in terms of its bedrooms and their attending sitting rooms and bathrooms, but our guide was a fountain of knowledge on both the Hearst family and the history of the house, so we learnt a great deal. After the guided tour we were free to walk around the surrounding grounds and admire the lovely views. The indoor swimming pool was breathtaking, but as there was a function taking place tonight they were closing early and were already setting out tables etc. A ticket to said function was a mere $25,000 so we decided not to bother and left by the downhill bus, which followed an equally, but different, tortuous driveway. In Hearst's day there was also one of the world's largest private zoos here and zebras can be seen grazing on the hillside near the highway. We didn't spot any but some of our party did.

Then it was time to head to our next campsite between Avila and Pismo beaches. In contrast to last nights peaceful stop, this one is next to a very busy highway, handy for a quick getaway tomorrow.

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