Highway 1...and a detour to Pinnacles NP

Back in March, G and I had three days/two nights to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles, where G was attending a conference. Our first day of travel took us from San Francisco to Big Sur; this second leg of our trip began in Big Sur and ended, after a bit of a detour to Pinnacles National Park, in Morro Bay.

After a great breakfast at Big Sur Roadhouse, the on-site restaurant (note: Big Sur Roadhouse is open only for breakfast and lunch) at Glen Oaks Big Sur, where we had stayed the night, we made a quick stop at Julia Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (not to be confused with Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which is definitely still on my list…next time…). According to its brochure, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is “a place where the land, the sea, and forests of giant redwoods adjoin in a rugged landscape jigsaw puzzle.” I’d have to agree. It’s also a place where you can camp, as the park has more than 150 vehicle and tent sites (note to self: NEXT TIME!!!). With a long drive ahead of us, we weren’t in the park for long—but long enough to wander on a few of the trails that run along the Big Sur River.

After leaving Big Sur, we had a bit of a dilemma—one that we knew about the day before, so at least we had options. As is the case following Northern California’s rainy season and any heavy rains, parts of Route 1 can be closed due to mudslides. While we had been able to reach Big Sur from the north without issue the day before, we wouldn’t be able to drive south from Big Sur toward LA due to road closures just south of where we where. We needed to find an alternate route…and so, we doubled back up Highway 1 heading north (again crossing Bixby Creek Bridge, much to G’s chagrin). With our original plan somewhat thwarted, we took the opportunity to visit Pinnacles National Park. Pinnacles is a bit off the beaten path, and as you’re driving through farmland and vineyards, it’s hard to imagine that the road will lead to a park created by the eruption of volcanoes 23 million years ago.

There are two entrances to Pinnacles—east and west. There is no through road connecting the two entrances. We decided to enter the park via the west entrance in Soledad. Not going to lie—the English teacher in me loved traveling through towns known to me through Steinbeck’s works…Monterey, Salinas, Soledad. At the west entrance, there was a small visitor’s center, but it was closed. There was nowhere to pay admission (though we had our NPS annual pass with us) and, worse yet, I wouldn’t be able to get the coveted stamp cancellation for my passport book. Stymied!! I’m not sure if there will be a next time, so I’m still a little bummed. UGH.

With the exception of these shots on my iPhone 8, the landscape seemed more suited to b/w.

Because the visitor’s center wasn’t open, we didn’t have a map to guide us. Instead, we just wandered a bit and marveled at the way the rock formations seemed to come out of nowhere and rise upward toward the sky. Having only been to a few National Parks at this point (#futuregoals)—the Grand Canyon and Acadia—Pinnacles was so unlike the others. We walked through rock formations and managed to get in a decent walk before clouds rolled in over the blue skies and the rain started falling (notice the theme for the week?). The dramatic skies and imposing landscape, though, made shooting in black and white a perfect choice for me.

After escaping the rain, we made our way back out to the highway and what followed was a largely unspectacular ride down to our final destination for the night: Estero Inn in Morro Bay. The property was right on the bay, providing us fantastic views of Morro Rock, especially as the sun set. We walked down to a great little restaurant known for its burgers, House of Juju, and each enjoyed sliders (mine: Juju Bleu, Dragon Lady, and Leticia; G’s: Juju Bleu, Calamity Jane, and Betsy Ross)…so, so good.

After the start of the week in San Francisco and then the drive to Big Sur and then Morro Bay, the next day’s drive was a bit of a letdown. We had to return the rental car by three and check into the hotel. I’d be catching the early flight out of LAX to head back home to New Hampshire. Our main diversion on the drive? A stop at the Santa Monica Pier. After days surrounded by the calm beauty of nature, I’ll be honest: the pier—and LA traffic—was a bit jarring. Still, blue skies always make for great backdrops.

For now, farewell, California and to the Pacific…time to return to New Hampshire and the Atlantic.