We started our journey Thursday morning and sprinted up to SLO to grab Hwy 1 on our way to our "secret" camping spot. I say "secret" because it's not, you just have to be adventurous and be willing to camp without services (shower, toilet) for the night. But you do get breath-taking views of the sunset and sunrise from this spot. I'll just say we are off fire roads in the Monterey part of Los Padres National Forest just south of Big Sur. Aren't these views amazing? Totally worth not having a toilet.
As I was watching the clouds roll in, with a glass of wine in hand, of course, I couldn't help but notice (maybe I just made it up) but I could swear that they (the clouds) were moving in currents and waves just the the ocean below them. Such a great way to view/contemplate nature.
The next morning we got up, enjoyed some breakfast and the view then settled in for some quiet reading before heading up the road to Carmel.
We passed some construction, we assume it was the area that had been washed out earlier in the year by a landslide. So glad they are building a bridge now, but still a bit unsettling and a reminder of how powerful mother nature is.
Once we reached Carmel we realized we were luxury camping, a big change from the night before. The views were not there but they did have hot showers, electricity, toilets, and a swimming pool! First thing we did after setting up camp was to jump in the pool. Next we decided to wander into Carmel-by-the-Sea. Once there we realized that this is the place I had my first Oysters a few years back with Nick so we hunted down the spot, Ah Shucks, and stopped in for a dozen and a glass of Oyster Bay Sauvingnon Blanc (NZed of course) for me and a Moscow Mule (vodka, ginger beer, lime) for Nick.
Not a bad camping appetizer. I have to say out of the three types we had the ones from Tomales Bay (even though I missed them on my Nor-Cal trip) were the best. They had a sweet saltwater tang. The ones from BC were second, very creamy. And coming in third the Washington Oysters, they weren't bad just more bland than the other two.
We continued our day with a drive up 17-mile drive and a stop at the The Tap Room in Pebble Beach for some beer's and calamari before heading back to our campsite.
Saturday we lounged around the camp, read and then got ready for the wedding. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with myself for getting ready for a semi-formal wedding in a camp bathroom.
The wedding was a blast! Thanks Ash and Rob for including us in your wonderful day. They got married just down the road from our campsite at the Holy Farm. It was an amazing venue and Ashley was a gorgeous bride.
By Sunday's arrival I was feeling a bit grungy and ready to go home. We did get to stop at Firestone's in SLO for some tri-tip sandwiches, steak salad, and fries. A perfect ending to a great camping weekend.
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