We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary (March 25th!) by taking a little road trip to Big Sur, California. The plan was to stay up there 3 nights and drive back on Sunday, but we got rained out on Saturday, so we headed back early. Nonetheless, it was a memorable time in one of the most beautiful places this state has to offer.
After a morning spent hiking the trails at our campsite, Isaiah and I explore the area around Jade Cove, so called for its supposed nuggets of jade sprinkled about the shoreline. A trail that leads to the edge of the nearby cliffs winds us through poppies and other vegetation, with an occasional visit from a Monarch butterfly or two. It's the off-season (our preferred time of travel), so we're alone on the trail. It feels like ours. All ours. We make our way down to the cove and I watch Isaiah dig around for the green pearls. He could stay here all day, and I could watch him all day as I sun myself on a rock, like the elephant seals that occupy these parts. Our stay here is short, but it's the mini-vacation we've both needed.
The park is quite small with a little over thirty campsites to choose from. It's all very tucked away along Limekiln Creek with eleven ocean-view spots to set up camp. We chose spot #1, and sitting at our picnic table perched above the private beach below, we hardly noticed the handful of campers at the sites below us. The only draw back to our secluded location? The short hike down to the toilets and hot (pay) showers (worth every quarter -- by the way, bring quarters). Fall asleep to waves crashing and awaken to the morning sun sparkling down onto the water below. Hot tea and sea otter watching with glimpses of playful dolphins? Check!
After breakfast, take a short hike along Hare Creek trail. Spot banana slugs and soak in the coolness of the redwood grove that surrounds you. Back track and take Falls Trails to the 100-foot waterfall and then head on over to Limekiln Trail to learn more about the story behind the park's name.
