love, Big Sur.

Part of the Big Sur coast.

This morning Mark & I woke up to the sound of raindrops and wondered if our trip south to Big Sur and The Henry Miller Library would be worth it. What an adventure! And completely worthwhile it was...now I truly feel as though we are on holiday.

We set out in the pelting rain, and in Mark's words: "It was bucketing down - interesting drive along the coast when you can't see a foot in front of you, you're driving on the wrong side of the road, & the drop to the right is a few hundred feet." I was just glad that I was not at the wheel...



The Henry Miller Library.

In the cloud and torrential rain the view really looked no different to the Sydney coastline. But upon arriving at the library we were welcomed by the sight of a little wooden lodge? cabin? and once we were safely inside we were surrounded by books, posters, memorabilia, a few guys on macs happily typing away on the free wi-fi. Everything was sort of cosy and interesting - not to mention meeting a very friendly pussycat who was hopping from lap to lap saying hello!

Inside The Henry Miller Library.

Fortified, we stepped back out to the car and on to the famous Big Sur Bakery for lunch. I gasped appreciatively at the sight of a real coffee machine, and we feasted on turkey noodle soup and peach pastries. This was the closest I have eaten to Sydney food and I say that in an entirely complimentary way, especially after trying Dennys for the first time yesterday! After finishing lunch, the sun came out, and we thoroughly enjoyed our drive back to Monterey, this part of the world is gorgeous in a pretty special way!

So, what's so special about Big Sur? I can't exactly say. There is very little information available on what it is exactly, but it is basically one road that runs between the forest and the ocean for about 30 miles? - and it offers the best of both worlds. There are a handful of very expensive resorts but other than that there are a few campgrounds and not very much in the way of tourist attractions. Which leads me to the very reason that people go - to experience the natural environment in the first person, I guess! I really hope one day Mark and I can return and hike around, and without sounding too trite, to simply enjoy nature, and maybe enjoy one of the famous concerts held on the grass outside The Henry Miller Library, such as those given recently buy The Arcade Fire and Thurston Moore!


Schoolhouse at Big Sur.

Monterey.

Monterey's famed 'Cannery Row.' Sort of sad they fished out the entire place in 20 years and everything had to shut down. (Whoops, sorry to start sounding negative!)

Yesterday we bid goodbye to San Francisco and started our trip down Highway 1 to LA. We are giving ourselves 5 days to do it which has turned out to be an excellent idea, we have slowed ourselves down considerably and we have more time to put our feet up and enjoy the moments between bursts of activity. The slower end-of-summer pace here certainly soothes the nerves and the coastal landscape actually looks quite similar (so far) to that between Stanwell Park - Wollongong in Sydney, not sure what I was expecting, but sort of surprised about that!

Monterey.

The most unexpected thing I thought I'd say at this point is our Youth Hostel is outstanding! After the shock of a bunkbed sleeping arrangement in San Francisco we are actually now in a room that is mostly UNDERGOUND! So at first... this was not that pleasing but it was certainly not enough to ruin our mood or our day or anything. But the service here has been just so friendly - free home cooked pancakes and waffles for beakfast, where they tell you to sit down while THEY COOK, big comfy lounges with footrests (sort of like a business class airline seat!), shared food etc. all in the 'YHA spirit,' now this place has got soul and I'm really glad we are staying here. We are just a block or two from Cannery row, and the tourist advice here from the front desk has been spot on every time, even re-selling us an aquarium ticket used by another family earlier in the day for half price - now that's service!

So, why Monterey? Well, from what Mark and I can gather this is a pretty pristine 'tourist town' between San Francisco and LA. It seems pretty wealthy and set up for visitors to enjoy, with a few tourist trap restaurants and attractions along the way (but nothing too tacky). It's sort of like a 'Bowral by the sea' - somewhere where people come to get married or wealthy retirees come to enjoy a weekend. There are sea birds and fresh air, and at certain times of the year, whales and seals (I'm sad they're not here at the moment though!)

The John Steinbeck Center.

The Steinbeck House.

Today we went to the National Steinbeck Center & House in a little town called Salinas (which we are told, is a fairly 'typical' Californian town). We visited the John Steinbeck exhibit (of course) and I guess I'll be re-reading some of his texts in the coming months. It's great that these things exist, and there is an audience to support it!

Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Jellyfish at the aquarium.

We finished up today at the Monterey Bay Aquarium which has been awesome, awesome. We watched sea otters, a great white shark, seahorses, jellyfish, you name it! If I were a local I'd return again and again. Such a lovely way to spend the afternoon, there is no way you could pass this by if you were to visit Monterey!

On the way home we had to stop to buy some bananas (24c each!) at of all places... Target! It was in one of those huge industrial estates where they just seem to sell EVERYTHING, it was novel, that's for sure! Of course I also looked at the Missoni for Target range and there were only 3-4 remnants left overall, and a big sign saying 'this is all that is currently available.' Oh well, just a week or two late I guess!

Tomorrow we continue our literary path with a visit to the Henry Miller Library, and maybe we will squeeze in a bike ride if there is time... there are lovely bike tracks here and everything seems relatively flat!