Adventures in BIG SUR

15 July, 2014 Adventures in BIG SUR

There it was, mid-May and we had a serious craving for adventure. Right then & there. We knew we had to get somewhere soon. The only thing we could do at that point was to set up the tent in the loft and have a campout. We searched online to see how outrageous airfare would be. It turned out we could get a ticket 2 weeks later round trip to California for $223. BOOKED.

I lived in Huntington Beach, CA for 27 years and once I moved away I realized I HAD NEVER BEEN TO BIG SUR! Simply unheard of. We made a last minute plan to celebrate my 31st bday on my best friend’s sailboat in Marina Del Rey with my closest friends. After that, we would rent a car & hit the road. No plans, no campground reservations…just a tent and some sleeping bags. Oh, did I mention it was Memorial Day weekend? Hmm. Figured we’d be camping out in the rental car but NO…this trip couldn’t have gone more smoothly. It involved incredible views, meals in pouch form from REI, campfires, hot coffee and a little Bulleit whiskey, and some hiking in the backcountry of Ventana Wilderness where we pitched our tent next to a little creek. It was pretty ridiculous and seemed like it was right out of a dream! I had my Jambox in the tent and listened to Ben Howard & Brandi Carlile as we talked about life and watched the stars.

One of my favorite memories on this trip was running into pretty much the only other 2 people in this giant wilderness. We hiked with them for a bit then split up but told them they could find us by this creek. It was pitch black probably around 10pm and we see the light of an iPhone shining through the trees getting closer to our camp. I thought…hmm, we should probably get the knife out. It was actually our new friends with a can of pork and beans and a nice bottle of red wine. We sat under the stars and shared stories for a couple of hours. When it comes down to it that’s what this life is all about for me: seeing new places, meeting people, swapping old stories, documenting it & sharing it with YOU. You don’t have to be a photographer to do it. Start now. To purchase prints from my Big Sur adventure click HERE.

Steph’s Adventures in BIG SUR