I wake up at 4:30 every morning having to pee. My cheeks cold from the brisk air. My body hugging the hot water bottle under the covers. I snuggle in the warmth for a few more minutes before mustering up the courage to get out of bed and trudge outside to the bathroom. Thanks to modern technology and this new concept of “glamping”, a luxurious outhouse awaits me only a few yards from the tent.
In the early mornings, I can hear an owl hooing in the distance and the creek bubbling close by. The air smells strongly of pine. Either pinewood burning in a campfire or the scent of fresh pine needles. It’s better than any Yankee Candle.
A year ago, I remember writing down my dream of living near the ocean and the mountains. I visualized it, meditated on it, and truly believed that it wasn’t a matter of if my dream would come true. It was a matter of when. Big Sur is the culmination of this dream becoming reality. As I stand on a mountaintop and look around me, I breathe in gratitude.
Big Sur is about 150 miles from San Francisco. It’s a 2-3 hour drive, but the drive down Highway 1 is a beautiful one. We stay at the amazing Ventana Big Sur, a resort that offers cushy suites, glamping, and campsites where you can pitch your own tent. I didn’t grow up camping but wanted to try sleeping outdoors. Glamping was my compromise and a great introduction to true camping someday.
Ventana’s A-frame tents are cozy, warmly lit, perfectly photogenic, and super clean. The glamping and camping sites sit in a valley a short walk behind the resort, surrounded by a redwood forest. We park our car right next to our tent and unpack our bags on the picnic table. There are two fire pits, a gas one and a wood-burning one. Our tent also has electricity and running water. We have our own outdoor sink with hot water and three lamps inside the tent. Upon arriving and surveying our amenities, Steve turns to me and says with a smile, “This isn’t camping”.
But, it’s just the right amount of “camping” for me, for now. After this trip, I think I’ll be ready to rough it outdoors without an outhouse that’s nicer than my bathroom at home.
We spend four glorious days at Ventana, waking up with the sun and going to bed when it sets. We hike for hours on the trails and wind down with a fancy cheese plate before dinner. We admire the stars that feel so close and cap off our night with a few s’mores around our fire pit. With all the hiking we did, it was the first vacation we took where we actually lost a few pounds.
It rained on one of the days and we were forced to lay in bed and read. I finished an entire book. Normally, it takes me a few weeks to get through one. (I highly recommend Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett.) That was one of the best parts of our stay, that time seemed to slow down. We soaked in the sun and breathed in the fresh air. We literally stopped and smelled the roses.
Naturally, the first days of a vacation are the best, like the Friday night before a weekend. I get pangs of sadness during our last day in Big Sur. I don’t want to leave our forest retreat. I breathe in one last breath of pine-scented air and hop into the car. I know I’ll be back again.
‘Til next time Big Sur.
