We drove from Los Angeles to Big Sur. That's like a 300 miles plus trip, each way. I drove the whole thing to and fro!

We left on Thursday after my Still Yoga class and made a stop at Santa Barbara. We had tacos at "La Super Rica," a little joint which always has a line of people waiting, and which supposedly Julia Child was a fan of. My mother and my brother weren't too crazy for it and my brother went to Subway to get a sandwich after, and my mother got an upset stomach. Then on our way to Big Sur I missed the turn for Highway 1 and we got lost for about an hour. My mother was not feeling well, my brother had a migraine and didn't want to talk and we were lost. Was this a foreshadowing of our trip? 

No!

We found our way to the PCH and all of our moods lifted!

As usual we planned our trip but then we're open to whatever comes our way, sometimes literally.  So when I saw a sign that said "Elephant Seal Beach" we stopped. Lo and behold there were about 1000's of seals lying, sleeping, hanging out right there in the sand, while they go through what's called "catastrophic molting," where they shed their entire little furs. They are so darn cute. They have little hands with nails and they scratch their faces. I wanted to rub their bellies... We are all so shocked to see so many wild animals so close, in their natural habitat.

We kept driving to Lucia, where we had booked our rooms and we found it right at 7:30pm, right when they closed their restaurant. A lot of our trip was planned around food. We were able to have dinner there (so delicious- fresh fish, rice, veggies) and look out at the Pacific with it's fog draping over it, quite dramatically. We had ocean view rooms and we stayed the night. I had been driving for about 7 hours and was exhausted, but I prefer to drive. I feel like I'm a good driver and I don't get dizzy when I drive. Of course I had my mother next to me complaining the whole way that I drive too fast, to use both hands when I drive, etc.

The next morning we drove to Deetjens where we had a divine breakfast of eggs benedicts that were recommended by the waitress at the Lucia lodge. Deetjens is a historically protected site; it's an old old rustic inn with a waterfall running through it. Quite gorgeous.

Big Sur is an area of approximately 80 miles from Ragged Point in the South to Carmel in the north. The Highway 1 was finished in 1937 so even to this day there is very little development in this area, no billboards, just the Pacific ocean to your left as you head north and meadow lands to ragged, pointy cliffs to jutting abrupt mountains to your right. The mountains meet the sky meet the ocean as you drive. Possibly one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Very Romantic. Very Wuthering Heights!

We then drove back a few miles south to Esalen, a famous retreat center which is by reservation only and which I've never been. We booked three very expensive massage sessions for my mom, Jorge and I, which afforded us the opportunity to use the grounds including their famous mineral baths. This area is hard to describe but I will try- it's beautiful! You park your car and start asking the smiling, lovely people all around you which way to the tubs. They point and you follow an open path with the ocean, vast expansive ocean to your right. You walk down to this open structure with glass so that you can see the ocean while you shower- btw no modesty here, everyone's naked and by everyone I mean every man and woman. I am so frigging shy that I was the only one with my bikini on. One day...  

The baths were so hot, filled by their mineral healing water and it had a distinctive sulfuric smell from all the minerals. Afterwards I went to get my massage and the combination of the massage being in the open with the sounds of the surf, plus the talented therapist I had made it so special. The three of us were so happy...

Then we stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burn's National Park and we did a small hike towards a waterfall that falls right into the ocean. I wanted to touch it but the area is blocked, you can only see it at a distance, in order to protect the pristine beauty of the environment.

Then we drove further north cause I wanted to go to the Big Sur Bakery (recommended by Nancy, one of my students), an incredibly respected restaurant that has gotten rave reviews. It's is right behind a gas station and next to a store in which I made a killing buying handmade rose and lavender creams... We had the best meal so far- I had risotto with peas, fava beans and pancetta. Jorge and Mom had a pizza with ham and pineapple. We had for dessert lavender creme brule.  

We drove back down to Lucia but we stopped at a vista point to look at the sunset right there in the Pacific. Mom, Jorge and I hugging each other watching the sun dip down into the ocean.

Next morning we left early driving back down to San Simeon to the Hearst Castle.

The Hearst Castle, entering it and being with all the people, and the lines, the tours, the shuttles, the stores, it reminded me of Disney World. Once we were in there though the palace is just so beautiful. It is so big, it took 30 years to build, there are so many rooms, several big houses, tennis courts, two swimming pools (my favorite part). It's truly exquisite.

We had a guide who was more interested in making jokes than educating us and most of his jokes fell flat. I felt bad for him but was too tired to laugh just to make him feel good. Mom told me later she laughed without wanting too, cause she felt bad for him. Jorge thought he might be a little stir crazy from repeating the tours over and over but he enjoyed it anyway.

We had lunch there and then proceeded to our hotel in San Simeon, called The Morgan, named after Hearst's architect Julia Morgan.

We had a lovely dinner last night. 

Today we stopped by the San Simeon beach and then drove back home. 

We decided at the spur of the moment to stop by Cambria and ended up spending about two hours there- we shopped so much! We then stopped briefly at a town called Harmony which has, I kid you not, 18 inhabitants.

We drove back to Santa Barbara where I wanted to prove to mom and Jorge that "La Super Rica" was actually good and they were good sports and tried it again and they didn't like it.

We drove back home and I'm exhausted.

I sat down to meditate briefly and it felt so good to be still and to have my eyes closed.

What a wonderful weekend!

This trip has been a blast- the reason for it's success I really think it's something we learn in yoga about how effort and surrender have to be there in every pose. I planned most of the trip, but at every stop I make sure to ask the locals where to go, what to do. Also before leaving several students gave me ideas on where to go and I took them. Yoga is not just what happens in class. It's a path for life.

Good night!