BIG SUR & BEYOND...PART II, 'EXPLORING'
While creating art is the main focus of this trip, I also like to take my time and ease into things. Since departing on this journey, I have seen and experienced a lot. The scenery, for starters, is almost too much to take in. When surrounded by so much natural beauty, my pace slows down- a lot! As cliche as it may sound, when I travel, I like to go with the flow and see where my adventure takes me. As long as I know where my next campsite or room is, I am fine with taking my time to get there, painting and/or surfing along the way.
On my first night, I camped at Montano de Oro, about a half hour west of San Luis Obispo. After the long drive, I arrived just after sundown. After setting up my tent, I poured a celebratory glass of wine, relaxed, and quickly fell asleep. I welcomed the sunrise with a mug of camp coffee and set off to hike around, explore, and check the surf conditions. Hazards Peak, the surf break nearby was not looking to promising, so I relaxed with my coffee to take in the amazing views.
I didn't paint anything on this leg of the journey. I had to find my next campsite before sundown again, so I knew I needed to get on the road. The drive through Big Sur, to be done properly, takes time (and many stops along the way).
The Los Padres National Forest was the next destination, where I'd be staying two nights. With plenty of time to settle in, I got to exploring my new surroundings. A babbling creek, more amazing mountain and ocean views, and a litter of puppies.
Yes, you read that right. I stumbled on a litter of puppies on the land where I was camping. If I felt I had any problems at that moment, they all melted away when I was ambushed by about 8 adorable brown spotted pups. (see photo below) This is the perfect example of how little magic things happen when you live in the moment.
I enjoyed sharing a dinner with new friends, read up on a map of the area, and slept well with the sound of the creek around me. Sunrise was greeted, again, by camp coffee and a trip to Sand Dollar Beach to surf. It was a special treat to wake up to more spectacular scenery, as I surfed alone for about an hour.
