A Trip to the Carrizo Plains National Monument

LIFE AT A FROLIC

This piece includes information on planning and getting to the Carrizo Plains National Monument, details for recreation opportunities, some recommendations for your visit and camping availability. All images copy-written, with use of images only permitted conditionally via written permission.

There are super blooms and then there are super blooms. The Carrizo Plains is an example of the latter. I hadn’t visited the plains before and an urgency landed out of the blue, suddenly and all encompassing.  I found a friend of a friend’s cell phone images and they stopped me while I was preparing a meal, they stopped me from doing anything other than glare down at the handful of photos, wild-eyed with internal cranks setting into motion. “I need to go here tomorrow. Today. Right now.” Right now, of course wasn’t going to happen. It was 8pm, the flowers were asleep, but that didn’t stop me from plotting.  I began filling up water bottles, getting Cliff Bars and snacks loaded in my car, checking batteries and cleaning lenses. I knew I had to get out there. 

Wildflower blooms are like fireworks, they last with spectacular fleeting lifespans.  Great blooms leave the world within days of arriving, sometimes never witnessed again in a lifetime. The Anza Borrego super bloom is already over, drying out and succumbing to desert entropy. That sort of urgency is all the motivation I require. I set out the next morning at 11am, drove the 58 east through Santa Margarita, stopping periodically for photograph opportunities. The 58 is a drive I encourage everyone to take. There are closer proximity (to the coast) blooms within intimate valleys between San Luis Obispo and the Carrizo Plains, people were out there in surprising mid-week hordes, picnicking and romping through the floral beds. Though the coup de gras, the Shangri-La, is the plain itself.  To see and smell something as spectacular as this sensory amusement park makes you think of people who can’t go here.  People like my father and mother, both of whom were wildflower fanatics. Their spirits are undoubtedly there already. So go. Go today. Go now. Leave work. Leave class. Just go. Behold one of nature’s most outstanding spectacles.

YOUR TRIP TO THE CARRIZO PLAINS NATIONAL MONUMENT

PLAN YOUR GETAWAY

If you live anywhere in California, there's basically no easier place to travel to than the Carrizo Plains National Monument. The park is sandwiched between two east-west running freeways, State Routes 58 and the notoriously dangerous 166, both of which are accessible by interstates US-101 and the US-5. I live on the central coast, so I drove north and took the 58 eastward, because it's a splendid and beautiful drive on a two-lane highway which weaves through the back-country of San Luis Obispo county. The Carrizo Plains are located within the County of San Luis Obispo, the farthest extent of the county line, just brushing the odd city of Taft and Kern County.  

Along the 58 were a few smaller, but also significant wildflower blooms. I think most people coming from the coast stopped at these intermittent blooms instead of making their way completely to the Carrizo Plains. Dozens of vehicles were parked along various wildflower beds on the route, lots of picnicking folk and children playing in streams and wandering the floral carpets that extend acres upon acres.  It was a beautifully cinematic scene to witness, honestly.  

My GPS did a great job of routing me to the Soda Lake Road, which is contained within the National Monument. Soda Lake Road bisects the park down the middle and has several roadway spurs where you can park and do short walks onto the Soda Lake Overlook and boardwalk. Both walks I recommend, bring snacks and a picnic and enjoy the spectacular blooms from the overlook while you watch the gorgeous Soda Lake before it dries out again indefinitely. At the time of this writing, Soda Lake still holds water; though most of the year if not most of the time, the lake bed remains dry, arid and caked with the white calcification and salts. 

Continuing south on Soda Lake Rd, a branch takes you to the visitor center, which was closed when I was there, but is open seasonally from December 1, to the end of May, Thursday through Sunday, 9:00AM to 4:00PM.  Maps are available at the front door when the center is closed--which is something I wish I had known, instead I snapped a cell phone image of the posted map on the kiosk (works like a charm). You can also purchase a permit for a self guided or BLM guided tours to Painted Rock, depending one when you arrive in the park. As of right now, the only way to tour Painted Rock is via BLM guided tour. Check out the BLM page on the Carrizo Plains regarding unusual closures (e.g.: Panorama Road) weather, camping and permits. 

If you have the time, I recommend taking Soda Lake road from the North Entrance all the way to the South Entrance (or vice-versa) to not only get a true feeling of the grandiose solitude this monument offers, but also to see if the blooms are more concentrated and varied in other parts of the monument. Wildflower blooms are far from static, they change all the time and their whereabouts varies considerably with concentration and floral types. I found concentrations to be more significant the farther south I drove. Massive pools of yellow and contrasting purple beds extending for acres in all directions.

The true authority, in my opinion, on tracking wildflower blooms and finding out when and where the peaks of the season are is the Theodore Payne Foundation - Wild Flower Hotline. The foundation is a much-praised non-profit that offers weekly wildflower bloom reports, this link takes you to the listing of weekly reports where you can click-open regularly updated PDF documents that track the latest and best blooms throughout the state of California. Just scroll down the page to the latest report, which should be at the top of the listing, open the PDF link and start planning your trip. As my botanical knowledge is still in its early phase, I'm going to refrain from guessing the species of these flowers in my images and defer to the fine fellows at the Theodore Payne Foundation. I highly encourage you to donate and support the foundation - it's tax deductible! If you happen to know the species with certainty, please comment at the bottom and let me know.  

CAMPING IN CARRIZO PLAINS NATIONAL MONUMENT

Established Campgrounds - KCL and Selby Campgrounds. 

All established sites are available on first-come, first-served basis.  No reservations taken, so get there early during the busy spring season.  There are two improved campgrounds found within the monument, the KCL Campground with 12 sites (2 ADA compliant), vaulted toilets, picnic tables, you know the drill here and also Selby Campground which features 13 sites with fire pits, vault toilets and tables, etc.  

Dispersed Camping 

Carrizo Plains also allows for dispersed camping, which means car-camping, or hiking in with a tent, or horseback.  This is my kind of camping, though you really need to be prepared. You have to dig cat hole for your bathroom, bring your own water, haul out everything you bring with you.  To find out where you can do dispersed camping, the BLM has a great Visitor's Resources Map. Basically, you can disperse camp on any of the foothills, but not within the basin/plains -- this is a good thing as tents would blight the views. 

SAN LUIS OBISPO

THE HAPPIEST TOWN IN AMERICA
--A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE--

What makes the area so great isn't what is bought. SLO's greatness resides in memory.

In the last ten years, I graduated from undergraduate and gradate school, found a career in design, said goodbye to both parents, fought cancer and existed with utmost optimism and pride for my home here in SLO. I love it here. I could live here the rest of my life and be happy with that decision. People may be the reason for home, but having a sense of place is the core of community. One must be active in the community to tap into the vein of what makes a great place. To really get SLO, you need to participate in SLO. 

What makes SLO the happiest place has nothing to do with staying at the Madonna Inn. We acknowledge Alex Madonna left a massive footprint in the city, his inn on the hill is iconic. It's a place where most locals have been a handful of times. Hell, last time I used the famous waterfall urinal, I was mid-stream when surprised by a fleet of middle-aged women walking in with camera phones at hand. It's honestly not that cool.  But hell, us locals tend to avoid the inn for the most part. The food there? Eh. I've had a couple greasy spoon meals at the Copper Cafe that were fine, and I'll indulge a piece of famous Madonna Inn cake from time to time, but that hotel--any hotel--is not what makes SLO thrive. It's certainly not the reason to visit this area. 

Readers Digest claims SLO folk live within the top-four happiest places on Earth. The weather isn't the only thing offering year-round brilliance. What makes SLO so unique? What is this city doing right?

Events in the Town Center

I'll get to the famous Thursday night SLO farmers market in a proceeding section below. Though the market usually ties onto other local happenings.

SLO throbs with live music. There are great venues like the Fremont where locals walk in from surrounding neighborhoods and catch a touring act paired with exceptional local talent in a traditional art deco facade. The venue offers pristine sound and  not a bad seat in the house. SLO is one of the few places on the Central Coast where a person can catch live jazz. When provided an opportunity to hear some live local SLO jazz, do yourself the favor.

One can wander from the Fremont to a free show at Luna Red, Frog & Peach Pub, SLO Brew, and sometimes Mission Plaza.  

The Mission at San Luis Obispo regularly holds events like the massively popular and always fabulous Central Coast Pride in the Plaza, the SLO Jazz Festival and a free weekly summer-long series of Concerts in the Plaza. People show up to these events in troves.

Just on the perimeter of downtown resides the majestic Christopher Cohan Center at Cal Poly SLO. Catching a symphony, stage show, or concert here is always spectacular due to the excellent acoustics, splendid interior and only good views of the stage. 

Progressive Transportation 

It's been noted that most commutes in the SLO area are less than ten minutes. It's one of the reasons why long time locals have great reservations with big cities, spending less time in our vehicles is a real luxury--benefiting that which is most valuable to oneself, our time. This isn't just because SLO has a relatively sane view on passenger vehicles, discouraging their downtown use with hefty parking fees and reduced parking duration limits.  Many who live in the city commute by walking or bicycling.

One of the most entertaining events on the Central Coast is SLOs Bike Night, the first Thursday of every month, happening right after farmers market. The biking community in SLO is huge. The city bares the highest bike commuting percentage in the county at nearly 8% ridership. But it's a tragic truth that SLO ranks first or second in bicycle-related collisions each year since 2008 for California cities of a similar size (populations between 25,000 and 50,000). Nevertheless, SLO has adopted a number of progressive transportation designs to help provide more facilities and improved safety infrastructure (e.g. sharrows, bike boulevards, bike-only signals and intersection detection, etc.) for the growing SLO bicyclist population.  

There are also excellent public transportation options, Uber, Lyft and other vehicle sharing platforms available. But almost everyone I know walks in-town. Most of us enjoy the night scene, catching a concert in the plaza, film at the Palm Theatre, or a couple drinks at one of the many casual restaurants, bars or tasting rooms. There's a style suited for anyone's taste in watering hole.       

You also may roll in by train, get dropped off at the station and walk downtown to find a hotel. That's a truly under-appreciated great thing about SLO. The access and affordability of the Pacific Surfliner train is perfect for people coming in from other parts of the state. 

Excellent Farm to Table Food

I've written extensively about SLO food, everything from food trucks, Mexican food, to our favorite pizzas. The best SLO food is found in the restaurants maintaining the farm-to-table philosophy, where you aren't paying for the 500 mile Caesar salad. Instead you're paying for ingredients from a single local farm. 

There are twenty farmers markets in SLO county, the most popular is SLO's Thursday night six-block Higuera Street farmers market. It's as shoulder-to-shoulder full as it was a decade ago. These days, I tend to visit the farmers market only when I need produce. Gone are the high school years and early twenties where the SLO farmers market was the place to be seen by your peers. 

Youthful Backbone

It's no surprise that SLO is a college town. At least eight months of the year SLO's population swells by fifty percent as the student body returns from summer break. Students are present during summer school, but the campus shrinks considerably as most students head off to internships, home and travel. SLO students unsurprisingly tend to a bad rap from the locals. The local and student attitudes are sometimes adversarial, as community-scale events have been decried by locals due to the infamous Poly Royal and Mardi Gras Riots which led to dramatic overhauls in University policy regarding student conduct on and off campus. Nevertheless, those tales are massively eclipsed by the benefits of having one of the US's best undergraduate engineering programs in the country in the city. 

Poly students flood the city with not just economic value, but also innovation. Current and former students continue inject SLO with progressive visions of community pride, public safety, aesthetics and culture.

I remember in grad school I had the opportunity to present my term project unveiling to the mayor. The mayor actually showed up to university events. This left an impression on all pushing through the grad school grind. It was great doing research in a community that sought the help and valued the perspective.

A Real Culture

The most important civic marquee, culture, sustains with investment.  Los Osos, the artist community west of SLO was once the sole coastal bastion for art and community. These attitudes seemed to have radiated from Los Osos outward to foster the same ideals within the larger county.  SLO today holds tight its vision of lasting community, with ecological easements, historically designated buildings, atypical city districts (e.g. China Town, Railroad District, the unofficial Mojo District, etc.) large greenbelts, multi-purpose trails and conserved land keeping development at bay, or at least marched onward tactfully. Unlike some of adjacent cities which have lost the vision for tight-knit community, sidelined instead for potential sales tax revenues and hefty developmental impact fees. Development should never be hurried. It should plod along at a gentle pace, with all considerations for the community taken in highest regard first. To build spaces that benefit the community, because in the end it is the community that will be left with these structures, regardless of property owner will.   

Most who visit the area come to taste our wines, craft beers and dip their toes in our beaches. To experience a moment for what living in this town is like.  Sometimes it feels like Pleasantville, how weather is almost always fair and the narrow streets are lined with plump California bungalows, Victorian pseudo-mansions and overgrown canopies shading the sidewalks.  Couple that with the low crime, how everyone bikes and talks to his or her neighbor and you'll approximate this funny place. It probably doesn't come as a surprise that SLO is the sixth least affordable place to live in the US. 

I don't know what living unlimited means, but I know that life is a strangely extraordinary and delicate dash. The tide at times feels relentless. You find a way to dig your heals in, put the roots down seek an existence living where you vacation and continue to be inspired.

Having extraordinary people in your life is the ingredient often neglected in these kinds of pieces.  I'm lucky to have my SLO family. Every year it grows and becomes more genuine. 

Banner image source: Jesse Palmer

Before I jump into the piece, I first want to apologize for the break in Californist content, though this is currently a one-man show, I passionately remain Californist. I love and am proud this site and have great plans tailored for California-centric content. 

Many of you have noticed that there's been a break in content. The trajectory of life has handed me a new set of cards. And although I want this website to be exclusively California-related news, this event has changed my life and the ability to focus on other aspects in my life for the last month. That is now changing. Below is chronicle and an explanation for the absence. 

Rest assured, during this experience, I will be traveling and writing about our state for the Californist with regularity again.  I'm eagerly looking forward to this.   

Death Suddenly Entered the Room

Two months ago Hil, my girlfriend, and I found a bulge on the side of my neck about the size of your pinky finger. It didn’t hurt, but it looked odd. It came suddenly, out of nowhere, I hadn’t changed my diet, hadn’t been doing any weird exercises. I had been fighting a viral infection for a month so it seemed there was a connection with the bulge.

