Last winter was a terrible year for snowfall in the Sierra Mountains. Resorts that relied on natural snow either only opened in March or not at all. For snow lovers, it is kind of depressing, especially when you factor in the seasonal, low light levels. But the great thing about living near the coast (east or west) of the United States is that you can go to the beach in a few hours drive.
While there are no crowds, it is usually because the weather is a little chilly for most beach goers. However, you can still find a little “summer” magic from a walk on the beach even if you are bundled like an abominable snowman. Luckily, 2017/18 was temperate enough that a trip to the beaches around the northern part of Big Sur still felt warm enough for lighter slacks and t-shirts. I used AirBnB to find a fabulous yurt outside of Santa Cruz that was also dog friendly. The yurt made its home nestled in the wooded mountains along the coast. The property owner also mowed a path up through a high meadow to an overlook with views of the Pacific Ocean. I wandered up at sunset with a nice cold beer and watched as the sunset illuminated the scene with a golden glow while the waves crashed far below.
The next day I traveled through Carmel-By-The-Sea for a little outdoor lunch at a restaurant perched on the hill among the community’s shade trees lining the streets, called Forge in the Forest. www.forgeintheforest.com From there, I drove along the windy dramatic road to Big Sur and Pfeiffer Beach. The area only had a few people dotted here and there along the scenic strip of sand that formed a soft barrier between the rocky outcroppings and cliff above. Two lonely surfers who were lucky enough to catch their own time off, flitted between the waves as they stalked that perfect catch which would send them on their short thrilling water ride.
I felt like the road was my own along the coast. The golden sun fulfilled my expectations of the California coastline with scenery straight out of Hollywood. Little did I think of the barren cold mountains begging for snow. If you ever get the opportunity to go to the beach during winter, especially in areas most would consider too cold for winter visits, you are in for a real treat. In the Summer, places like Big Sur are a zoo of people and cars. It makes you wonder why people would travel on vacation to a crowded and busy place when they could have stayed at home for that type of stress. I have much more affection for those places when I feel like I have it all to myself. The winter season in the mountains around me, had a great start this year in terms of snowfall levels but, I still might decide that a short trip to the beach needs to be made.
