Springtime

Here's a short video from my backyard, full of Monarch butterflies going crazy with the blossoms.  Feels good in that California sunshine!  And if you can't get a good quality feed, believe me, there were tons of butterflies for most of February flying around the eucalyptus grove behind my house and when those blossoms came out, they went nuts.

Hiking time!

Another epic day of hiking in Big Sur.  I checked off 4 hikes from the amazing "Day Hikes Around Big Sur" guidebook in one day.  Almost 4000 feet elevation gained over 8+ miles in those hikes.  Great views, sights, sounds and smells along the way.  On an overcast day that turned quite sunny, there was almost no one else hiking, making for a perfect experience with nature.  Always good to get away from everything, lose that cell service and get your hike on.

Big Sur is a perfect blend of the dry Southern California hikes, mixed with the foresty hikes of Northern California.  There are those tall redwoods, the wild sage shrubs, yucca, numerous California oaks and the classic state flower, the California Poppy.  The coastline is rugged, and heads straight up hills and mountains, going inland through canyons filled with trees and creeks.  It's an area that no matter how many times you visit, you have to pull over and enjoy the view numerous times.  Love that place.

The first hike was the Boronda Trail, a "very strenuous" hike that gained 2,500 feet in 2.5 miles straight up to a camp overlooking the ocean.  The sweat was pouring, and in between green meadows full of wild mustard and poppies, there were scattered oaks on the way up.  Here are some pictures:

Big Sur: California coastline and Poppies

Straight up!

More pictures

More visuals from the day down in Big Sur:

Stormy, rough tide at Garrapata Beach in Big Sur, with the waves kicking in crazy aqua blues every few sets.  It was going on high tide, and the waves kept taking over the beach and rolling around the beach with a strong current, mesmerizing the viewer.

Big Sur Coastline

100+ year old tunnel through a mountain to the beach

Wine country

When a friend asks if you want to go wine tasting in a limo through Napa, you do whatever you can to get work off.  And then head up to SF to meet up with everyone and then head in style through wine country.  That's what happened this Valentines Day.  A perfect, sunny day, full of laughter, early 2000s music and wine.  Quite the shenanigans around estates/villas/mansions.  Got sophisticated with an amazing picnic lunch on the grounds of V. Sattui, to complement their full selection of wines only available at the estate.

Here are a few photos from the day:

Picnic at V Sattui Winery

Robert Mondavi Winery

Gloria Ferrer Vineyards

Cause you love those seals!

HEARST CASTLE

What the common folk down below see looking up top on the "enchanted hill"

So a trip to the southern section of Big Sur wouldn't be complete without popping in to see the rich, grandeur of Hearst Castle.  William Hearst waited til both his parents passed, and he gained full control of the property and family moneys to start building this "ranch". It took almost 30 years, underwent many renovations along the way, such as expanding the outdoor swimming pool twice.  There are still a few unfinished parts, but overall, it is nuts.  So much of Europe and past histories are there, along with ornate designs built under a century ago.  Truly a gem, it is worth the stop on any California trip.  If you are in the area, that is.  Not exactly close the main spots in the state, it is often the focal point of trips, as well as the elephant seal sanctuary nearby.  Here are some pictures:

La Casa Grande, his house on the hill.  Spanish church styled bell towers are easy to see from all over

Casa del Sol, known for epic sunsets over the ocean.  Yes, this is one of 3 guest houses

Palms, blue skies, and California's largest private home

Busty!

The infamous Neptunes Pool, twice enlarged and now under a new renovation

One of the wildmen guarding the front door to La Casa Grande

Average dining room in California

Private theater that seats 50.  Watched some home videos with Charlie Chaplin and other famous people from the 1930s

Sekhment, an ancient Egyptian god with the head of a lioness and bust of a woman.  Oldest art on the premises

Hola!

The indoor swimming pool, underneath the tennis courts.  He designed it so you dive into the night sky, and then come up into the beach, a reverse of sorts

More Big Sur pictures

Hola amigo!

Along the southern end of Big Sur is the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, where you are literally just 20 feet away from the seals.  They're a stinky, noisy bunch who spend most of their time soaking up sun, playing in the water and wrestling with each other (mostly the males).  The beach was packed with them, some lying around right on top of each other, and others scrapping on the beach.  Watching their bodies jiggle with their blubber dancing was quite entertaining as was the show the males put on when they wrestle/fight with each other, chest bumping and growling.  Even the youngsters got into it.  Quite the show!

Can't beat the sun setting into the Pacific Ocean

View from where I parked the car for the night

Redwoods make it through fires and keep going up!

Morning sun coming up along Highway 1

Rugged Point art

Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

Elephant Seals doing what they do best

Baby elephant seals in the water

Big Sur is just as amazing as ever

A couple days off of work means a road trip.  This time, I headed back south to Big Sur, one of my favorite places in the world.  Such an epic stretch of wild, rugged coastline, full of booming waves, towering redwoods and some idyllic hikes.

Compared to when I was last down in the summer, there was very little traffic.  Meaning, smooth sailing and more time to just explore without the hassle of people everywhere.  One of the best parts of Big Sur is being away from everything, with no cell towers, telephone poles or anything within sight at most times.  Just you, and mother nature.

It was time for some hiking, some exploring, some road tripping and some good times.  Here are a few pictures from the last two days.  More to come soon.

Where Big Sur River meets the Pacific, along with my rented Toyota Prius

Morning coffee at the iconic Nepenthe Restaurant.  Well worth the price for that view

View from the drive south

A bench on the property of the local hermitage

Picture perfect

Sand Dollar Beach

Seascapes by Justus

Bit o rock out in the water

Halloween 2015

Imagine Rocky Balboa mixed with a unicorn.  That's what I was for Halloween this year.  Quite the fun time downtown, where everyone from the whole region comes to Santa Cruz.  From the early afternoon on, the street is closed off for people parading around, having fun and the little ones getting candy from the businesses.  The evening is still just as busy and a bit rowdier, but nonetheless, quite fun.  Here's a few snaps from the night:

Obama and the secret service!

Zombies awaking, look out!

And above is a video of the zombies arising to Thriller, by Michael Jackson