I called my doctor immediately. He physically evaluated me, felt the lymph node regions and calmly said, “It’s likely an infection. See me soon if this doesn’t clear up.”

A month later, although the node shrank, it was still there. I returned to my doctor. Told him we should consider pursuing the next steps, whatever they were, “Do you think we should explore a biopsy?” I asked.

“I don’t want to deprive you of that option,” the doctor said. I’ll never forget that statement.

He wrote me a script to get X-Rays, a MRI, blood-work, see an Ear Nose & Throat specialist and said, “If it doesn’t clear up in three months, give the specialist a call and get the MRI done.”

I got the MRI done two days later. Why wait.

When you search the internet for causes of neck bumps, you find two responses: inflammation/infection from a virus and lymphoma -- cancer.

The MRI showed the large lymph nodes, but no extra masses. I met the Ear Nose & Throat specialist and he said, “Let’s do a biopsy, it’s a simple out-patient procedure where we remove cells from the region using a needle.” A fine-needle biopsy is what it’s called. And it’s actually five needles, one for anesthetic and four cell extraction needles. Big needles. All in the neck. Good times.

The next week I went on my trip to Yosemite, one of the best trips and adventures of my life. The hiking noticeably reduced the size of the bulge in my neck. It decreased size! HELL YES. I returned home and Hil observed the same. Floating on optimism, I visited my Ear Nose & Throat specialist and confidently explained, “Doctor, I’m feeling spectacular. The nodes in my neck feel like they’ve decreased. Seems like it’s going away.”

“That’s great, Christopher, let’s pull up the ultrasound and have a look.” He squirted that gooey gel shit on the handheld device and started maneuvering the ultrasound scanner like a technician checking the sex of a baby.

His face quickly changed to stone sullen. I could read that expression a mile away. I knew what it meant.

“I’m concerned,” is all he said.

That was one of the worst experiences of my life, hearing those words. I staggered back to the parking lot, sat in my car and called Hil. “You should have seen his face. This isn’t looking good. I think cancer has entered the conversation on a serious level.”

She’s been incredibly supportive throughout this experience. “We’ll get through this, whatever it is,” Hil said. I bravely lost my shit in the car.

The fear. Death suddenly entered the room. That’s how it felt, honestly.

The results of the needle biopsy were inconclusive in terms of diagnosis, but bared the elevating phrase, “Atypical cell formations.” Not a phrase you want to see.

“We’re going to need to do a surgical excision biopsy and remove a node or two from your neck.” I was warned this was a forthcoming possibility, that fine-needle biopsies often result in ambiguous conclusions.

A couple weeks ago, that’s the surgery I had. It was an outpatient operation, took a couple hours or so, I don’t remember anything about it. Apparently I was talking about skateboarding as they finished the procedure and brought me out of surgery-sleep, general anesthetic. I have no memory of that. Skateboarding indeed is cool, so I’m glad I was talking about cool shit.

Recovery from surgery was honestly pretty chill. My dear friend Reese brought over her projector and screen and we watched a bunch of Chef’s Table all day. Took a pain pill the day after surgery and zero beyond that.

My family and friends were there during the operation. There’s no strength in the world like what you receive from great people in your life pushing you forward. More than anything else, relationships, people, are the most important thing in life. Nothing makes that clearer than experiences like this. I’m lucky to have such generous, humble and extraordinarily compassionate people in my life. I will never forget that or them.

“I have bad news and good news,” the specialist said a day later regarding my biopsy results, consulting the pathology report.

“You have Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.” Cancer of the lymphatic system. The one that killed my grandmother when my mom was seven.

“Fuck,” is all I could say.

“Yeah. I know,” the specialist replied.

“So what’s the road ahead like? Tell me about Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”

“That’s where the good news comes in. The prognosis is good for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Great cure rates if we caught it early, but it’ll still be chemotherapy and radiation. Those are the only treatments for lymphoma.”

“Do you think we caught it early?” I said.

“Not sure, we’ll have to get you PET/CT scanned to determine that. This is where you and I part ways and you transition onto the oncology road.” Oncologist is a fancy word for cancer doctor.

And so I began the road through oncology. Staging. What stage am I? I started consulting lymphoma forums looking for possible answers. Cancer forums are great, but they’re also brutal. You get these long, often beautiful stories of good souls enduring some of the roughest experiences a person can emotionally and physically toll. Most people on the lymphoma forums are stage 2, a few stage 3 and 4. The stories are hard to read. You picture yourself in the plot. I discovered many stories of people having bulges in their necks, many ignored the bulge because, like mine, it didn’t hurt. Maybe it’ll go away on its own. That’s a common statement. Though optimistically, a recurring climax to their lymphoma stories is that it seemed like most people were NED. That’s an acronym you see all over the place in cancer forums. NED stands for No Evidence of Disease. This is the goal.

My fears grew during this unknown time. My fears of chemo, radiation, getting sick, feeling and looking like shit grew. I don’t care about losing my hair, I just don’t want to feel horrible throughout this experience. Many people contacted and told me about the road ahead. “It all depends on staging, the treatment for lymphoma is different for everyone,” they said. The doctors had been telling me that I’m in great health. I’m fit, lean, my age matters, blood-work looks fantastic. All of it. You cling to these glimmers of optimism. When you enter the world of cancer as a patient, you gain a PhD in discussing cancer. White blood cells. Reed-Steinberg mottled formations. ABVD. A Hickman port. You learn all these words and concepts to soften the blow for when your doc tells you they’re a part of your experience.

Keeping your attitude, your optimism and confidence up is huge. Research indicates that optimism and a strong will manifests and correlates with strong recoveries. You need to have a strong will, despite the fear. And no one is more afraid of cancer than I. I’ve seen it tear down many lives in my world over the years, my father, my mother’s family, my childhood best friend, colleagues, great teachers and influencers. Cancer. Fucking cancer. Suddenly it’s your experience. And you have no choice but to go forward because it’s the only direction to go. The day after I got diagnosed I was in a daze. I kept hearing that Dylan Thomas poem that’s in Interstellar.

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I know how melodramatic that is to read, but it’s the truth. The feeling is a typhoon of emotion. Nothing prepares you for that, regardless of your mindfulness.

But then I came through the other end of the path of acceptance. Let’s get down to it then. I started making calls. I sent emails. Researched everything I could about Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. If it has a good cure rate, what can I do to help?

I got my team together, everyone I wanted in the local medical world. Told my boss and everyone is supportive. Regardless of the time ahead, my job is secure, I have insurance. I’m telling you, those are things you wouldn’t think you’d feel so much relief over, but you do.

I got fitted for my radiation mask, a big mesh plastic bust from my chest to completely over my head. I had to wear this skin-tight mask during my PET/CT scans. You can’t talk with it on and holds you in place for sometimes an hour. Thankfully, I don’t have claustrophobia because--man, this would have been a trigger. The radiologist-tech said I look like Hannibal Lector with it on. Bonafied creepy.

I got PET/CT scans last week. The results came in yesterday.

I’m Stage 1A.

We caught it early. You don’t know the kind of relief that news brings, it could have just as easily been a stage 3 or 4. I’m still in for a couple months of chemo and a month of radiation, but finding out that the early diligence paid off is extraordinary. I have Hil to thank for that. After this, I told her, spin the globe, pick a place and we’re there. I don’t care where.

I had to cancel my trip to China because of this. Oh, and this is a funny story. When Hil asked my primary care physician, “Doctor, he has an upcoming trip to China, do you think it’s a good idea for him to go?” His reply--I’ll also remember this for the rest of my life, “I’ve had patients die in China.” Unbelievable.

All I can do for now is eat well, exercise and hope my body responds well to the chemo. My medical oncologist says, “We’re aiming for a complete cure. No relapses. I’ve been doing this for 25 years and have never had a relapse for this type of lymphoma.” So that’s what we’re hoping for. That’s what I’m hoping for.

I’m cautiously optimistic. Though right now I feel strong-willed and confident. Whatever it takes, I’m going to rage ahead. I no longer sense death has entered the room and that feeling, beyond all others, is the best.

Here’s to the adventure. Cheers.

      “Big Sur is the California that men dreamed of years ago, this is the Pacific that Balboa looked at from the Peak of Darien, this is the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to look” - H. Miller

GUIDE

This is going to be difficult to articulate by simply writing, "Go here and here," so I'm going to use maps to assist in detailing the variety of options Big Sur brings. As a local, it's important for me to provide sound recommendations and advise on my favorite spots to enjoy in the Big Sur, Santa Lucia Range.  

This article is separated (by images and headers) into four sections: 

CAMPING

POINTS OF INTEREST

BEACHES

HIKES

Camping in Big Sur

Camping in Big Sur is a rite of passage for every Californian. If nothing else, driving the PCH Big Sur coastline offers a tranquility respite, especially if you get to ride shotgun. I highly recommend cruising with all your windows down, sunroof open and some chill music blasted at full volume. I've put together a collection for two types of camping: 

Car Camping (Glamping) & Wilderness (Backpacking) Camping

If you want to camp and you don't have a reservation, which is typical among my group of amigos, I highly encourage you buy an Adventure Pass and be ready for some dispersed camping up Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. This is about a forty-five minute drive off the PCH Hwy 1, into the luminous Santa Lucia Range. After you reaching the peak, you'll encounter a fork in the road, one paved, the other dirt.  Taking the dirt road (to the right) that leads to dispersed campsites where basically you'll find any spot you can and pitch your tent. The paved road (to the left) leads to some more car camping options, though be warned, if it's bug season you'll be enjoying these sites with troves of insects and other critters. The further east you head, especially if it's summer, plan for hot weather.  I've car camped with my amigos and lady at the Ponderosa Campground in 100-degree heat.  Fortunately, many of those sites, though not all, have shade.  

CAR CAMPING

NORTHERN END OF BIG SUR

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground (170 sites) - The Big Sur experience most people want. A thick and towering redwood canopy, hundreds of acres of coastal oaks, chaparral and meadows, adjacent to the Ventana Wilderness's 200 miles of hiking trails. Walk-in's have a couple sites available, but be warned and consider the time of year you visit as all these sites typically get booked eons in advance. 

Andrew Molera Campground (24 sites) - No reservations needed here, but show up early if not days before the weekend to ensure you have a site. So north on the PCH Hwy 1 that it almost doesn't feel like you're in Big Sur. I've camped at Andrew Molera a couple times, it's always chill, but it's definitely not at the top of anyone's favorite list. First of all, if you're car camping, you don't want your car to be nearly a mile away from your campsite. You usually don't plan for dragging your gear to your site. Such is the case at Andrew Molera. You park in the dirt lot with all the beach going commoners and drag your crap out to your campsite, which most likely has a single tree, if you're lucky. There are couple sites with shade, but most of the sites have little to zero shade. Yeah, that totally sucks. Bring a canopy. But then the squirrels, dear god, the squirrels are insane here.  They are everywhere and they have no problem hanging out next to your feet, sometimes on you. One time, my buddies and I were hard chilling at our site when we heard one of the squirrel lookouts freakishly begin chirping and screeching. We looked to the west and like a scene from David Attenborough's Planet Earth, a Bobcat emerged from the scrub full sprint and tackled one of the squirrels hanging on the perimeter.  The Bobcat trotted back into the brush with dinner between the jowls. It is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Everyone in the campground was sick of the squirrels constant harassment so seeing one sacrificed to mother nature resulted in the kind of applause reserved for winning the World Series. So yeah, Andrew Molera, it's hot, it's a bitch to walk into while dragging your gear (bring a wagon) offers little shade and too many people packed together.  But seeing that squirrel go down makes this place a solid 6/10. 

Big Sur Riverside Campground (22 sites) - I haven't stayed here, but it popped up on a deep dive, appears to be a privately owned and maintained camping and cabin area with 22 sites bookable online by shooting the owners an email or call (831-667-2414). Located on the northern most end of Big Sur, 22 miles south of Carmel.  Heads up though, these campsites, though perched on the creek, come at a premium ($60 a night on river, $55 off-river--yay, savings).  

Bottchers Gap Campground (11 sites) No reservations required, first-come first-served - Another site I haven't stayed at, but has pretty great reviews. Oak studded with grills, fire rings and picnic tables.  Bring your own firewood. Located 8 miles inland off the PCH Hwy 1 on Palo Colorado Road, 11 miles south of Carmel. This is also like Andrew Molera where you have to walk-in your gear, so be aware of this when you plan to stay here. No water. Bring copious bug spray, this isn't a joke.

MIDWAY BIG SUR

Lime Kiln Creek Campground (24 sites) - My favorite Big Sur car camping ground. Has two dozen sites, all booked pretty much the moment they become bookable in early May. This is one of those places where if you luck out, you can get a campsite right on the beach and hear two forms of water in sonic kinship from your sleeping bag, an ocean crashing and a low, sweet creek rabble. When I die, scatter my ashes here. This is as close to Earthen heaven as available for mankind. Choose sites between coastal chaparral and tropical forest.  

Plaskett Creek Campground (43 sites) - Grassy car camping at its finest. Possibly the most frequented campground in Big Sur, adjacent to one of the most popular and beautiful beaches (Plaskett Beach) in California. For people like myself, who hate camping in close proximity to neighbors, this isn't really my bag. Nevertheless, Plaskett is an institutional campground. This is the kind of place you take your friend or partner who despises the very idea of camping, where it feels almost like you're sleeping in your backyard instead of nature. But hey, that's cool, sometimes all you want is to be near the ocean and still, you're in Big Sur. And being anywhere in Big Sur is like having pizza on an airline--is it the best pizza you've ever had? Fuck no, but it's still pizza. Is camping in Plaskett Creek the best place to enjoy Big Sur, eh, could be argued, it comes down to preference and the kind of camping experience you're going for. You do get some toasty fire rings, picnic benches, flushable toilets (I know right? What is this Hearst Castle luxury nonsense--if I can't crap in the woods, I'm not camping) and lots of pavement.    

Kirk Creek Campground (32 sites) - 32 sites available with no water available. Good luck trying to get in. It's one of the big camping draws here, and like Plaskett or Lime Kiln it is filled pretty much the day that reservations are made available in May. Sites are on the ocean and adjacent to the Nacimiento Road ridge access. Beautiful sites, but unless you book early, there's a slim chance you'll get to stay here.  

