|
| | | Big Sur Coastline - August 2014, CA | | | |
|
|
Big Sur Coastline - August 2014, CA
| | |
| |
|
| Backpack | 49.08 Miles |
2,040 AEG |
| | Backpack | 49.08 Miles | 5 Days | | |
| 2,040 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
| |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Big Sur Coastline - August 2014
FitBit totals = 49.08 miles, 2040 AEG (204 floors)
BACKGROUNDER
I’ve had a couple of previous opportunities to visit the Big Sur Coastline of California. Pacific Coast Highway return trip home after Hannah's wedding in Oregon  [ photoset ] required a definite redux in the Big Sur area. I also had a chance to visit during a July business trip to Cupertino [ popup triplog ]
With my August participation with a medical team in Leh Ladakh Kashmir India pushed out to October, had an opportunity to take my wife on a 30th wedding anniversary wish to the "Big Sur Coastline"...
Some things to consider;
1. Big Sur beaches https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/beaches.html
2. Kayaking in Monterey ?
https://www.montereybaykayaks.com
https://www.seemonterey.com/things-to-d ... /kayaking/
https://www.adventuresbythesea.com
3. Monterey Bay Aquarium https://www.montereybayaquarium.org
4. Whale spotting along Big Sur Coast
5. Giant redwood hike
6. Big Sur history https://www.bigsurhistory.org
7. Dogs are pretty much NOT welcome anywhere in Big Sur...
THE PLAN
Mon 8/18 - Ahwatukee AZ to Marriott base camp #1 in Monterey CA https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ ... -marriott/
709 miles, 10 hours 25 minutes per Google Maps Confirmation 88321895, 80,000 points Monterey Marriott
350 Calle Principal, Monterey CA, 93940
Tue 8/19 - explore Monterey CA
Monterey Aquarium https://www.montereybayaquarium.org
Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail [ Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail ]
Shoreline Stroll Trail [ Shoreline Stroll Trail ]
Should consider Point Lobos State Reserve, North Shore Trail [ North Shore Trail ]
Wed 8/20 - Monterey to Glen Oaks base camp #2 along Big Sur River in the redwood forest https://glenoaksbigsur.com
30 miles, 0 hours 44minutes per Google Maps Confirmation P433714A6627, $249.62 pre-paid on Visa Glen Oaks Big Sur Highway One, Big Sur, CA 93920 Hiking in Big Sur https://www.hikinginbigsur.com The "must see trails" https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/mustsee.html
McWay Waterfall Trail https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_mcwayfalls.html
Ewoldsen Redwoods Trail https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_ewoldsen.html
Partington Cove Trail https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_pa ... ncove.html
Thu 8/21 - Glen Oaks Big Sur to Avila Beach Lighthouse Suites base camp #3 https://www.avilalighthousesuites.com
116 miles, 2 hours 45 minutes per Google Maps Confirmation 211148994, $398.60 Avila Beach Lighthouse Suites
550 Front Street, Avila Beach CA, 93424
Fri 8/22 - Avila Beach CA to Ahwatukee AZ
575 miles, 8 hours 37 minutes per Google Maps Avila Beach Walking Tour [ Avila Beach Walking Tour ]
THE TREK
Mon 8/18 - Ahwatukee AZ to Marriott base camp #1 in Monterey CA https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ ... -marriott/
Arrived at base camp dinner time-ish by the ocean shore to a foggy Monterey Bay where I joined onto Hwy 1, Pacific Coast Highway.
