Sand Dollar Beach as Seen from the Bluff
Although we originally had just booked three nights at Andrew Molera campground, I think it’s wise we opted for two more nights here. In part, because it saves a lot of work of packing and setting up camp again, which leaves us more time for other things, and in part, because we are both thrilled that we found a campground without any cars or RV’s. So here I sit, at our picnic table at campsite #9, at what has become home for a week, and contemplating a trip to Sand Dollar Beach and points south in Big Sur.
But first, I awoke early and headed into Carmel to stock up on some groceries for the next few days. I was hesitant to get enough protein on our original shopping trip in San Jose since I only had a cooler to keep food fresh. It made more sense to replenish such items midway through the trip. It also gave me a chance to respond to a couple of important phone calls and register us online for the Cabaret Show at Henry Miller’s Library for Friday night. When we were last in town, we tried to register online to use the hot springs at the Esalen Institute but they were entirely booked for the next two weeks. The sound of sitting on the mountain side in a tub of hot water while stargazing from 1-3am sounded like a lot of fun, but obviously a lot of other people thought the same thing and acted before we did.
When I got back to our camp, I was determined to get something resembling a shower. We had tried to use the showers at Pfeiffer State Park campgrounds the evening before, but without success. I was prepared to pay the fee to turn the water on, but when we scoped it out, we realized that you need a token to turn on the water, which only occupants of that campground could obtain. Fair enough, although it didn’t change the fact that I wanted a shower.
I decided that the Big Sur River would have to do for my cleansing ritual. So I brought what I needed down to the mouth of the river and submerged my body in water that was cold as the dickens! But at least my mission was accomplished and I felt clean and grounded again. And my heart was pumping a mile a minute!
For our day’s explorations we decided to head further south in Big Sur to a couple beaches that sounded interesting. Most people think of Big Sur as extending from the Carmel River in Monterey County to San Carpoforo Creek in San Luis Obispo County, about 90 miles. So there is a lot of territory to explore. But first, I went to investigate riding horses for tomorrow. Funny, but I only ever ride horses when I travel, I never do it at home. I got us reserved for a ride and southbound we went.
Our first target, Jade Cove, sounded interesting, but we ended up not finding it, although we did talk to someone who told us how to find it. So if we decide to go back south on Saturday, we may try again. It’s not a beach one can lay out on. It involves scaling down a steep hill to get there. But for those who venture down, they may be able to find rocks with jade in them, although not of gemstone quality.
Soaking Up the Rays Is Always a Pleasure
The Paths Are Seemingly Purposefully Decorated with Poison Oak!
The other beach on our radar, which happened to be clearly marked, was Sand Dollar Beach. So we pulled in, ate lunch, and walked around on the headlands for a bit before heading down to the water. One thing we noticed en route was the lack of wind right on the coast. This became apparent when we stopped for a photo op. I don’t know what the difference is in geography, but we liked the results! Another thing we passed was the Rain Rocks Rock Shed, which has been implemented in a region where landslides were common. The rocks that fall into the ocean provide habitat for sea life first off and their placement also helps slow the erosion of the land, since the waves break on the rocks. So this rock shed is like a tunnel for the cars to drive through and it’s engineered in such a way that the structure can support the weight of boulders that fall from the mountain, as it directs them to keep falling into the ocean. With a different approach, the Pitkins Curve Bridge allows landslide material to flow underneath it. Both are impressive engineering feats.
The Scenery Is the Same, Yet There Was No Wind in Southern Big Sur
The Rains Rocks Rock Shed
So back to Sand Dollar Beach. Since Northern California does not have much in the way of long stretches of sand, when there is a stretch of sand, it becomes a hopping location. Not only because it is a hospitable place for laying out a blanket and sunbathing, but, in the case of Sand Dollar, because it was a lot less windy on the water than at Pfeiffer Beach. I don’t know if that’s usually the case, but it was today and we took full advantage of it.
The Rock Formations on Sand Dollar Beach
I walked to the end of the beach where there were few people and struck up a conversation with a woman named Ashley and her very sweet dog, who was laying in the shade of the rocks. She grew up in Big Sur with her parents who were given inexpensive housing in some army barracks, because her father worked on building and maintaining the roads in the area. Her parents have since moved away and Ashley found a cabin way up in the woods to rent with no running water. I shared my perception that the residents of the region are either extremely well off or live very modestly, working at caretaking or government jobs. There are not many people in between. She said that this was indeed the case. And it was obvious to me that anyone who lives in Big Sur is here because they love it.
This Guy Has Got the Right Idea!
Brendan had since come my way and set up a place for us to make ourselves comfortable for the rest of the day. The minutes and hours ticked away and we basked in the warm and windless sunshine and listened and watched the waves roll to shore. The cliffs with jade streaks made for a dramatic backdrop. We each took turns walking and taking pictures. A picture cannot quite replicate the intensity and magnitude of the place (at least my amateur pictures cannot), but regardless, we still made an attempt.
Sitting on Big Rocks Is Very Centering
We could have stayed for sunset but did not for two reasons. Firstly, it would be nice to not have 30 miles to drive a curvy road in the dark. Secondly, we thought we’d have a sunset drink at Nepenthe. Brendan’s friend who lives in Marin county was in Big Sur recently, and mentioned to him that it’s a fun thing to do. The restaurant is perched on a cliff and the view is spectacular. Every seat in the restaurant, inside and outside, except for at the bar, has a view of the ocean. We got a basket of french fries and each got a drink and watched the sky subtly change colors. It was our fourth day in Big Sur and we hadn’t caught a sunset yet. The first day we were setting up camp when the sun went over a ridge. The second day we were up in the redwoods. The third day we were on Hwy 1, but the road was on an inland stretch. And tonight, we set ourselves up to partake in the sunset at Nepenthe which is known for just that, but the laws of nature were working against us. On the equinoxes, the sun sets due west. On summer solstice, the sun is at the northernmost point in the sky (in the northern hemisphere). So from where we were sitting, the sun was too far north of due west for us to actually see it go down. We still saw the colors and we still enjoyed our subpar food and drinks and the overall experience, but we were laughing at ourselves for missing sunsets every night on the California coast!!
Nepenthe Offers Incredible Views With Subpar Food
We weren’t all that hungry by the time we got back to camp, so I am taking advantage of the quiet campgrounds and doing a bit of reflecting and writing.
Sand Dollar Beach Panoramic Style