EASTERN SIDE OF BIG SUR

Ponderosa Campground (23 sites) - Requires about an hour and twenty minutes of driving from turning off the PCH Hwy 1, heading up Nacimiento Road to the other side of the Santa Lucia Range. This is Big Sur's underdog camping area, but still offers wonderful Big Sur experiences to those unable to score a first string car camping ground (Lime Kiln, Plaskett Creek, Kirk Creek, etc.). The second string campground for when everywhere else is packed. The lady and I have camped here a few times and enjoyed taking in the copious wildlife, we were once obsessed with a sweet snake we found hanging in an adjacent creek bed. It's hot as hell here usually, but there are a lot of sites available, be sure you bring bug spray and tons of water. 

Nacimiento Campground (8 sites) No reservation required, but remember this is on the other side of the mountain - Requires about an hour and twenty minutes of driving from turning off the PCH Hwy 1, heading up Nacimiento Road to the other side of the Santa Lucia Range. Another second string set of 8 sites, typically frequented by people escaping the armies of glampers at the usually filled campgrounds, nevertheless Nacimiento Campground brings the chill. Tall gnarled oaks provide shade, if it has been a rainy year, you can expect water in the creek. Be aware, it gets hot as Hades here in the summer so pack tons of water and bug spray.  Serious about the bug spray, folks. Mosquitos love Big Sur wilderness as much as us. 

BACKPACKING (WILDERNESS) CAMPING

There are many campsites available in Big Sur's Ventana Wilderness, still part of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range.  I've tracked down a perfect map for your camping needs. All the red dots on the map below are camping areas, though the sites further into the green are, of course, backpacking campsites, which means you'll need to hike-in your gear, usually this is attached to a couple to few mile hike.  Super chill and totally do-able. The benefit to these sites is that they are often the most beautiful, remote and enjoyable places to camp in Big Sur. You can sleep next to a creek and under a supple redwood forest in two different evenings. The giant camping map below shows all the below car-camping sites also.

Right-click and save the map (below). This is your new Big Sur best friend. It's a huge image viewable in great detail. Just about every wilderness campsite is listed. These are the best places and ways to experience Big Sur. 

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Scenic Vistas & Places to Stop

I was tempted to start rattling off favorite places to stop, but thankfully the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce has already done the heavy lifting and produced the sweet scenic and places to stop map, to the right. If you aren't into camping there are hotels, inns and resorts available for you.

If you want to totally go balls out, stay at the Post Ranch Inn or Treebones Resort. Expect to pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars per night here. You only live once. Look them up, you get what you pay for. 

Some of my favorite stops include the Elephant Seal Rookery by San Simeon, Bixby Bridge, the Ventana Wildlife Discovery Center and Henry Miller Library. If you're hungry, stop at Nepenthe Restaurant, which hangs on a cliff and enjoy the spectacular views down the coast. Arrive in January and you're in luck, you can witness Humpback whales on the Pacific horizon heading south on their annual migration. 

One of my favorite places for hard chilling is Big Sur River Inn, where you grab a brew and bite and hang on their massive lawn on one of their Adirondack chairs listening to the Big Sur river cascade toward the Pacific. It's one of the chillest places in California. I once came here and the cottonwoods were dropping white fibers from the sky like a mid-summer snow.

An indelible memory.  

A classic pit-stop is Gorda, the main center of town market, where you restock brews, wine or snacks for the road ahead. I always recommend people bring their own food on this trek. The restaurants along the PCH, although magnificently curated, are expensive and I've never had a truly memorable meal other than experiences associated with the views.

Hell, my lady and I have drifted up the PCH just to make breakfast under the redwoods on a propane camping grill.

Another timeless experience. 

Big Sur & Central Coast Beaches

I could provide you with another laundry list of locations and you'd have to fight your way through the list and figure out where on the drive these places are, or I could do the smart thing of providing a sweet map that shows all the beaches available on this stretch of California. Basically, if you want to hit the beach, you're looking at all locations between San Simeon and Point Lobos. 

Some of my favorites are:

• Garrapata Beach (2 miles of sand) 
• Jade Cove
• Andrew Molera Beach
• Pfeiffer Beach
• Sand Dollar Beach
• Willow Creek Beach

Many thanks to the fine people at California's Best Beaches for putting this map together.

Keep in mind that although Big Sur beaches are beautiful, they aren't the typical sandy expanses you imagine when thinking of California beaches. Expect the water here to be colder than the Southern California Pacific, the beaches are nevertheless wonderful expanses of cliffs, redwoods, coastal oaks and chaparral perfect for your mental escape. 

Great Big Sur Hikes

The true authority on Big Sur hikes is Big Sur Trailmap .net. The site has trail and wilderness campsite conditions with active trail reporting by everyday hikers.  

Big Sur Trailmaps has a wonderful interactive trail condition map found here which is somewhat mobile friendly.

Big Sur's hiking highlights.

Consider the Ventana Wilderness contains over 200 miles of hiking trails. I'll break down some of the critically praised and notable Big Sur hikes from the most strenuous to moderate and easy day hikes. Each hike links to a page with greater detail and directions to the hike. 

FEEL THE DIFFICULT BURN (STRENUOUS) 

Rocky Ridge and Soberanes Canyon

Cone Peak Sea to Sky Trail (12 miles roundtrip) 

Tanbark Trail & Tin House (5.6 miles roundtrip)

Vincent Flat Trail (4 - 10.2 miles roundtrip)

MODERATE CHILL

Ewoldson Trail (4.6 miles roundtrip)

The Ridge, Panorama and Bluffs Loop (7.5 miles roundtrip)

Mill Creek Trail (3.2 miles roundtrip)

Salmon Creek Trail (6.5 miles roundtrip)

Cruickshank Trail (6 miles roundtrip)

EASY CHILL

Pfeiffer Falls / Valley View Trails (2 miles)

Lime Kiln Creek (3 miles roundtrip)

McWay Waterfall Trail (0.64 miles roundtrip)

Pacific Valley Bluff Trail (0.7 miles roundtrip)

Sand Dollar Beach Trail (0.7 miles roundtrip)

Jade Cove Trail (1.5 miles roundtrip)

Partington Cove Trail (1 mile roundtrip)

Soda Springs Trail (1 mile roundtrip)

Willow Creek Trail (3.6 miles roundtrip)

Rocky Ridge and Soberanes Canyon

The Californist would love to hear from you in the comment section. If you enjoyed this resource or found it helpful, please share the content by hitting one of the buttons below or sending a link. 

Let us know about your favorite places to camp or stop along the PCH, we're always on the lookout for new adventures.  

THE PROUDEST CALIFORNIAN PROTECTS HIS ENVIRONMENT FROM FOOLS

Legacy

It is nature and wilderness providing the foundation for the state, not development or its man-made edifices. 

More than any other state, California embodies the western ethos. People come to our mountains, grasslands and coastal regions to find redemption, breathe our wild air and escape their over civilized lives. We are the proud nature lovers, protectors of the great American frontiers.

Historically, California protects some of the first land to be coveted by the National Park system, Yosemite and Sequoia. We also have Abe Lincoln to thank for that. 

The state has also experienced great environmental tragedy. From the over 100 California Superfund sites (there are nearly twice as many Superfund sites in California than there are National Parks in the entirety of the US) to the relatively recent extinctions of native species like the

• California Golden Bear -- the one on the state flag
• Southern California Kit Fox
• Tule Shrew
• Clear Lake Splittail
• Tecopa Pupfish
• Thicktale Chub
• Pasadena Freshwater Shrimp
• Sooty Crayfish

and countless others gone extinct or nearly so from the planet in recent years. 

Death of a Species

So here we have a species of fish, the delta smelt, in the most recent survey, not a census, scientists found 6 remaining fish. The fish lives for one year, has a low reproductive rate and is widely suspected to go extinct in the wild regardless of our interventions or policies. "The fish used to be so plentiful that it was caught and sold commercially. Over the course of about three decades, 'the delta smelt went from being the most common fish to one of the most rare,' said Marty Gingras, a California Fish and Wildlife Department biologist who manages year-round smelt surveys" (source).  

Fish biologist Tina Swanson of the Natural Resources Defense Council told National Geographic in 2015, "It's not just the delta smelt. Nearly every single native and non-native fish species is showing the same pattern. To me, that is an excruciatingly clear indication that our management of the environment in which they live—the delta and upper bay—is insufficiently protective." 

The California river delta area is a massive interior of the upper San Francisco bay.  See the image below to consider the area in relation to California on a whole. 

Though my aim here is to present facts, history and consider the future, I'd like for you to imagine the road ahead if we continue letting our California ecosystems die. What are the consequences of losing the life in our estuaries and coastal habitats and simultaneously allowing massive California agriculture and development to continue mismanaging its water, directing the fate of our remaining native species and habitats.

It is time for California agriculture to change the way it farms.

Many people simply view the loss of habitat and species as a natural externality to human progress. "Survival of the fittest," they say, "if the fish can't adapt, then it doesn't belong here." A popular rhetoric found on the internet. 

Agriculture & Water: Bread Basket to Dead Basket

Droves of people in support of California agriculture, in terms of food and jobs, want the California native delta smelt to go extinct. Another nail in the coffin, so the California River delta can be pumped further and piped to the valley to irrigate California farms--to feed people. It's estimated on several sources that 400,000 acres (at a minimum) have been left to fallow abiding the pumping regulations aimed at helping the smelt and other estuary species. Many critics argue the regulations are partly to blame for the decline and that, ultimately, regulations don't help whatsoever.

Another national security claim touted online, "A two inch bait fish, the Delta Smelt, which they claim is an 'endangered species' to shut down all of the water to the San Joaquin Valley. They have created a modern day dust bowl out of some of the most beautiful farmland on earth. Some 400,000 acres have been destroyed with one million total acres in jeopardy" (source). Nevermind that water diversion isn't how the last dust bowl was created, which was actually caused by changing the fundamental ecology of the landscape. This is what we're facing in the California river delta, consequences associated with changing the regional ecology.

Evaporating Water 

Let's talk about water supplies. Rain is nice, but snow-pack is what gets California agriculture and domestic water use through the dry periods. Snow is critical for California's future. Snow recharges groundwater.

Take a look at this model indicating water in a typical California snow-pack in April (based on modeling) put together by Cal-adapt, using Scripps Institution of Oceanography data.

Notice how the model shows a maintaining trend of dwindling snow-pack into the future. Look at the timeline, less than a hundred years. Droughts are our reality. This will have consequences for both habitats and agriculture. It's also worth considering that 80% of the land suitable for farming is currently in use. 

The Public Policy Institute Center (PPIC) Water Policy Center released a report detailing the changing landscape of farm water use, some key findings include: 

• Acreage is shifting toward higher-revenue—but less flexible—crops. California farmers have shifted markedly to fruits, nuts, vegetables, and nursery crops, which made up roughly 47 percent of irrigated crop acreage, 38 percent of farm water use, and 86 percent of crop revenue in 2012. By comparison, forage crops, such as alfalfa and corn silage—inputs for the important dairy and cattle industries—generate less revenue per unit of water. In the water-limited San Joaquin Valley, orchards grew from 34 percent to 40 percent of irrigated cropland between 2000 and 2010. The rise in fruit and especially nut orchards—which must be watered every year—has reduced farmers’ ability to withstand intermittent water shortages.
• Water delivery and field irrigation efficiencies are rising. Many irrigation districts have been upgrading delivery systems to provide more flexible service and minimize canal spills and seepage. Farmers have been switching from flood irrigation to drip and sprinkler systems, which improve crop yields and quality and reduce the application of harmful chemicals. However, in some regions—especially the San Joaquin Valley—these water management upgrades, including canal lining, have the unintended consequence of lowering groundwater levels. That is because irrigation water not consumed by crops is a major source of groundwater recharge.
• Groundwater is becoming more important . . . and more threatened. San Joaquin Valley farmers have been pumping more groundwater to replace surface water previously shipped through the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta or diverted from the San Joaquin River, as both sources have decreased to support endangered fish habitats. Groundwater is also being used to establish new orchards in previously unirrigated areas that lack surface water. High returns on orchard crops have made it profitable for farmers to invest in deeper wells, aggravating groundwater depletion. Groundwater quality is also falling in many areas, threatening crop yields and drinking water (source).

More than 35 native plants and animals that live in or pass through the Delta are now listed under state and federal endangered species acts. The declines of native fishes, such as delta smelt, longfin smelt, Chinook salmon, and green sturgeon, are due to many factors: loss of habitat, changes in the volume and timing of flows, changes in water quality, and unfavorable hatchery and fishing practices. In addition, many alien species have invaded the estuary, often altering the environment and competing with or preying on native species. - The Public Policy Institute (2015)

Recent droughts have exposed a number of issues relating to long term water management. The PPIC has a fascinating report on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River watershed, available here. One of the major findings in the report includes a statement on the changing ecosystems in the watershed (to the right). 

The PPIC report regards the delta fish directly, indicating that "California has compelling social and economic reasons to reverse the decline of Delta fish populations, including avoiding regulatory costs. Because the science is uncertain, bold experiments are needed in habitat restoration, flow changes, and management of fisheries and invasive species. Agencies will need to adjust flow management and take other actions as scientific understanding improves. This work requires reliable funding." 

Though fraught with on-going criticism, it should be noted that the Endangered Species Act is widely considered one of the most successful laws in US history. The Center for Biological Diversity conducted a study "of all endangered species in the northeastern United States found that 93 percent increased or remained stable since being placed on the endangered list; this extraordinary success rate represents a fair sample that can be extrapolated nationwide" (source).

Elephant in the Room

It's a tragedy that so many extinction supporters don't see the long road ahead, the drought, wild fires and natural weather extremes for what they really are: California climate is changing and species can't adapt fast enough. 

And the drought, which the scientific community says will return with all the mandates and cost increases to follow, will not be quenched by diverting the remaining strands of freshwater to the valley. We will have to make tough choices ahead, human equity or biodiversity. 

Destroying the remaining ecosystems to support water mismanagement in California industry is a long-run mistake. Rather than push extinction forward, we should be looking to preserve these genetics; strong ecosystems demand robust biodiversity. Narrowing biodiversity leads to ecological disaster. But the solution to balancing domestic and ecological needs is going to be battle wrought with compromise. 