Ok, so it really took almost 12 hours door-to-door. Stopped in a surprisingly active oil field near I-5 and CA46. Lost Hill Oil Well purchase https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Hills_Oil_Field
Walked Fisherman's Wharf and Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail out to Lover's Point [ Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail ]
Also saw cleanup from the weekend vintage car auction https://www.rmauctions.com/results/resu ... eCode=MO14 Amazing to see six-figure cars all stored outside in the sea-mist waiting for pick-up! Finished up walking the dunes and shoreline trails and over to Laguna Park [ Shoreline Stroll Trail ] and [ Laguna Grande Park ]
Fitbit Totals = 9.37 miles and 150 AEG
Tue 8/19 - explore Monterey CA
We picked up our Monterey Bay Aquarium passes at the front desk of the Marriott Hotel the night before. Pass is good for 2 consecutive days creating multiple options for us. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org
The Aquarium is awesome - hard to improve upon. Loved the modern blend of functional architecture with local history - the entire building is an ode to local cannery row lore. As each hour passed at the Aquarium, the crowd multiplied. We decided to check out for lunch. The Cannery Row Brewing Company was noted on the morning walk from the hotel to the aquarium. Much to my disappointment this is not a brewery. Although some craft brews are on tap, none were local (unless you call San Diego local for Monterey) https://www.canneryrowbrewingcompany.com
This area could be called "ground zero" for John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" https://www.canneryrow.com/john-steinbeck.php
Lynn and I then headed to another "brew pub", Peter B's Brew Pub https://www.portolahotel.com/#dining/brewpub/about
Crap, it doesn't open until 4pm daily. Ok, we had to settle for the faux English Pub (Crown & Anchor Monterey) across the road from the Marriott https://crownandanchor.net Whale Watching up next from Fisherman's Wharf. The Princess Monterey took us to the Monterey Canyon off Moss Landing where we saw a couple dozen humpback whale breaches and many more surface grazings! Monterey Canyon is reported to be the undersea equivalent of the Grand Canyon matching depth and length and provides the diverse ecosystem to support the abundant marine life found in Monterey Bay https://www.montereywhalewatching.com and https://www.montereycanyon.com After dinner walk out to Point Pinos Lighthouse https://www.pointpinos.org and [ Point Pinos Lighthouse ]
Rooftop night long exposure shots? Did that plus a few around Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row. Wrapped up catching last call at Peter B's Brew Pub - excellent cherrywood barrel aged porter and buffalo chili topped with Monterey Jack cheese (of course).
Fitbit Totals = 10.90 miles and 260 AEG
Wed 8/20 - Monterey to Glen Oaks base camp #2 along Big Sur River in the redwood forest.
Morning redux of Monterey Bay Aquarium (pass is good for 2 consecutive days). After pulling out base camp #1, headed out 17 mile scenic drive from Point Pinos Lighthouse to Spanish Bay to Pebble Beach to Carmel-By-The-Sea. https://independenttravelcats.com/2013/ ... alifornia/ and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/17-Mile_Drive and https://media.pebblebeach.com/images/st ... -drive.pdf Search for the "Lone Monterey Cypress https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_macrocarpa
Also need to find the pullout between Carmel and Rocky Creek Bridge for tide pool exploration [ photo ] and https://hikearizona.com/map.php?LAT=36. ... 2&Z=15&M=6 (found it! - dubbed this a new HAZ mini-description "Big Sur Coastline - Malpaso Creek to Soberanes Creek"). Poked in the tide pools - almost like an extension of the touch pools at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Stopped at Garrapata State Park Beach https://www.californiasbestbeaches.com/ ... beach.html Access from the west side of Hwy 1. There is a fairly new set of wooden stairs leading to the beach. The surf is considered hazardous here and we could see why with some spectacular waves hitting the shores today! Did the obligatory stop at Bixby Bridge and headed non-stop to base camp #2. Checked into room 15 at Glen Oaks in Village of Big Sur to establish base camp #2. Settled in and then hiked down to the redwood grove beside Big Sur River.
Fitbit Totals = 11.10 miles and 530 AEG
Thu 8/21 - Glen Oaks Big Sur to Avila Beach Lighthouse Suites base camp #3 Checked out Pfeifer Big Sur State Park (north) and Julia Pfeifer Burns State Park (south) https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570 and https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/570/file ... ut2013.pdf
Note that these are two different parks albeit reasonably close together. 2008 Basin Fire has closed many of the trails in the north park, so we headed south. First stop of the day was in a Hwy 1 pullout because Lynn thought she saw whales - turns out plural was very correct as we saw about a dozen humpbacks in coordinated feeding mode. This would mark just the beginning of our whale sightings for the day. Think every stop today that had an ocean view that featured whale sightings!
Partington Cove Trail https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_pa ... ncove.html
McWay Waterfall Trail https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_mcwayfalls.html
Ewoldsen Redwoods Trail https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_ewoldsen.html
Mill Creek picnic lunch (after $20+ purchase at Lucia General store) [ Mill Creek Picnic Area - Big Sur Coastline ]
Pacific Valley Beach - IMO this was the best beach along Big Sur Coastline (Orca sighting topped it off! Throw in some dolphins for extra measure...). Although this was our first visit to this beach, there was an “air of familiarity” to this beach. Don’t know why – location for commercials/movie scenes perhaps?
