Home Again


Advertisement
United States' flag
North America » United States » California » Big Sur
March 11th 2007
Published: March 11th 2007
Edit Blog Post

Yours TrulyYours TrulyYours Truly

Arkansas River Tours soiree in 2005
For me there are few feelings in the world that compare to going home, and no better way to arrive than after a perfectly decent road trip. Leaving San Diego, my home for the last six months, on a solo road trip to the beautiful island I call home (located somewhere outside of Seattle) was certainly no exception. Departing San Diego late one Friday afternoon in March I tried to imagine the worst traffic I possibly could... I was almost prepared for the nearly six hours it took to get to, and through, Los Angeles. Undeterred and hoping to make Big Sur by sunup with at least some small amount of sleep under my eyelids I reached a beautifully small Southern Californian beach state park around ten. Tossing and turning (no small feat for a man of six feet three inches in a 1997 Jetta) in my front car seat, my beanie could not shelter my eyes from the intensity of a nearly full moon. I took the opportunity to walk along the beach to a pier where an enormous hoist stood sentinel over the sand, a bright light fixed to its apex casting a hollow, fluorescent light onto the waves breaking smoothly on the beach. Three small boys giggled quietly, running down the pier to grab stones from the weathering cliffs forming the northern border of the park, then running back up the pier to hurl them at the oil platforms located a short five to seven miles off of shore.
I woke in my Jetta after an hour of sleep and realizing I would not get much more, I started my car and drove north to Pismo Beach, the city in which one of my best companions, a mango eight foot three inch Jerry Grantham surfboard was born. I arrived around 2AM to an expansive and deserted beach with only the occasional beach driver to accompany me. Luckily, a few long gone beachgoers had left their fires burning for me and I curled up alongside the warm coals with the moon blazing overhead for some needed sleep.
Four o’clock came without much kindness as it had extinguished my fire so I took the hint and left. Striking out towards Cambria I stopped just south of the city to sleep at an elephant seal mating site and quickly fell asleep again, this time to a chorus of grunts and whinnies. I do not think the seals were actually mating at the time but they certainly could have fooled me.
I awoke to brilliant rays of light peeking over the coastal range as though they were discovering the Pacific Ocean’s secret spot in a game of hide-and-seek, shining out over the sea’s endless blue, unencumbered by space, distance or cloud. I was soon on my way again, slaloming around the turns and curves of Big Sur, watching the west coast lazily wake up on a Saturday morning, enjoying taking its time because it was the weekend. I blasted my way up the coast stopping at Pillar Point on Half Moon Bay, paying homage to one of the great waves of the Pacific. Just north of that I stopped to surf an uncrowded but unfortunately cold break before I hit San Francisco for the midweek.
If you have never experienced Big Sur you should. I have been all over the West and the coast is one of the Western United State’s gems. I recommend driving north and finishing your trip in San Francisco for a few days (with good friends if you can). No offense, but you would be doing yourself an injustice ending in LA.

Peace…Heart, Simon



Additional photos below
Photos: 6, Displayed: 6


Advertisement



22nd March 2007

Mon Frere
Simone, All I can say is live your life to the fullest, give your love as though it was the last day of living, and listen to the world and its people because they have all the advise you'll ever need, to be happy and filled with joy. And yeah... follow your dreams, my brotha, as you embark upon this adventure today. I'll be living this one with you. Thanks for the journeys yesterday, today and tomorrow. Safe Travels! With Love, In Peace, cam (....stan)

Tot: 0.056s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 11; qc: 32; dbt: 0.0253s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1mb