We may not feel the effect of losing these native species today, but like the formerly abundant passenger pigeon and buffalo which "shattered the myth of inexhaustibility and helped ignite widespread discussion about the destruction of American wildlife" (M. Barrow, A Passion for Birds: American Ornithology After Audubon) we will befall the condemnation of future generations for our haste, ignorance and civil arrogance. 

This is what we've come to, isn't it? Dry our ecosystems, starve the estuaries, block the remaining strands of water leading into the Pacific and send it to the valley -- certainly these remaining threads of freshwater will carry us indefinitely into the future. Certainly the skeletons of species left in the drying beds are worth the almond trees bowing for water.  

A Solution

We must adopt new high production modern methods for farming at massive scales while reducing our impact on the native environment in the future. As populations further shift into the urban realm, local production and micro community scale is a likely way forward. Bring upon the death of the 500 mile Caesar salad, as they say. Finding higher efficiency, lower water consumption processes will also be key to California maintaining its hold as America's great agriculture producer. It will be necessary for California to depart from or relocate high water consumption crops.

The technology community will need to take aim at the problem with innovation, something like vertical farming.   

The discussion reminds me of a statement John Muir made in his book, "Our National Parks," expressing the foundation of our National Park System, which grew defiantly from the purpose of defending our great natural landscapes from development and resource extraction. Ultimately, we shifted our focus from old growth tree extraction and began developing alternative construction materials, but the quote holds true today as it did in the 1800s.

A Concise History of Santa Maria Style BBQ

Santa Maria style BBQ is a culinary tradition from the Santa Maria valley in Santa Barbara County. The method of BBQing heralds from the late 1800s and is nationally recognized for its California-centered customs.

The mid-1800s brought along Spanish-style feasts each spring for the vaqueros (cowboys). They bbq'd meat over traditional earthen pits filled with coastal live oak and the meal was always served with, and this is still a mainstay tradition, pinquito beans. The Santa Maria chamber of commerce copyrighted the staple menu in 1978. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, whereby I may receive a small commission from sales that helps to support this content.

How to Have a Santa Maria Style BBQ

So, let's talk about the anatomy of a Santa Maria style BBQ.  It's simple, there are four components. Some purists will argue about the minutia of these claims and that's fine. I was raised to enjoy several forms of Santa Maria style BBQ and I know both pure and practical methods.

What you need: grill, fuel (and potentially a starter), seasoning and meat. Typical Santa Maria style BBQ is made on an oak pit fire bbq. These BBQ grills feature a welded metal box frame, with a crank used to ratchet the height of the grill. The reason for the hand-crank style pit emerged from the windy Santa Maria valley, which requires the use of oxidative fire (burning) and can vary the heat output depending on the fuel type and oxygen content (wind). 

Typical fuel consists of oak firewood. Santa Maria valley is flush with beautiful old growth coastal live oak trees.  Many of these beautiful trees are hundreds of years old and when they die or need to be removed because of, say, disease, tree removers slice up the cuttings into smaller cords and ultimately split down and bundle into firewood for sale. You can buy bundles of oak firewood throughout the Central Coast. Oak is a hardwood, it's takes time to ignite, but once it get's going it creates a long lasting heat, unlike a softwood like pine, which burns fast and hot. Sustainable heat is a key factor for BBQing.  

Seasoning is hugely important, you can make your own, but I'd recommend using what almost every Santa Maria native uses: Susie Q's Santa Maria style seasoning (see an image below). The seasoning consists of garlic powder, salt, black pepper and sometimes some dried herbs (parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil, etc.). Susie Q's also adds a little cane sugar, sweetening up the recipe.  I highly recommend and regularly gift Susie Q's Santa Maria style seasoning every Christmas to friends and colleagues. 

Finally, the meat. Traditional Santa Maria style bbq is tri-tip or chicken, but the style of BBQ is more paramount than the kind of meat.  Purists argue otherwise, but you can Santa Maria style your steak, fish, ribs and pork. All taste fantastic well seasoned over an oak pit. 

Say you live in an area that doesn't sell those big Santa Maria style pits or oak wood. There are substitutes my father used while we were camping or at a friends place who didn't own the full accommodations. And honestly, the BBQ from these substitute tools is just as worthy and tasty.  

Here's what you can do to provide your own Santa Maria style grilling experience, though not truly pure, you'll nevertheless achieve the essence of the regional gastronomy: a weber tripod grill, a chimney starter, lump coal (you can find hardwood lump charcoal at many grocers) and Susie Q's Santa Maria style seasoning (you can buy this from Amazon). 

You'll want to have zones on your grill, cooler and hotter sections where the distribution of your fuel (wood or coals) is lower and higher. There are countless tutorials on how to deliciously bbq tri-tip, chicken, steaks, etc. and I'm not going to relay my backyard chef skills in this post, as it's easy to track down wonderful youtube videos to help educate a person on how to properly cook meat. 

Here are some key substitute instruments for those without access to a traditional Santa Maria style fire pit:

BBQ Grill

Coastal Live Oak (also known as Red Oak) Firewood

Or, if oak is not available, pick up a chimney starter 

Susie Q's Santa Maria Style Seasoning

Salsa

A key component of any tri-tip meal is salsa, usually pico de gallo, but your favorite brand of salsa will work as well. The Californist reviewed locally made salsa's recently to help with your salsa selection.

Recipes

Here are some of our favorite Santa Maria style BBQ recipes with reliable support from the trusted team at the Food Network. 

• Santa Maria Style BBQ Tri-Tip (Bobby Flay)

• Oakwood Grilled Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

Places Serving Santa Maria Style BBQ

Jocko's (Nipomo) 

What to order: Spencer steak and filet mignon

Tanner Jacks (Arroyo Grande - Nipomo Mesa) 

What to order: Tri-tip

Far Western (Orcutt)

What to order: Bulls Eye Steak (known for this) BBQ chicken and NY steak

Hitching Post (Casmalia / Beullton)

What to order: Ribeye and T-bone steaks

Rancho Nipomo (just north of the Santa Maria River)

What to order: the pulled pork and tri-tip sandwiches

Elks Lodge (Santa Maria) - Cook Your Own

Friday nights are cook your own in Santa Maria's largest indoor barbecue. Includes salad bar, baked potato or french fries and the famous Santa Maria style beans. Steak, Chicken, Fish, Ribs: $13, Non-member $18. Salad: $8.  6PM to 8:30PM.

For the last few years, food trucks have established a delicious San Luis Obispo culture with several chefs making rounds and working events throughout the county. The Californist wanted to catalog all the SLO County food trucks in a simple and useful resource, so we scoured various media and inquired with local food mavens on the most popular and available food trucks in the area. If you know of any food trucks not on the list, let us know. We're happy to add them to the roster.  

It should be noted that few trucks do lunch runs today as it's competitive and difficult to manage the various trucks and few locations able to supply enough business. There have been instances of stepping on toes, but mostly SLO has a difficult population for the thriving food truck community. Some trucks are hard to find today, if not gone altogether: Kunfusion, Spoon-N-Bowls and Tio Alberto's.

We've discovered that lunch runs are difficult for profitability and that the food truck community aims instead on catering events. It would be great if there was a simple parking lot or something close to the SLO Farmer's market where all the trucks could pull up with tables and chairs ready to offer their foods to the community. But undoubtedly this brings on its own host of logistical challenges. 

Gusto on the Go Bistro

Delicious, savory burgers and sandwiches are the baileywick for SLO's institutional food truck, Gusto on the Go. I love the simple and elegant Caprese Sandwich with fresh moz, basil and tomato for a light go-between meal.  But for a true Gusto experience, acquaint the pulled pork and tri-tip sandos and Gusto burger options. They have a whole slew of sandwich options and also make terrific street tacos and daily specials. You can find the Gusto truck via their online calendar though often their calendar is filled with weddings and private events, typical for the trucks in the area. 

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Grilled Cheese Incident

Runner up for second best 2016 food truck in the New Times readers poll, often spotted at wineries, breweries and city events. Mike, the owner, keeps his weekly schedule up to date on his Facebook. 

The Grilled Cheese Incident makes some of the most savory grilled cheese creations in the area, like the sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, smoked applewood bacon and 5 cheese Mac & cheese on Brian's sliced French bread, a rich and filling creation. I also love the Quintessential California with havarti jack, tomato, avocado and bacon on cracked wheat sourdough. You can't go wrong with the Classic: monterey jack, sharp cheddar and gouda on Brian's sourdough. 

Javed Kabab Paradise

Often found at the SLO Tapit Brewing on Wednesday night trivia, the Javed Kabab Paradise food truck offers delicious and simple Pakistani and Indian dishes featuring beef, chicken and veggie kebab wraps and platters, all of which are loaded with veggies, sauces and tasty spices. I'm a big fan of the chicken and beef wraps, and often I'll order one of each for my voracious post-work appetite. Thankfully, they're prices are just as awesome as their naan.  You can follow their whereabouts via their Facebook.

The Pairing Knife

The Pairing Knife (TPK) is another SLO institution, head chef Jessie Rivas serves up delicious tacos, burgers and sandwiches throughout the Central Coast. I recommend TPK's delicious Bianchi Burger made with ground sirloin, brie cheese and pear, fig and wine compote, caramelized onions sandwiched in a delicious buttery brioche bun. You can keep an eye on their whereabouts via the TPK Twitter. 

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Ruddell's Smokehouse 

Ruddell's Smokehouse truck is often found in SLO North County, I found them at the Barrelhouse brewery, and if you feel inclined to check out one of the Central Coast's best BBQ institutions, check out their brick and mortar location in 101 D Street, Cayucos CA. Ruddell's food truck makes a great, simple assortment of tacos: ahi, albacore, shrimp, pork and salmon. All of the tacos are extraordinary, I highly recommend ordering a differing pair of protein foundations.  

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Cubanissimo

Santa Maria's Cubanissimo food truck has been making rounds at various Central Coast events over the last year.  They provide some of the savoriest Cubano and other types of sandwiches, chorizo, croquetas, yuca fries and the best garlic dipping sauce on the planet.  They keep their whereabouts posted on their Facebook.  

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Haute Skillet

Winner of the 2016 New Times readers poll for best food truck in SLO County.  The Haute Skillet is run by Chef Anna Andriese, who is formally trained at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, which provides the bedrock for her savory creations. Her hearty and delicious dishes are composed of the great food truck itinerary: sandwiches and tacos. Chef Anna brings out phenomenal pulled pork sandwiches, pork belly tacos, beef, chicken and beet wraps.

Upcoming events: You can find the Haute Skillet at Wolff winery on Friday, June 17 and Claiborne and Churchill on Friday, July 15th

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What the Truck

Central Coast Brewing (CCB) tactical hunger response unit, What the Truck, offers some of the best in local pub-grub, fish tacos, burgers, delicious jalapeno strips, Pismo dogs, and tri-tip sandwiches.  What the truck is often found at CCB and can be tracked via their Twitter and Facebook.  We've been informed the team is reworking their website and will be maintaining a regularly updated calendar. 

Documentaries make up one of my favorite film genres.  Nature documentaries were my first foray into the genre and I originally wanted to create a website exclusively on reviewing and examining nature documentaries. That's for another era. When I'm home resting, it's likely I'm viewing a documentary. 

Because California is the subject of countless documentaries I wanted to discuss a few of my favorites.  Many of these are available on Netflix, but I think they're all worthy of buying your own copy.  Ken Burns National Parks documentary series is one of those series where you can toss on any episode and be drawn into the story. Let's take a closer look at some of these California lensed documentaries. All titles and images link to Amazon.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, whereby I may receive a small commission from sales that helps to support this content.

Valley Uprising

The legacy of climbing and exploring Yosemite National Park.  Exquisite cinematography, a rad soundtrack and the dramatic chronicle on climbing Yosemite's extraordinary granite faces told by the icons who left their blood and sweat on the routes. The documentary covers rock climbing origins, conflicts between climbers and rangers and the staggering achievements evolving in the valley throughout the decades.

Injected with a carefree attitude and a terrific score, the pacing of the film maintains both an enthusiastic approach to the subject without being ass-kissy or understating the challenges of modern day mountaineering, park management and respecting the scenic dignity of the iconic landscape.

The West

Ken Burns presents a great West Coast epic discussing the exploration and settling of the left coast. There is so much history gripping the heals of the Western American frontier: our love of nature, innovation and improvement.

Guided by intimate journal excerpts, the viewer receives personal accounts of, for example, the enthusiasms associated with the gold rush and the unforgiving prospect of being a gold miner evolved into a hasty population on the western seaboard, establishing the great western American monolith, San Francisco. 

The series is unflinching for describing how early Americans treated the natives. It isn't so dark to be unpalatable, although a dim underbelly underscores The West with eyes on manifest destiny.

I love the stories about the cowboy, how the first gun laws were fostered in Wyoming, of all places, a resistant blow-back to the drunken lunacy of cattlemen fresh from their drive. Men, whose pockets were freshly filled with payment, liver soaked in booze and reckless abandon.

This series goes through so much detail and through so many historic accounts, it's impossible to cover it all. Though it's highly edifying and worthy of the 12+ hours it will take to get to end. Took me less than a week to get through the series.

Dogtown & Z-Boys

Similar in attitude, soundtrack and visual approach to Valley Uprising above, Dogtown follows the Venice Beach skateboarding icons at the infancy of skateboarding and how the Z-Boys were architects of their own brand of surf-inspired freestyle skating.  With sensational interviews and narration by Sean Penn, the Dogtown & Z-Boys documentary takes a bare knuckled approach to the history, conflicts and triumphs of skateboarding. What the sport has endured over the years, even during its noble roots and the attitudes and visions of the early skateboarding pioneers.  Beautifully filmed, fantastic rock n' roll soundtrack and feverishly paced. A skateboarding documentary for those who hate skateboarding.  

Big Sur - Wild California

A fun and adventure-inspiring documentary about the Big Sur coastline, featuring the wildlife and cohabitation of marine, avian and terrestrial creatures competing for survival. There are excellent sections on the California mountain lion, sea otter, condor and other winged predators.

