Day: September 13, 2012

I managed to get my wits about me today and I drove from Treebones north to the top of Big Sur and then down again, despite my fear of heights and cliffs. We drove most of the day and I didn’t drive us off a cliff. We drove in an out of thick fog banks and rarely saw the water today. We had lunch at Nepenthe, thanks to a friend who recommended it; the carrot ginger soup was delicious and the views from the restaurant are stunning. We stopped at a few other places along the way and pulled over often to enjoy the views and take photos. Here are a few of my favorite shots from Big Sur today.

The view from Nepenthe and the whimsical scenic viewing area:

And, one of the bridges that spans one of the gorges we crossed.

Honora and I arrived at Treebones, yesterday afternoon. It is in the southern end of Big Sur perched on a remote hillside across from the Pacific Ocean and Highway 1. Thankfully, it was Honora’s turn to drive because if it had been my turn, I would have had to pull over and let her drive anyway.

We arrived yesterday as the fog was settling in. We wouldn’t have wanted to arrive at night as the road to Treebones is narrow, winding, and without illumination. Treebones is a fascinating place. There are 16 yurts and several campsites plus the lodge and a few other structures. We commandeered the largest yurt because we wanted separate beds. We were surprised to find a ping pong table inside. We didn’t play. They call it “glamping.” Glamorous camping. And that, it is. Our yurt is large and nicely furnished with hardwood floors. We have a deck with a view. We have a sink in our room but the toilets and showers are in a communal bathroom which is actually very nice.

One of the most fascinating things to us is that the pine trees become miniature rain forests when the fog settles in. All night, I heard what sounded like raindrops on the yurt’s canvas and when we got up in the night to trek to the bathroom, the wooden walkway was wet under the pine next to our yurt and we felt raindrops on our heads. It was the Monterey pines dripping on us.

There is an organic garden here with lettuces, artichokes, tomatoes, other vegetables and herbs. Much of our dinner last night was made with the greens from the garden and I had an artichoke grown here. they seem to live off the grid here. No cell phone service—in fact very little reliable cell phone service anywhere in Big Sur—but we have satellite wi-fi if in the main lodge.

A view of a couple of the yurts:

Inside our yurt:

The view from our yurt, before the fog rolled in and after and as it rolled in: