Big Sur

July 16^th

We traveled North again up through Morro Bay past Hearst Castle and along the Coast to Big Sur.   As we drove up the coast we were hoping to get to see some of the dramatic scenery along the coastline up to Big Sur.  We did get to catch glimpses but a marine layer of fog obscured the view for most of the drive.   We did stop at and got watch a bunch of Elephant Seals Males lounging on the beach.  They come down to this beach from Alaska to molt.  Most of these guys weighed in at 3000 – 5000 lbs.  They entertained us with their antics. Maneuvering for the most comfortable position in the pile of their friends, throwing sand up over  them with their flippers and battling in the surf to establish dominance. Their battle cries sound like giant long belches.  You can learn more about them at http://www.elephantseal.org.     We continued our journey on up the coast as we had learned a valuable lesson.  When traveling in CA,  Travel Early & Stop Early to find a Camp spot and enjoy your stay.   We travelled up to Big Sur and made it there before noon.  The State Park campgrounds  were already full but there was a space available for one night at a local private campground called the Fernwood Resort.   It was a lovely spot right next to the creek and we had a great afternoon of bicycling.  We rode from the campground down to the beach.   A round trip of about 8 miles.  Only half of which was uphill!  A great ride through Sycamore Canyon led us down to Pfeiffer /Big Sur State Beach.  It was definitely worth the effort as we were rewarded with beautiful soft sand and dramatic arched rocks and crashing surf.   I made Mike pose for a couples pic.  He was a little more accommodating this time and even smiled.  It must be because we were on a beach.   We rode back to camp and grilled some salmon and veggies for dinner.  It was cool and comfortable sleeping and we even had to break our fleece in the evening and the next morning.