Terrific visuals of redwoods, coastal chaparral and the iconic scenery abudting the PCH. A classic nature documentary tied to one of California's most important, identifiable and famed coastlines. Superb on Blu Ray. Short, as all Nat Geo documentaries tend to be (45 min). 

Climbing Redwood Giants

Another excellent and fascinating National Geographic documentary on the history, exploration and significance of the California Redwoods. Stunningly shot, the documentary follows two ecologists, one studying by foot on a transect through the massive region occupied by the redwoods, the other climbing the redwood tree canopies, documenting and exploring the habitats created and what's left of the living giants and virgin old and recent stands. Also a short documentary at 45 minutes. 

National Parks - America's Best Idea

A massively inspiration documentary. Arguably the best documentary series produced by the long form beast, Ken Burns. Although the documentary spans all, at the time, 52 National Parks (as of 2016, there are 59) through the fascinating origins of the idea, the reasons for the national park system and the endless triumphs and losses throughout the well over hundred year history.

This is one of those documentaries I buy for friends and family members every year. I adore the portraits of John Muir, Steven Mather and the dozens of other figures who've dedicated their lives to the conservation, promotion and expansion of one of America's highest environmental ideals. It's a beautiful, highly edifying work that encompasses everything from Abe Lincoln signing and protecting the first stands and slabs in Yosemite and Sequoia, through the chronic private development interests of all the parks, notably the Grand Canyon, and finishes with a gorgeous arching saga in Alaska, the last pure American frontier.

No exaggeration, I rewatch this 720 minutes series at least once a year, though usually twice, to reinvigorate and inspire me to work on efforts I'm proud of. 

Closing Note

Let us know in the comment section about your favorite California documentaries. If you find this resource interesting, check out our pieces on famous California drives: Rites of Passage and our favorite road trip: the Grand Tree Tour. 

As this site is a huge labor of love, if you feel compelled, please share a link or like our Facebook. 

Exploring California Caves

There are many explorable caves throughout California. Sequoia has upwards of 240 known caves -- many discovered in the last decade. Lava Beds National Monument has over 700 caves. Some of these caves are accessible for the public, requiring no special tools or navigational needs, others are hidden and unmarked, requiring navigational and map reading skills.  For this list of locations, let's discuss the most accessible caves -- those that are easily accessed by public and well maintained trails or are found on guided tours. 

Lava Beds National Monument

The most extensive cave region in California with over 700 caves! Located in California's northeastern region, the monument is near the Medicine Lake Volcano. There are 25 lava tubes with marked entrances for public access and exploration. The lava tubes in the monument are the most extensive in the Cascade range, with an estimated age of 30,000 to 40,000 years old.

There's also an astonishing archeological site, Petroglyph Point, which includes some of the largest Native American (Modoc people) rock art in the US. The overall wilderness includes nearly 30,000 acres of wilderness with over a dozen major trails (3 long, 10 short). 

Crystal Cave (Sequoia National Park) 

A marble karst cave within the Sequoia National Park, one of the 240 known caves within the park. Located in the Giant Forest area, the cave is accessible by park-guided tours only, which must be purchased at the either the Foothills or Lodgepole Visitor Center.  Beautiful curtains of crystal formations and standing pools give the cave an eerily artistic quality.  A must see the next time you're in Sequoia National Park.

There are plenty of other caves within Sequoia, but the National Park Service keeps a tight lip on the locations of other caves for obvious reasons, the crystal formations are grandma's China fragile. Keep in mind that 17 of the 240 caves in Kings Canyon and Sequoia have been discovered since 2003. The latest, Ursa Minor, is considered one of the most spectacular in California and will likely never be open for the public, says the National Park Service. 

Arroyo Tapiado 

Located in the brutal and beautiful Anza Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County, the caves were formed by water flowing through thick silt deposits. There are at least 22 known caves with some exceeding 1,000 ft length. Many of the caves are accessible to the public. Though it's highly recommended you seek quality cave entrance maps to help navigate the area, found at the visitor's center. Many entrances are difficult if otherwise impossible to find without an accurate map.  Some of the more popular caves include Big Mud Cave, Chasm Cave, Plunge Pool Cave and Carey's Big Mud Cave. 

Boyden Caverns (Kings Canyon National Park)

Tragically the cave is temporarily closed due to wilderness fires, you can keep an eye on the reopening progress via the Boyden Cave blog.  

Located within Kings Canyon National Park means this cave is less touristy with far less people than Sequoia. The cave features rare shield metamorphosed limestone formations with spectacular mineral stalactites, called speleothems. This is another guided tour cave, but nevertheless an enjoyable experience for families and people looking to escape the heat. Tours typically last around 45 minutes, have accessible friendly handrails and cool lighting throughout the cave. A super chill experience for people who want to see a spectacular cave, but are fearful of potential claustrophobia or uncertain accessibility.     

Black Chasm Caverns 

Another National Landmark, Black Chasm Cavern was formed by carbonic acid eroding the subterranean marble bedrock. Beautiful calcite formations in stalactite (from the roof) and stalagmite (from the ground) ornament the cavern. Other fascinating formations in the cave include columns, flowstone, draperies, ribbons, angel's wings, cave bacon, soda straws, helictites, false floors and other strange shapes create a beautiful and varied subterranean landscape. The lakes within the cave teem with blind and pigment-lacking life adapted to the total darkness. The total length of the cave is 3,135 ft and the depth, including the lake, is 225ft. 

Balconies Cave (Pinnacles National Park)

Included in the spectacular Pinnacles 9 mile trail loop, though there are shorter loops which lead to the cave (but seriously, take the 9 mile loop) at the newly promoted Pinnacles National Park. Pinnacles National Park was formed by the eroded leftovers from a long extinct volcano. The best time to visit is in spring and fall as the summer months typically bring intense heat to the area. The "cave" is actually rock fall that has covered the trail, it's a great mid-day refuge, especially when you've mistakenly shown up on a 100+ degree day. 

Cave of Munits 

Located on the 2.6 mile trail loop in the gloriously intimate Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, the Cave of Munits is a scramble up a steep rock formation to enjoy a spectacular, towering cathedral like formation. It's easy to see why the Chumash view this as a spiritual place. Though moderately littered with broken glass and wall vandalism, the cave is still a spectacular capstone to the hike loop.   

Gaviota Wind Caves

Another easy 2.5 mile round trip hike leading to a great view and fascinating wind-eroded sandstone formation. Smaller than the other caves on the list, the day hike offers a quick escape on a longer trip with trails that leading to greater ascents, like the Gaviota Peak Trail and the Las Cruces Trail. Free access. 

Painted Cave (Channel Islands National Park)

One of the largest and deepest sea caves in the world. Santa Cruz Island is part of the Channel Island National Park chain. The quarter mile deep, 100' deep Painted Cave features an entrance ceiling of 160 ft tall and is named for the colorful lichens, algae and mineral deposits that adorn the cave. If you show up in spring, you'll likely spot a waterfall spilling over the cave entrance.

Though difficult to access, the only way to reach the cave is charter a boat and paddle some kayaks into the cave. If you're planning on visiting the Painted Cave, I highly recommend camping in the National Park at the Scorpion Bay anchorage; bring some snorkeling gear and enjoy the clear visibility and copious ocean wildlife. At night during the summer, one can see blue bioluminescent algae on the ocean surface offering a transcendental experience for first time witnesses. 

Closing Note

Let us know in the comment section about your favorite adventure destinations and caves. One of our favorite spring activities is taking drives up the local ranges and exploring the area with day-hikes. If you find this resource interesting, check out our pieces on famous California drives: Rites of Passage and our favorite road trip: the Grand Tree Tour. 

As this site is a huge labor of love, if you feel compelled, please share a link or like our Facebook. 

Skeletons of California History

California has endured phenomenal upheaval, dispute, loss, boon and shortfall over its legacy, much of the backbone traceable still from the remnants. It's here where we find what got us to today and, more importantly, where we went wrong. 

Considering the many boon and bust cycles California has endured over the centuries, it's not surprising that ghost towns litter the west like a chronicle of pages torn from history and blown across the state. Economies once propped by resource extraction or hollowed promises of everlasting prosperity decay and are left abandoned, like the owners would return only after a few hours, to be ignored until being unceremoniously stripped of copper and steel, desecrated by vandals, arsonists and left to the whims of entropy. 

If you enjoy this piece, check out our piece on famous California drives: Rites of Passage and our piece on the best spots to view the California flower blooms.  

Amboy 

Amboy is a great example of how changes in mobility alter population trends. The once famous stop-over community on the mythologized Route 66, the community population swelled to a paltry 65, mostly supporting the convenience needs, notably at Roy's Motel and Cafe. When the competing interstate 40 opened in '73, the popularity of the new route withdrew traffic from Route 66 and dissolved Amboy's population in the process. There are still things to see here. This is California after all.

There are two extinct volcanoes west of Amboy, the Amboy crater (6,000 year old cinder cone) and Pisgah Crater, another cinder cone located closer to Interstate 40. Amboy cinder cone is a nicer, better preserved example of the two craters.

The funky mid-century architecture of recently reopened Roy's Motel and Cafe still attracts interest from the urban explorer communities and people navigating the historic Route 66. The Amboy school stands in derelict glory as it was--shuttered in 1999. Under newish ownership and a new coat of paint, Roy's is now a popular stopover destination for the occasional celebrity sighting and people looking for a funky comfort food experience and refuel on their way through the Mojave. As for the future--who knows, it's entirely possible this chunk of land will fall prey the same history that initially unraveled the town in the '70s.

The US census claims 4 people now live in Amboy, all men.  The photos below of Roy's Motel and Cafe are dated as both have been restored and are in operation as of 2008, nevertheless the community is littered with abandoned structures and relics of its former self. 

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Llano Del Rio

The former communist commune, Llano Del Rio was the ill-conceived idea of ex-attorney and socialist politician Job Harriman. The colony was launched in 1914 under the pretense of building a communist friendly settlement outside the Mojave Desert. The idea was to irrigate and supply water with Big Rock Creek, which turned out to be an unreliable source. And due to the settlement's huge distance from other communities, Llano Del Rio's population suffered from lacking support and all 60 families ended up relocating to Indiana. The Llano folk lived in temporary adobe homes, propped up corrugated metal structures, and developed further with a hotel, industrial structures and a print shop for the local paper, the Western Comrade. Llano's population hit its maximum in mid-1917 with 1,100 people. Political dissent and poor community siting eventually befell and Llano Del Rio uprooted in late 1917. 

Today you'll find remnants of the aqueduct, a chimney and foundation structures of the old hotel and meeting house.  It's an interesting stop-over for a longer trip. The site is a California Historical Landmark now and attracts handfuls of abandoned structure explorers.  

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Bodie

Bodie appears on every ghost town list for good reason. Considered by nearly everyone as America's best ghost town, the city bears the nearly same fabled history as most other ghost towns. Resource extraction and gold mining pushed the city population to 10,000 which, at the time, was the 3rd largest California city in the late 1800s (though this fact is in dispute by the US Census). Over its productive term, Bodie produced $34 million in gold.

Today the town receives over 200,000 visitors annually and is protected under National landmark status. I have fond childhood memories of heading down the long dusty road leading to the community. It feels post-apocalyptic when you're there with few other visitors, you gain a sense of what it must have been like to be a Bodie citizen. It's fun peering into the historic windows, observing the 1800 boon town antiques and sundries. You feel the bleak isolation of what it must have felt like, the near impossibility of cropland suitability and how water seems nowhere in proximity. Check out the Rosa May fable and acquaint the districts and the over 170 structures still investigatable today, including tours of the old stamp mill. 

The poor resource extraction handling and management has also pushed Bodie into Superfund status.

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New Idria 

New Idria was a prolific mercury mining community--yeah, mercury is extremely poisonous to humans--founded in 1854 and ran through until closure in the 1970s. The community was developed to support mining operations, but everything was left abandoned in 1972 when the New Idria Quicksilver Mining Company closed. Just like Bodie above, New Idria is also a superfund site and you can observe the poisoning water in the adjacent creeks that flank the community. 

New Idria is kind of the 1970s Bodie, with the exception that this place can kill visitors as it's crazy unsafe to be here. That photo above looks super cool, right? All these rad buildings to explore. Problem is, many of those buildings burned down in 2010 as copper scrappers mishandled their torches and caught fire to the north end of the abandoned town. A few structures still exist, but it's nothing like the above photo.

Since the internet disseminates knowledge so easily, many of these cool abandoned places succumb quickly to being stripped and vandalized. Still, they're fun to explore. Check out the strange photo album below, there were some haunting and unusual things to see here at one time. But, importantly, the place is dangerous. You really don't want the risk of getting Hantavirus, asbestos exposure or some poisonous molecule into your system. 

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Darwin City

With a population decline from 54 to 43 in ten years (as of 2010), Darwin City is going the way of the dodo. The Inyo county (unsurprising) settlement was founded on silver and lead discoveries in 1874. Darwin was the subject of the documentary film Darwin and also a BBC piece on how the remaining residents are seeking high speed internet. C'mon Google fiber! 

Today, the town is littered with abandonment and that post-apocalyptic retreat many ghost towns experience before the final escape and absence of population altogether. There are some nice homes still in the area, but who knows, many people have tried to maintain the last stand in the death throes of their towns before the inevitability and loneliness retires the land back to the brutal and commanding indifference of the desert.   

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Hornitos 

Mariposa County contains the still technically alive, but dwindling population of 75 residents in the sprawling community of Hornitos. Although the town was not founded on resource extraction or mining, like most other ghost towns, Hornitos was a Mexican village and camp that served as refuge the neighboring mining towns and camps.

The granite walled jail is still visible with the original county post office, church, cemetery, schoolhouse, the first Ghiradelli store (the famous SF California chocolate maker) mercantile and other derelict residential buildings. A fun place to explore, though residents of the community still live nearby. Considered one of the best preserved ghost towns with a variety of structural abandonment in various states of preservation and decay. 

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CALICO

Although technically a ghost town, Calico is like a Disney version of Bodie. At one time Calico was a burgeoning mining town with all the hallmarks of the old west: brothels, saloons, sheriff office, mercentiles, a bottle house. Now the town is a tourist destination and park for San Bernardino County. It's included here for readers with families looking for a funky and safe day trip with a bit of history.

Sure, it's kitschy, but the original structures are being restored to as faithful 1800s reproduction as can be accommodated with all the modern conveniences. Consider that most of these towns are in or near deserts, with all the harsh brutal realities that go along with desert-living. That said, most of the structures are not original and have been modernly designed with old-looking facades to capture the historical essence. All out, it's a fun campy experience and you don't need to worry about tetanus or hantavirus. A cool place to have a brew and chill on a longer drive.   

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Skidoo

Another Inyo County ghost town, Skidoo was a famous 20th century gold-supported settlement. All structures other than the stamp and cyanide-separator milling plant (above) have been obliterated and succumbed to the desert over the decades. 

The mine supported the community, producing 75,000 ounces of gold during its heyday, between 1906 and 1917, with a value of $1.5 million in 1917 dollars (about $31 million in today's dollars). Interestingly, the co-owner of the Skidoo store was the victim of California's last lynching. Dude killed one of Skidoo's most popular citizens in a drunken rage. Good old wild west justice, I guess.

Today, only ghost town aficionados visit the area, as it's a dangerous haul through Death Valley and the dirt roads branching from the notoriously fabled I-190.  It's worth a stop-over on a longer trip. A great relic of California gold history. 

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Closing Note

Let us know in the comment section about your favorite adventure destinations and ghost towns. One of our favorite spring activities is taking drives up the local ranges and exploring the area with day-hikes. If you find this resource interesting, check out our pieces on famous California drives: Rites of Passage and our favorite road trip: the Grand Tree Tour. 

As this site is a huge labor of love, if you feel compelled, please share a link or like our Facebook. 

“One young emigrant reported a pamphlet describing a lush California with its ideal climate and flowers that bloomed all winter ‘made me just crazy to move out there, for I thought such a country must be a paradise.’”

National Trails

Thanks to the 1968 National Trails Systems Act, we have an enduring legacy of nationally protected trails. There are four kinds of nationally protected trails:

• Scenic Trails
• Historic Trails
• Connecting and Side Trails
• Geologic Trails

It's interesting there are so few national trails. There's eleven scenic trails, only two national connecting and side trails. There's only one national geologic trail, Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. Extending from Washington to Montana, the massive network of smaller trails, way finding signage and facilities inform the consequences of the Glacial Lake Missoula floods from the prior 110,000 year old glacial period. 

Significance of Historic Trails 

These trails literally map footsteps for our national past and acknowledge a preservation of the California legacy extending hundreds of years. National historic trails signify important landmarks in the American experience.

Considering there are 59 National Parks, take a guess how many historic trails America has?

19 trails.  

California National Historic Trails 

Let's take a look at the three national historic trails that encounter California. An important aside, because the national trail concept is so new, many of the trails are merely scenic routes only passable by car. I know, totally isn't the same. But here's the good news: the National Park Service has goals for converting vehicular passable trails into non-motorized national historic trails. Many of the timelines for development obviously will take decades, if not a centuries, to complete. Trails require easements, landowner agreements, trail building, way finding and maintenance. It's a huge effort, but mostly the system needs landowners willing to step up to the conservation and preservation ideals. 

Here's a copy of the National Trails System map, produced by the National Park Service.  

Let's get into California's National Historic trails. 

THE CALIFORNIA TRAIL

Many of the trails with legs extending into California are infrastructure relics of the 1700s-1800s, where manifest destiny, spurred onward by the 1804 Lewis and Clark Corp of Discovery Expedition, trod the west in search of the great, yet fabled northwest passage. The mid-1800s enticed easterners to flee their families in search of grand fortune during the great gold rush of Spring 1849.  

The California Trail is a 2,000 mile emigrant path following the same line as the Oregon and Mormon Trails through the valleys of Platte, North Platte and Sweetwater Rivers to Wyoming. Serving the California, Mormon and Oregon trails, the system branches off into different sub-trails, described as "a long rope with frayed ends."

Most emigrants began their journey in one of the many Missouri River towns, following the California Trail from Fort Kearny to South Pass (now present day Wyoming). The trail then fanned out in several directions serving the desired final endpoints.  

The massive influx of travelers along the California Trail in the early 1850s, unsurprisingly boosted by the California gold rush (1848-1055) ballooned California's population to become eligible for the 31st state, Sept. 9, 1850. 

Here's a beautiful plot of the California Trail produced by the National Park System.

The California Trail holds the current title for the longest national trail, which arguably depends on how one measures the complete distance. The trail covers 5,660 miles across ten states, but because of the frayed ends, the distance varies by starting and end points. Interestingly, the longest NPS administered trail is the formidable 6,800 mile American Discovery Trail, connecting coast to coast and is passable by foot. People participating in completing the trail are followed on the American Discovery Trail website.  A number of trail supporters are seeking legislation to make the American Discovery Trail into a National Park, an effort the Californist heartily supports.

JUAN BAUTISTA DE ANZA NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

The 1,200 mile Juan Bautista De Anza trail chronicles the legendary journey of 240 men, women and children migrating from Tubac Arizona (near present-day Tucson Arizona) across the the frontier of New Spain to establish settlements in San Francisco Bay.

Anza was a frontier soldier, who under the direction of the King of Spain, set out with his expedition through California's treacherous southern deserts and mountain crossings amidst a brutal winter. His mileposts were the various Southern and Central California missions and forts. Anza's final destination was the establishment of the Presidio and the Mission San Francisco de Asis (Mission Dolores) which later became the City of San Francisco. Though it should be noted Anza didn't establish the City of San Francisco, that honor is co-attributed to the Spanish soldiers Jose Joaquin Moraga and Francisco Palou. 

The overall Juan Bautista de Anza journey, with both northern and southern expeditions from Tubac Presidio are detailed in the map above.  

A focus for the National Park Service (NPS) is the creation of a continuous non-motorized recreation trail approximating the historic Anza Expedition route of 1775-76 (from Noales on the US-Mexico border in Arizona to San Francisco). The NPS has its work cut out, with roughly 25% (300 miles) of trail so far developed. Trail-building efforts stall as the need for landowners to work with the agency to help designate easements, certify agreements and ultimately partner in the construction and maintenance of the trails.

If I were a California landowner, I can't think of a better way to contribute to my patriotic heritage than protecting our land and scenic beauty for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. A true contemporary legacy. 

OLD SPANISH NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

Considered the most difficult and strenuous trade route ever established in the US, the 700 mile historic Old Spanish Trail connected settlements in northern New Mexico with communities in Los Angeles, California. The trail weaves high Sierra mountains, brutal deserts and steep canyons.

Spanish explorers began using the trail in the 1500s and continued use through the 1850s. Massive pack trains specifically used the trail system during its most prolific era between the 1830s and the 1850s. Heavily used and often treacherous, expeditions regularly turned back to origins upon meeting clandestine deserts. It wasn't until Francisco Garces and Juan Bautista de Anza, mentioned above, explored the southern region that easier trails to the west were established.

The Spanish Trail carries mixed and sordid histories from benign use, trapping and fur trading route connectivity, to low-scale settlements and even more illicit use in the native/Mexican slave trade. Human trafficking of native American women and children, principally the Paiute tribe, were captured and sold to Mexican ranchers in both California and New Mexico.

It's always surprising to read things like this, especially contrasted with the Civil War, internment camps and suffrage which further acknowledges the great historically atrocities California shares with the nation. Being candid and honest about our state and national histories is important for informing our future. 

Understandably, interactions along the trail between the natives and the traders were ferocious, with raids and warfare breaking out between both groups regularly in the early-to-mid 1800s. Fighting aside, the trail offered a distinctly practical route for trading. 

"Warm, colorful serapes, blankets and ponchos were coveted in Los Angeles, while Santa Fe citizens waited for the pack mule trains to bring back horses and mules," states National Park Service documents. As development flourished throughout the late 1800s, the need for the trail system began to wane. In 1869, the new intercontinental rail system connected the Midwest to San Francisco bypassing the need for a treacherous and dangerous trail. Portions of the Spanish Trail were upgraded into wagon roads, but the fabled trade route was largely relegated into history. Entropy--a universal fact.

Today, much of the route is approximated and navigable by vehicle, a testament to how old roads become new roads and the evolution of mobility adapts to the mode choice of the day. 

Many landmarks are still observable and listed on the National Park Service trail map to help visitors get an idea of the scope and difficulty of the original Spanish Trail. The following locations have Old Spanish Trail sites and information. Some are cool stopovers on longer trips. Pay respect for those who had to lose their families to go the distance we travel by car in 4 hours. 

• Desert Discovery Center, Barstow
• El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument
• Mission San Gabriel, San Gabriel
• Mojave National Preserve
• Mojave River Valley Museum, Barstow
• San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands

CLOSING NOTE

We sincerely hope you enjoyed this piece and look forward to producing more investigative and researched pieces in the future. This resource is a huge labor of love, shoot us a comment and tell us about your favorite California trails and histories. Check out our piece on the California Eucalyptus history and problems and our chronicle of the Great Tree Tour, where we visit the oldest, most massive and tallest living things on earth, all found in California.  

Banner image courtesy of Bureau of Land Management

Every year between mid-February and mid-May, sometimes into June, Southern California hills to transform from brown, to green, to mosaics of yellow, orange, blue and violet. It's the petal season, the annual California wildflower bloom. An event that draws thousands of visitors to the dramatic rolling hills for scenic drives, camping getaways and a grand appreciation for the native California landscape.  

A reminder to all, wildflowers in these locations are protected, every bloom aspires to reseed next year's blossom. Don't pick the flowers. A note that blooms invite insects, something you should be prepared for. The majority of the locations discussed provide stunning observational opportunities and we'll also note two non-native blooms, these at times can be just as inviting and beautiful as native blooms.  If you find this resource helpful, shoot us a message and check out our favorite botanical gardens for hard-chilling and our piece on famous California drives: Rites of Passage. 

Henry Coe State Park Wildflowers

Best time to go: Mid-March through Early-June 

You can find out what's blooming at Henry Coe State Park at any moment by using this real-time wildflower guide.  The largest state park in northern California, Henry Coe has rugged Diablo range back country wilderness with fantastic trails, views and opportunities to explore the beautiful headwaters of Coyote Creek. The State Park service states the following for wildflower travelers, "The landscape is rich with blue lupine and orange-yellow California poppies, bright yellow gold fields and delicate baby blue eyes. Mariposa lilies, larkspur, blue dicks and Ithuriel’s spear show themselves in late April and May."

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Carrizo Plains National Monument 

Best time to go: Mid-March through May

Considered to be the best example of what the original Great Central Valley of California looked like prior to development. Here, one finds the valleys, hillsides and canyons luminescent with buoyant color during the spring. A true wonder of the natural world, in the California backyard. There's plenty of camping available too. It's good to note that the Carrizo Plain doesn't sprout wildflowers every year, due to a variety of governing factors like rainfall and temperature. Fortunately, an El Nino year is suspected to bring a super bloom of sorts to the plains. Here's how each spring month renews its palate.  

March: One can expect to see Goldenbush, purple bush lupines, yellow astragalus, pink filaree, yellow tropidocarpum, white popcorn flower, poppy and orange fiddleneck. Hillside daisies, sun cups also bloom with baby blue eyes along the north-facing slopes. 

April: Considered the peak time for wildflowers, lupines, cream cups, delphinium, coreopsis, tidy tips and numerous bulbs including blue dicks and wild onions. "Slopes are usually favored by desert candles and chia as well.  Fiddleneck will continue to grow and bloom. Though pretty in fields, they also begin to get prickly.  Phacelia, which can also cover the fields, will add a beautiful lavender/blue color to the mix," states the Bureau of Land Management. See if you can find the endangered California jewelflower, with it's beautiful deep crimson bells. 

May: Tapering down the blooms and depending on the temperatures, one can expect to find some mariposa lilies and buckwheat in bloom, but peak season is a month passed. 

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Carlsbad - The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch

Best time to go: Mid-March through Mid-April, though the ranch itself opens in early May. 

Opening May 8th, Carlsbad Ranch offers stunning kaleidoscopic colors from its 50 acres of ranunculus (also known as the Persian buttercup). Completely not native, completely fabricated in a lab, but nonetheless exquisitely beautiful. A true California sight to behold. Photographed by hundreds of thousands of people annually.   

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North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve

Best time to go: March through May

Over 3,300 acres of explorable terrain in the beautiful rolling Table Mountain Reserve. This massive area contains vernal pools, waterfalls, basalt lava outcroppings populated by springtime blooms. Acquired in 1993, its previous life: decimated and trampled by invasive species, livestock grazing and mining activities. Under state protection, park rehabilitation and restoration is on-going and ensures the reserve remains a lasting refuge for wildflower seekers indefinitely into the future.    

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Figueroa Mountain Wildflowers

Best time to go: February through April

Located in the grand Los Padres National Forest, Mount Figueroa Recreation area is one of the most spectacular locations and drives to view California native wildflowers. The National Forest service website details the following species observable during the spring.  

Late March brings out the early blooming specimens such as purple shooting stars, chocolate lilies show up later in the season with the scarlet Indian paintbrush. The open grassland areas support a profusion of annual species including goldfields, sky lupine and California poppy. Other favorites include pitcher safe and blue dicks

The community here is an inland central oak woodland dominated by valley oak, blue oak, interior live oak and gray pine. The companion shrub species are manzanita, coffeeberry and redberry and gooseberry and currants. Source.

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Lompoc Flower Fields

Best time to go: from June through early September 

You'll find horizon ending fields of larkspur, stock, delphinium and Bells of Ireland in one of the most stunning flower fields in California. Here's a Lompoc flower map. If you show up in June, check out the Lompoc flower festival, a family event with vendors, food and plenty of information about blooms. Remember, it's pronounced "Lom - Poke."  

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Death Valley springtime bloom

Best time to go: February through July during El Nino events and at different elevations.

