The Bay Lives: camping big sur

I can't believe I've lived in the Bay Area for practically my entire life and never, up until this past weekend, have been to Big Sur. I'm always hearing people rave about its beauty, the gorgeous ocean surf and drive along the coast line. I'm ashamed to have never experienced that before until now. What kind of Californian am I?!

A few weeks ago my sister had mentioned to me that she and her boyfriend were planning a camping trip in Big Sur (Kirk Creek) with a couple friends. The last time I went camping was in 2006, when I braved the winter cold in the Grand Canyon. Unbenounced to me I'd be stuck in the snow, throwing up throughout the night because my body couldn't handle the below zero temperatures. It was an awful experience, and I think I've been hesitant to go camping ever since that traumatic event. (It only lasted a day but I will NEVER forget!) Seeing as 6 years have now passed, I decided it was time to forget about that one bad experience, and join my sister on this camping trip.

The weather in Big Sur could not have been better - high 70's throughout the entire weekend. Many of the campsites out in Big Sur need to be booked well in advance (sometimes 3-6 months for the best ones), so getting lucky with the perfect weekend weather was a huge plus. We celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style with morning coffee and margaritas, back to back games of Washers, and an afternoon hike. The campsite and trails surrounding it are covered with poison oak this time of year, so walking around bushes with caution is a necessity. I was lucky to walk away with only a small trace of poison oak, which surprised me, since we were carelessly trudging through it all day long on our hike.

Our first pre-summer outdoor excursion marks the first of hopefully more to come. The days are only getting longer and warmer!