Big Sur Camping on a Cliff One Trip Two Worlds

From high on the cliffs of Big Sur to the middle of nowhere surrounded by wildflowers. Same trip, two completely different worlds. Welcome to part one. It's springtime in California and there's no place I'd rather be. It's a short season and if you're not paying attention you can miss it. Over the next couple days that's the goal. To witness the glory of spring in my home state. No big off-road ambitions, just chasing beauty on some scenic dirt roads. All right we're starting this trip here in Big Sur. This is one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline in all of California. The plan is to spend a little time here tonight, camp here somewhere and eventually head inland to a place I've been wanting to visit for a long time. The Carrizo Plain during a super bloom should be a good trip. Today no clouds, high 70s and a peaceful easy feeling. Well it's Sunday afternoon. I've already passed a lot of people kind of coming back out the trail. Hopefully that means people are kind of making their way out of I've got one camp spot in mind that's kind of out on a point overlooking the ocean. So hopefully that one's vacant and I can get it. We won't know until we get there. I grew up in places like this. Coastlines, back roads, long stretches of rolling hills where you can drive for miles and feel all alone. It's familiar but it never really gets old. And the California coast, if you know it, you know days like this can be hard to predict, especially this time of year. So when they do happen, you jump on it. Feels like I got lucky this time. To me this is so California. I feel like I'm off-roading in the hills behind my house. This is pretty cool. There's something about camping near the ocean. The sound, the air, there's a freshness to it. And if all goes according to plan, I'll be up on the cliffs tonight looking out over Big Sur watching the sun drop into the water. No big agenda, no technical trails to chase, just a few days of driving, quiet camping, and some of the best scenery California has to offer. And right now, that's exactly what I need. All right, just up for a little lunch up at the top of this ridge. We've got the Pacific Ocean over here and that over there. Perfect day. Oh my, it's like 70, I don't know, it must be 70 something degrees. It's gorgeous out. I'm lazy so I'm just having turkey and cheese. But man, it feels good to be out here. This is so California, I love it. You can feel it before you see it. The air changes. It gets a little cooler and a little heavier as I get closer to the ocean. I'm following the series of ridge lines and it feels like I'm chasing something down. With every turn I get a little closer. I've had this spot pinned for years, but Highway 1 has been closed here for so long I never even tried. I didn't want to end up chasing something I couldn't actually reach. I just hope it's open when I get there. Because if it is, this might be one of those camps you don't forget. All right, well I got into camp and it was a bit of a leveling challenge. I'm stacked pretty high here. It was like a six degree, seven degree correction, but I'm only two degrees off. Should be fine. Anyways, this is the spot I was hoping for and what a spot it is. The whole coastline from here, I mean, that's amazing. Camp spots don't get a whole lot better than this. I know I've said that before, but I've been to some pretty cool camp spots. Anyways, I'm going to get camp set up. It is a little breezy up here. Not too bad, but a little more than I would like. Maybe it'll calm down. We'll see. Ah, that feeling when you finally get into camp makes me happy, especially when it's a good one. Funny how I get so excited about the prospect of doing nothing. Anyways, I'll get my little house on wheels ready for another solid night of hanging out, enjoying the view, and taking in the salty air. Man, what a view. You can see everything from up here. All right, it's about five o'clock. Finally all alone at camp. Or am I? Well, finally got the place to myself. I don't know. Usually I'm such a tolerant guy. You know, I'm most of the times Mr. Nice Guy to a fault. But I don't know. I had like three parties come in here, and just the first two, they kind of came in. We said hi. They took some pictures, which I get. This is like the vista point, right? I mean, we are kind of way out here. And they left. And then we had two other guys come in, and they hung out for an hour, just hanging out. I'm thinking to myself, I even asked them at some point, I said, did your friends forget you? Did they leave without you? And they're like, no, no, no. Still here. Come on, guys. Sometimes I feel like people just kind of don't get it. I mean, if I saw someone was camping, even if it was like a spot like this, I probably wouldn't even come down into the camp spot. I'd probably hang out up there and take pictures of the coast or whatever. But I wouldn't. I'm super sensitive about bothering people. But some people are not. And it's just like, I think they just don't see it. And I was trying not to be bothered. But man, you come all the way up here to get away from people. And then you get up here and then people come in and just hang out with you. Oh, am I a jerk? I think I might be a jerk, but wow. I mean, come on, guys. Bye bye. But man, it's just kind of like etiquette, right? Anyways, finally got the spot to myself and I'm just going to chill. It's so nice out here. Daylight savings time is today started last night. So getting a little more daylight these days or this day. So, yeah, I'm just going to kick back and enjoy it. So I hope you enjoy it, too. The sun starts to drop and the light softens as golden hour approaches. The wind calms down, the air settles and the whole coast starts to glow. People have been flocking here for generations, drawn to something they can't quite explain. There's magic here. It's undeniable. Camp's all set. There's nothing left to chase. At least not for today. Big Sur isn't far from home, but it's just far enough away to get a little perspective. These solo trips have become a lifeline to give me space to think and a chance to take stock of what matters and what doesn't. But tonight I can slow down just enough and I think we could all use a little bit more of that. There's a rhythm to a night like this. It's simple in nature, just small things done with intention. A fire coming to life. A drink in hand. And the faint sound of the ocean somewhere far below. It's time to sit back, relax, and revel in the solitude. There's nowhere else to be. These are the simple pleasures. A good view. A quiet camp. A tasty beverage. And the time to enjoy it. That's what I was after and that's exactly what I got. Big Sur really delivered today, but tomorrow we head inland for something completely different. When you bounce around from camp to camp, it's easy to forget where you are. Unzipping the tent this morning was a real pleasure. God, these ladders are the worst with no shoes on. Whoever designed them should be fired. It's amazing how you can hear the ocean from all the way up here. All right, it's time for the morning ritual, if I have any gas left. Starting the day with caffeine is a non-negotiable for me, and obviously I'm not picky about how it's delivered. Everything's packed and it's time to press on to our next destination. What a beautiful night high above the coast of Big Sur. But now I turn my sights inland. It's the beginning of spring and there's a super bloom to see. I'm heading out towards Highway 1 along Los Burros Road. Catchy name. It's hard to leave a place like this, but I've got more to see and I know for certain I'll be back. There's no place quite like the California coast. The sound of the waves, the smell of the salty air, the way the cliffs drop off into the ocean. It's so full of life. It resonates down to my core and it simply feels like home to me. But I'll say goodbye to it for now and head east in search of blue skies, green hills, and wildflowers as far as the eye can see. This is Brian from Los Burros Overland and I'll see you on the Carrizo Plain. Adios.