Pacific Valley Beach (just north of Pacific Valley Flats noted on HAZ) [ Pacific Valley Flats ] and https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_pacval.html
Sand Dollar Beach https://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes_sanddollar.html
For what we originally thought was Sand Dollar Beach, turned out to be Point Sierra Nevada Beach (part of San Simeon State Park) https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/590/file ... re2009.pdf
Elephant Seal Vista provided multiple wildlife options with some Blue Whales offshore and the namesake Elephant Seals on the beach [ Elephant Seal Vista Point ]
Drove through San Simeon and stopped at the local beach before heading to Morro Bay.
Morro Rock Vista https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morro_Rock
After establishing base camp #3, did an evening stroll of Avila Beach. Avila Beach walking tour [ Avila Beach Walking Tour ]
Fitbit Totals = 12.49 miles and 1050 AEG
Fri 8/22 - Avila Beach Lighthouse Suites base camp #3 to Ahwatukee AZ Morning walk on the beach followed by a leisurely breakfast on our oceanfront patio before the 600 mile sprint home. It was very fitting that a giant sea weasel (aka sea otter) made an appearance in the Avila Beach surf just as we were wrapping up our walk before heading home.
THE FITBIT TOTALS
Monday = 9.37 miles, 150 AEG (15 floors)
Tuesday = 10.91 miles, 260 AEG (26 floors)
Wednesday = 11.10 miles, 530 AEG (53 floors)
Thursday = 12.56 miles and 1050 AEG (105 floors)
Friday = 5.14 miles and 50 AEG (5 floors)
TOTALS = 49.08 miles and 2040 AEG
THE HAZ DESTINATIONS
1. HAZ Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail [ Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail ]
2. HAZ Shoreline Stroll Trail [ Shoreline Stroll Trail ]
3. HAZ Laguna Grand Park [ Laguna Grande Park ]
4. Point Pinos Lighthouse [ Point Pinos Lighthouse ]
5. HAZ 17 Mile Scenic Drive [ 17 Mile Scenic Drive - Monterey Peninsula ]
6. HAZ Spanish Bay to Bird Rock Trail [ Spanish Bay to Bird Rock Trail ]
7. HAZ Point Joe to Bird Rock Trail [ Point Joe to Bird Rock ]
8. HAZ Big Sur Coastline - Malpaso Creek to Soberanes Creek [ Big Sur Coastline - Malpaso Ck to Soberanes Ck ]
9. HAZ Garrapata Beach [ Garrapata Beach ]
10. HAZ Bixby Bridge - Big Sur Coastline [ Bixby Creek Bridge - Big Sur Coastline ]
11. HAZ Glen Oaks Big Sur Redwood Grove Loop [ Glen Oaks Big Sur Redwood Grove Loop ]
12. HAZ Partington Cove Trail [ Partington Cove Trail - Big Sur Coastline ]
13. HAZ Ewoldsen Redwoods Trail [ El Sur Grande - Ewoldsen Trail ]
14. HAZ McWay Waterfall Trail [ McWay Waterfall Trail - Big Sur Coastline ]
15. HAZ Mill Creek Picnic Area [ Mill Creek Picnic Area - Big Sur Coastline ]
16. HAZ Pacific Valley Beach [ Pacific Valley Flats ]
17. HAZ Sand Dollar Beach [ Sand Dollar Beach ]
18. HAZ Point Sierra Nevada Beach [ Point Sierra Nevada Beach - Big Sur Coastline ]
19. HAZ Elephant Seal Vista [ Elephant Seal Vista Point ]
20. HAZ San Simeon Bay Beach [ San Simeon Bay Beach ]
21. HAZ Morro Rock [ Morro Rock Walking Tour ]
22. HAZ Avila Beach [ Avila Beach Walking Tour ]
I'll post some photos when I get the chance. Enjoy! 
121 on iPhone
297 on 6D
214 on 7D
42 on Rebel XT
TOTALS = 674
Sent from my iPad |
|
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
|
|
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