As many people know already, as it's heavily promoted, the Death Valley desert is amid one of the biggest Super Blooms of the century. If the last super bloom, in 2005, is any indication, this will be one of the finest and last chances to see the desert in full color for a decade. The following monthly breakdown comes courtesy of the National Park Service:

Mid February to Mid April
Where: Lower elevations on alluvial fans and foothills.
Wildflowers: Desert Gold (Geraea canescens), Notch-leaf Phacelia (Phacelia crenulata), Caltha-leaf Phacelia (Phacelia calthifolia), Golden Evening Primrose (Camissonia brevipes), Gravel Ghost (Atrichoseris platyphylla), Bigelow Monkeyflower (Mimulus bigelovii), Desert Five-spot (Eremalche rotundifolia)

Early April to Early May
Where: 3000 to 5000 feet elevations, upper desert slopes, canyons, higher valleys
Wildflowers: Desert Dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), Princesplume (Stanleya pinnata), Desert Paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa), Fremont Phacelia (Phacelia fremontii), Mojave Aster (Xyloriza tortifolia), Bigelow's Coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii), Indigo Bush (Psorothamnus arborescens), Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)

Early May to Mid July
Where: 5000 to 11,000 feet elevation on mountain slopes, pinyon pine/juniper woodlands
Wildflowers: Desert Mariposa (Calochortus kennedyi), Purple Sage (Salvia dorrii), Rose Sage (Salvia pachyphylla), Panamint Penstemon (Penstemon floridus austinii), Magnificent Lupine (Lupinus magnificus), Inyo Lupine (Lupinus excubitus)

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Real-Time Guidance

One of the best resources available for wildflower blooms is the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants hotline. Every week individuals contribute their findings for the best wildflower blooms throughout California. It's free to contribute your own sightings by shooting their flower hotline an email: flowerhotline@theodorpayne.org.

CLOSING NOTE

Let us know in the comment section about your favorite wildflower viewing destinations. One of our favorite things to do in spring is drive up the local ranges and explore the area with day hikes. Also, if you find this resource helpful, shoot us a message and check out our favorite botanical gardens for hard-chilling and our piece on famous California drives: Rites of Passage. As this resource is a huge labor of love, if you feel compelled, please share the link or like our Facebook. 

The Californist is an avid supporter of small and locally owned businesses. As 65% of US pizzerias are locally owned and operated, it's always a solid decision to go with the proud, locally sourced pizza over the 500 mile industrial pie.

Now's as good a time as any to remind you that when you buy a pizza, mathematically, you should ALWAYS BUY A LARGE. The price per square inch, a metric used in pizza economics, indicates it's financially wiser to go with large pizzas--remember how easy it is to reheat, grill, or sometimes serve cold (while camping, for instance).

It's not surprising Italian food is the most popular ethnic food in the US. Everyone has a favorite pizzeria. When arriving in a new town, one of the first things people track down is a pizza haunt. Statistically, 93% of Americans have at least one slice per month, supporting a $25 billion industry. Incidentally, 61% of us prefer thin crust, which I'm relieved to read. I'm not a Chicago deep dish fan, way too much cheese and sauce. Few things are as enjoyable on a long hard day than looking forward to a warm slice and a cold brew to bookend the night. 

Let's talk about our favorite Central Coast haunts. The criteria here is to find lesser known, locally owned restaurants with great reputations in the community for quality ingredients, taste and hospitality. We've sampled countless slices over the last few weeks and our aim is to provide insights seeking foodie favorites. We strongly encourage our readers to share their favorite pizzerias/pizzas and toppings in the comment section below. If you enjoy this collection of destinations, check out our favorite Central Coast breakfast haunts and Mexican grills pieces.  Let's dive in. 

Nardonnes La Famiglia Pizzeria (Los Osos / Atascadero) 

Expect generous toppings, fresh thick cut portioning and flavorful spicy sauces. Nardonne's is one of those places where unless you have friends or family in the area, there's a good chance you missed this restaurant. I've lived in the area for over thirty years and in that time my circle failed to bring to light this Central Coast institution. They've kicked out the pies since '76, Nardonne's is still owned by Ben and his mother Janice Dougherty. Often, Ben will greet and serve you the baked greatness himself.  Bearing a rustic and iconic sensibility, preparing Sicilian style pizzas with criss-cut slices stacked with market fresh ingredients. If you order straight off the menu, expect a deeper slice, but if you are accustomed to thin crust, you'll need to specify that when you order--which I recommend.  

Recognized by foodies throughout California for its authentic pizza craft, burying the toppings, roasting the edges, fantastic dough and generous mozzarella. When you order Italian sausage, you get Italian sausage. The Los Osos Nardonne's maintains a hefty craft beer list with a variety of draft options and a great menu of local and regional wines. When Nardonne's is busy, expect service to be the same, bring patience and recognize quality means a time investment.

Bearing a modern approach for service, you order your food after standing in line, pick up your own utensils and try to find a seat. Don't expect a wait staff to sit your party. They also make a whole host of salads, calzones and sandwiches, I recommend the Nardonne's Special, served with ham, salami, pepperoni, pepperoncini, mozzarella, sauce, all baked and served on fresh roll. Nardonne's has some funky hours, which goes to show you their success, Wednesday thru Saturday.  

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Gino's Pizza (Pismo Beach / Buellton / San Luis Obispo)

Gino's Pizza is one of those pizzerias people eventually land on upon discovering pizza options in the five cities. They don't slam you with an ocean of grease, dehydrated herbs and limp soggy crust. Gino's has been one of my go-to's for as long as I've lived here.

Making their pizzas with a crunchy crust and chewy soft dough interior, it's one of the few pizzas where I'm happy to eat the crust to the end. The diameters run smaller and are more expensive than other pizzerias, but you're paying for quality ingredients. Market fresh veggies and great herbal additions like fresh basil and cilantro and a whole host of protein options make Gino's worth the expense, I strongly subscribe to the you get what you pay for philosophy. I always order garlic on my pizzas and Gino's knows when you ask for garlic, you don't mean a tiny diced chunk, you mean at least a clove-full, and that's what you receive. Gino's also makes great calzones the size of a catcher's mitt. Perfect for multiple meals. 

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Cugini's Pizzeria & Trattoria (Santa Maria)

Without hesitation, Cugini's is Santa Maria's best pizzeria. You ask online or search Yelp for a pizza in Santa Maria, top of the list with the highest reviews is Cugini's. Cugini's makes a whole stable of Italian dishes, pizzas, salads and pastas, but honestly--get their pizza. A reputation precedes the individual. 

Cugini's injects more pride in their pizzas than you'll find in most other pizzerias; we're talking focus on quality ingredients that spill to the edge. Check out this pizza: homemade pesto with artichoke, tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil. Look at that filling veggie pizza on the bottom right. And they say pizza can't be healthy. The Cugini VIP is a staple favorite for meat-lovers, stacked with spicy sausage, pepperoni, onion, tomato, mushrooms and other crunchy veggies. Cugini's is awesome about alterations and has a giant menu of house pizzas and ingredients for custom orders. 

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Ember (Arroyo Grande)

One of the best restaurants on the Central Coast, Ember serves wood-fired Italian-infused gastropub quality food since 2013. Staffed by some of the finest local chefs with CV's that stretch through most favored local restaurants, Ember exudes quality, pride and utmost service to its patrons. Watching the kitchen staff work the open kitchen is mesmerizing.

Owner / Chef Brian Collin introduces local flourishes and novel approaches to his dishes, the pizzas leave his kitchen furnished the same. Don't fear unusual ingredients. This is the time to try ingredients you previously didn't care for because they were poorly prepared in your childhood.  I used to hate asparagus. My mother sauteed the hell out of the stalks until they congealed into a droopy green mush, then unceremoniously smothered in butter and salt. It was disgusting. It wasn't until I was older and had properly blanched asparagus with garlic, olive oil and a pinch of seasoning that the vegetable realized some potential, opening the gates for a vegetable I now love. Ember's menu is seasonal and constantly changing, but I always recommend a mix of veggies and meats.

Whether visiting Ember on a date night, celebration, or evening out expect Collin's team to surprise you with big-city ideals and local charm. Ember's dishes, including the wood-fired pizzas, are prideful delicious mosaics of flavor. Look at these artisan quality wheels. 

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Full of Life Flatbread (Los Alamos)

Eat good food. The motto for Los Alamos' now-staple Full of Life Flatbread restaurant. They've served up the baked greatness for over a decade, making farm-to-table crafted pizzas, salads and desserts. Nationally recognized for the attention to quality and unique approaches to staple American dishes, one finds atypical mightily savory dishes: carpaccio (awesome raw charcuterie), oyster and pork pizza--God bless America, right?--with bearnaise sauce, chanterelle and bacon, and pork shoulder and fennel pizzas to name a few of the many, many pizzas they've crafted here over the years.

I always recommend ordering the seasonal or daily special. Try something daring, go outside of your pepperoni and cheese comfort zone. Some of the flavors you'll be introduced to at Full of Life are right out of your backyard, curated by astute chefs to surprise and invigorate your palate. The pizzas are wood fired, of course, and served on a savory, lightly sweet and crisp flatbread, portioned sauce and seasoned toppings. Also highly recommended are their desserts (try the Beast) soups and salads, all of which bear seasonality, but are savory and hearty.

Known for their customer service, expect to be treated like a guest, but also recognize that Full of Life is a gastropub destination, sometimes bringing a strong demand that requires patience. If you fumble around online, you'll find many visitors claiming Full of Life made the best pizza of their lives. It's one of the many reasons Los Alamos is on track for coolville and worth the trip for wine and food tasting, or at least a stopover on a greater road trip, as Full of Life is right off highway US-101. 

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Palo Mesa Pizza (Arroyo Grande / San Luis Obispo)

The multi-award winning pizzeria Palo Mesa Pizza has locations in AG and SLO, delivering some of the best traditional and nontraditional pizzas on the Central Coast. Winning the 2015 bronze medal at the international pizza challenge in Las Vegas, owner/chef Michael Stevens serves quality ingredients and prideful prep; his winning traditional pizza is a pepperoni and mushrooms (sauteed in sherry). In 2013, Palo Mesa came in 5th best pizza in the world. Seriously, these guys know what they're doing. It's the kind of place where you hear about that kind of feat and you say to yourself, what the hell am I doing with my life--how did I not know this?  

They make a huge variety of custom and off-menu pizzas, but honestly, if it's your first time, order "Ken's Favorite." It's packed with tomatoes, olives, pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, hamburger, onions, bacon, pepperoncini, bell peppers and mushrooms. I wouldn't tinker with the order, even if you don't like some of the toppers, be bold and let it ride as-is the first time. I'm not a fan of mushrooms or olives, but on this pizza both add, not detract from the flavor. It's one of the most ambitious and flavorful pizzas in the area. 

Petra (San Luis Obispo)

Petra fell into my life. I was hanging with some friends at Bang the Drum brewery, one of my favorite SLO breweries and hard-chilling patios, when a buddy found out I hadn't had Petra. He immediately dug out his phone with a, "Dude, you need this in your life."  I'm suspicious of most of the gluten-free and any other diet restriction craze; most scientific research indicates the paranoia of gluten intolerance is unfounded and that there are health ramifications for going completely gluten-free when you haven't actually been diagnosed as having Celiac disease by an MD. Okay, that said, the gluten free crust at Petra is unbelievable.  

I know you think the gluten free craze is nonsense, but seriously, order Petra's gluten free Greek with feta pizza.  

It's one of the best pizzas on the central coast and no one talks about it. Fantastic fresh veggies, crunchy peppers, diced tomato, with delicious feta and oil, it's the kind of pizza most people skip on the menu, but shouldn't. I usually add chicken, and Petra stacks the toppings to the edge, ensuring another eat-it-through to the crust kind of pie.  

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My hope throughout these pieces is that I tell you about a place or pizza you haven't heard of or tried before. I want you to branch out and explore some new local favorites. Every few years we get a new kitchen of hard working souls slaving away for us, hopefully making proud savory meals and it's important to give these entrepreneurial spirits a chance to earn your loyalty.

Let Us Know & Share.

The Californist would love to hear your favorite pizza destination in the comment section, what do you order on your wheel? In a similar vein, check out our favorite Central Coast breakfast haunts and our Favorite Mexican grills articles. We're certain you'll find a new favorite meal somewhere in the neighborhood. As this resource is a huge labor of love, if you feel compelled, please share the link or like our Facebook. 

Don't worry, I won't be including the Golden Gate on this list.  I'm sometimes into low hanging fruit, but honestly, we've talked about the Golden Gate before.  Let's talk about other bridges located throughout California that are famed or bear some level of aesthetic, historical or intriguing quality.  

Fernbridge (Eureka) 

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 1,320ft
Material: Concrete
Constructed: 1920

Holding the title for the longest functioning poured concrete bridge in world. Fernbridge crosses the Eel river before meeting the Pacific ocean. Having survived NINE major floods over the last century, Fernbridge has proven itself to be a well designed, structurally sound piece of infrastructure in Northern California. This bridge is an attractive workhorse, with the refined, important qualities of form and functionality. 

Felton Covered Bridge (Felton)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 80ft
Material: Wood
Constructed: 1892, Restored 1987

Crossing the San Lorenzo River, and one of the few remaining covered bridges left in America, the Felton bridge is considered America's tallest covered bridge.

Registered as a Historic California Landmark and National Historic Place, the Felton Covered Bridge was constructed using a wooden truss system. Though the bridge had to be restored in 1987 following 1982 storm damage, the Felton is now used for pedestrians only, though, at one time, the bridge was the main entry point for Felton, CA for over 45 years. Imagine showing up to the town in that period, the narrow view through this frame a portal into civic life.   

The Felton bridge is still a cool piece of historical architectural and civil engineering history. I love the mazework of trussing and framing from inside these old wooden bridges. It's one of those places my father, a Civil engineer, took my brother here when we were younger, describing the physics of bridge loading and how wood handles compression forces. 

Bixby Creek Bridge (Big Sur)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 714ft
Height: 280ft
Material: Concrete
Constructed: 1932

If you've driven the PCH or been to Big Sur, you've almost certainly driven across the Bixby Bridge.  Built originally to connect the Big Sur residents with the rest of the coast, especially during winter months when roads to Big Sur were impassable. Bixby is one of the longest single span concrete bridges in the world. Consider this bridge was constructed during the Great Depression, the construction effort led to hundreds of well paying jobs, especially due to the cost-savings concrete bridge designs afford. Interestingly, the vertical buttresses on either side of the arch center-point are functionally unnecessary and aren't included in modern arch bridge design.   

Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge (San Diego)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 550ft
Height: 25ft
Material: Stainless steel
Constructed: 2011

One of the few self-anchored suspension bridges in America, the length of the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge makes it one of the longest self-anchored pedestrian bridges in the world. The bridge was built to connect parking areas with the Petco Stadium, the convention center and Gaslamp Quarter. The supporting structure is a 60 degree angled pylon with stainless steel cables connecting to the bridge decking. Supporting tension loading. Thanks Dad. 

Sundial Bridge (Redding)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 700ft
Height: 26ft
Material: Steel
Constructed: 2004

Yes, the bridge is a functioning gnomon based sundial, with its cantilever tower set at a 42 degree angle. Spanning the beautiful Sacramento River, the iconic design was furnished by famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and incorporates a cantilever spar cable-stayed design. If you think this and the Harbor Blvd. designs look too similar, I commend your observation. The cantilever spar cable-stayed design is a more modern approach to the cable-stayed bridge design. This bridge design has the spar angled away from the bridge, to reduce overturning at the foot. The result is a beautifully modern and sleek bridge for pedestrian and bicycle access.

The sundial bridge is also positioned above the Sacramento river, permitting unblocked access for the salmon spawning grounds beneath the bridge. 

Coronado Bridge (San Diego)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 11,179ft
Height: 200ft
Material: Prestressed concrete & steel
Constructed: 1967 - 1969

Currently getting outfitted with an all new totally-badass energy efficient programmable LED lighting, which is slated to be completed in 2019 (the bridge's 50th anniversary). The lighting will be incorporated in an energy neutral manner - the power being supplied by a series of wind turbines.

Sadly, this is one of several noted "suicide bridges." Over 200 people have claimed their lives from the bridge between 1972-2000. The Coronado is the third most popular suicide bridge behind the Golden Gate (2nd place) and the Aurora Bridge in Seattle. Though anyone who has driven in San Diego knows the defining infrastructure personality on the water. This bridge swoops in a giant, sleek curve that, especially in windy days, feels like you are driving in the sky.     

Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge (Santa Ynez / Santa Barbara)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 1,217ft
Height: 420ft
Material: Steel
Constructed: 1963

Currently, the fifth longest arch bridge span in the world, the Cold Springs Canyon bridge is a historic civil engineering landmark and marvel. The bridge features a beautiful aesthetically simple design and simultaneously provides amazing views of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The bridge spans a valley that includes the now famed Cold Springs Tavern, a popular dining experience and tourist stopover that once was a stagecoach rest in the late 1800s.   

Confusion Hill Bridges (North Mendocino County)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 531ft / 1,395ft
Height: 140ft / 253ft
Material: Concrete and steel
Constructed: 2008 / 2009

Sadly, this photo doesn't really do the twin bridges justice. The simple, low profile design of these bridges contrasts and compliments and provides simple functionality while respecting the dignity of its environment. The Confusion Hill bridges are two parallel bridges designed, with a bypass, to replace an existing landslide prone portion of the US-101. The bridges span the Eel River and were constructed with cast-in-place concrete on falsework at the abutments. 

Honey Run Covered Bridge (Butte County)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 240ft
Height: 20ft
Material: Wood
Constructed: 1894

Originally built in 1886, covered in 1894 and then used for automobile traffic until 1965 when a vehicle crashed into and damaged the structure. The Honey Run Creek Bridge is now used for pedestrian and bike access. The bridge is acknowledged for its beautiful design that harmonizes within the country living aesthetic. Take a look at the beautiful interior of the bridge, featuring great geometric leading lines and interesting light access through rugged no-bullshit design.  

Foresthill Bridge 

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 2,428ft
Height: 731ft
Material: Concrete and steel
Constructed: 1971

The highest deck height bridge in California, and the fourth highest in the US, the bridge was originally constructed to accommodate the never-built Auburn Dam on the American River. The steel deck designed arch bridge is pedestrian friendly and walked from both sides along the complete bridge length.  It's a beautiful bridge with stunning views of the surrounding forested Auburn landscape.

Generals Highway Stone Bridges (Sequoia National Park)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 90ft
Height: 20ft
Material: Concrete and native stone
Constructed: 1931

Although they look like traditional stone bridges, users notice only the facade of the reinforced concrete bridges covered in native uncoursed stone. Both bridges are designed by iconic National Park landscape architect John Wosky. Located on the General's Highway in Sequoia National Park, the Clover Creek Bridge and Lodgepole Bridge are considered models for designing in an environment, where the aesthetic character of the surroundings informs the design and balance of the infrastructure. 

Hayward Bridge (San Mateo)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 36,960ft (7 miles)
Height at Highest Point: 134.5ft
Material: Steel and concrete
Constructed: 1967

The longest bridge in California and the 25th longest in the world, which makes you wonder what the longest bridge in the world is: I'll save you the Google trip--the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge at a staggering 540,700ft (102.4 miles) most of which looks like this. The San Mateo bridge is a trestle design for the majority of the length and an orthotropic element to accommodate the higher section. Trestle designs are the simplest bridge design and are typical for extremely long bridges. 

Colorado Street Bridge (Pasadena)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 1,486ft
Height: 144ft
Material: Concrete
Constructed: 1913

Another historic civil engineering landmark and suicide bridge, the legendary Colorado Street bridge is characterized by the use of Beaux-Arts arches, vintage lamps and distinctive architectural details. The bridge has been featured in dozens of shows and movies and is best known for the annual summer Colorado Street fair put on by the local Pasadena Heritage preservation society.  

San Rafael Bridge (Richmond)

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 29,040ft (5.5 miles)
Height at Highest Point: 185ft
Material: Steel
Constructed: 1956

A double decked steel cantilever bridge, the original design reflected a steel suspension bridge similar to the Golden Gate, but was later book-shelved for a more economical design. Considered by many designers (including Frank Lloyd Wright) and the general public to be one of the most hideous bridges in the State, many wanted to bridge to be demolished and replaced. 

I find there's something interesting about having different kinds of structures in proximity with each other, variety is welcomed. The above image makes the San Mateo bridge appear like a industrial serpent, weaving the sky like a paper dragon, this is thanks to the vertical undulation used to allow ships to pass underneath the cantilever spans. To this day, the bridge is criticized for its brutal industrial presence and marks a lesson learned on the history of bridge design and reflecting aesthetic attitudes of the accompanying environment.

Goat Canyon Trestle Bridge

Quick Facts:
Span (length): 750ft
Height at Highest Point: 200ft
Material: Redwood
Constructed: 1919

Located in the brutal Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, a mere fifteen miles from the Mexico border stands the world's largest wood trestle bridge. I haven't done the hike yet, but I have colleagues who caution the brutality. Be warned, you'll need a four-wheel drive vehicle to get to the trailhead, then you're in store for a ton of class III rock scrambling through treacherous canyon talice. Almost nobody visits the trestle and there's a good chance if you decide to make the trip, you'll be the only ones out there. Bring tons of water and know how to use your GPS unit.  

This history of the trestle, it was originally part of the Southern Pacific railroad, linking San Diego with El Centro. The line incidentally ran for decades until the mid-1970s, when a torrential storm came through damaging adjacent bridges, tunnels and essentially pushing the Southern Pacific to abandon the line altogether. Now all that remains is a mostly intact, well designed and mightily impressive testament to civil engineering and timber construction. See it before it retires into the epilogue of entropy. 

California Eucalyptus. Everywhere.

I recently passed one of the many eucalyptus forests on my drive home, when I thought--why is there so much of this tree everywhere? How did it get here and who was the dummy who introduced its distribution? 

Turns out, there were many dummies, also a boon. 

The eucalyptus, and I swear I'll be proficient in spelling the word by the end of this piece, we're most familiar with in California is one species of the 600 types of eucalyptus: Eucalyptus Globulus, also known as Blue Gum in horticulture slang. 

During the 1800s, when humans were much better at destroying habitats and deforesting the planet than they are today, because, you know, nearly zero environmental regulation/concern back then. In the name of expansion and the grand old manifest destiny, California, and America overall, had deforested so many of its native and old growth trees, times were getting tough to continue development with depleted resources. Enter Southern Australia and Tasmania, which bore an ostensibly simple solution: a wood that grew fast, was robust and as the Independent puts it: 

What could go wrong? 

California legislature passed an economically incentivized 1868 bill, the California Tree Culture Act, which pressed Californians to plant more trees for economic viability, paying landowners $1 per tree planted and nurtured for 4 years. Since mid-sized eucalyptus Blue Gum may grow 60' in as little as six years and with the incentives out there--enter the champions of the Blue Gum. 

The California public, particularly individuals who had acreage, started planting massive tracts of Blue Gum. But there were two individuals who truly championed and promoted eucalyptus we'll discuss: Ellwood Cooper and Abbot Kinney. You've probably heard of the latter, who developed Venice California and whose name holds the main avenue through Venice CA, Abbot Kinney Blvd. (one of the best streets in LA for that matter). Let's discuss these gentlemen further.

Ellwood Cooper

Cooper, an avid horticulturist, lived just outside Santa Barbara and in 1872 he planted over 200 acres of eucalyptus, there was going to be a mighty need for the massive economy that would of course be there demanding more and more Blue Gum wares. 

Of course the demand will be there. 

Cooper published a monograph titled "Forest Culture and Eucalyptus Trees" in 1876. That blue link leads to the scanned Google books version, which is now public domain.

Cooper didn't just plant eucalyptus trees, the man "planted 400 acres of all sorts of trees, including 7,000 olive trees, 4,000 Japanese persimmons, 3,000 almond trees, 1,000 other assorted fruit trees and 12,500 walnut trees making him the largest walnut grower in California for several years." (Source)

Here's an excerpt from his book that helped propel Cooper's undying need for California to embrace the euc:

HEY EVERYONE, don't worry about that desertification problem--I GOT THIS. We'll plant a bunch of eucalyptus. 

Cooper also promoted the trees as windbreaks, which is actually something they do quite well, with the exception of their branches snapping off and killing people from time to time. True story.

Abbott Kinney

The late tobacco heir became state forester from 1886 to 1888 and promoted the hell out of eucalyptus, handing out free seeds and everything. He also wrote a book about the tree in 1895. As you can imagine, he, like Cooper, felt this cash crop was going to be a massive boon for the California economy. And at the time, California, especially southern California, was a largely treeless landscape, so having eucalyptus grow so well easily changed the look of the state almost instantly. As Kinney continued to promote and plant the tree, eventually the prods woke the sleeping giant, the California public. 

In 1909, over twenty thousand acres of eucalyptus were planted. Farmers turned over seasonal crops into large stands of Blue Gum.

Thanks to deforestation and depletion of Appalachian hardwood resources, investors and farmers looked to eucalyptus for a solution to bridging the shortage. It was the makings of a speculative bubble, because, keep in mind, although there were some benefits the tree brought, no one really knew how well the trees would work for use as building materials, railroad ties, furniture construction, etc. all the many, many uses touted by the euc-enthusiasts over the years. 

BUBBLE BURST

Turns out eucalyptus wood sucks for construction and furniture building, unless the tree is hundreds of years old as used in Australia. The US Dept. of Agriculture promoted this fact and unceremoniously popped the Blue Gum bubble, confirming what many people had discovered: the wood warped, fissured and twisted as it dried. Other materials had to step up to fill the opportunity-deficit: synthetic materials, concrete and steel. 

These days, you'll usually find Blue Gum lining farms or ornamentally in gardens/arboretums. Some eucalyptus groves are truly beautiful. I have fond memories of being a child and running for miles in acres of Blue Gum in the Nipomo Mesa forest. The one great practical use for these giant weeds turns out to be their windbreak quality. Today, you'll find the trees functionally lining the US-101, adjacent to farms, breaking the wind and halting migrating dust.

Though Eucalyptus oil is still commonly used in cough syrup, it's also used for its antiseptic properties, the trees are described by Kinney in his book as having an anti-malarial property--as the trees drink mosquito breeding cesspools. Obviously, cesspools are no longer an issue for modern day waste-water management. And furthermore, though Kinney hypothesized the oil had antimalarial attributes, the vexing issue held: Australia has massive eucalyptus forests and malaria within those forests. So the issue is more complex than simply a snake oil cure-all solution. Another great thing about eucalyptus oil? Highly flammable. Explosive even. The trees actually like fire, as it helps spread their seedpods and kill off competitors. 

Anyone who has lived next to an eucalyptus tree knows how voracious the roots are. Eucalyptus trees are insatiable drinkers. Their root structures penetrate sewage, wastewater, above ground planters, irrigation lines, basically anything that has a source of water, the Blue Gum will Ocean's Eleven a way into the source. Municipal and regional agencies throughout California cut down the trees in huge quantities every year, yet the trees continue to reseed themselves and further the California eucalyptus legacy. The tragedy here is that unlike Australia, California doesn't host any mammals that have adapted the hearty stomach to prey on the trees, and native species here find the tree leaves and bark poisonous. Rest assured, the eucalyptus trees are going to remain a centerpiece for the Southern California landscape for many years down the line. Next time, can we please bring along some koalas. Just kidding. 

We hope you enjoyed this concise history of the California eucalyptus population. Check out our profile on legendary California designer, Thomas D. Church and our Roadtrip: The Grand Tree Tour where we see the biggest, oldest and tallest trees in the world. 

Old Wood

I've been wanting to write about one of my all-time favorite road trips.  A trip that's both easy to accomplish and equally rewarding to take part. I call it The Grand Tree Tour. You hit all three world-famous trees: the oldest, the tallest and the most massive trees in one big rope around the state. There's a good chance you'll want to do some camping and some National Park visiting, get your National Park Passport stamped -- remember your park stamp collection we've written about before. Pick up a National Park Annual Pass if you plan on hitting a few National Parks, it'll save you money, time, you get a cool collectable souvenir and you're supporting public lands. 

METHUSELAH - THE WORLD'S OLDEST TREE

Quick Facts:
AGE: 4,847 years old
DISCOVERED: 2002
ALTITUDE: 2,900 - 3,000m above sea level

Since we're fresh off the heals of our famous drives article, let's head 200 miles down the fabled US-395 through Mojave and see the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and most importantly, the Methuselah Grove. Unsurprisingly, the exact Methuselah tree is not disseminated public information. Want to take a guess why? You got it, someone cut down the previous oldest known tree in 1964. This is why we can't have nice things. Incidentally, and I know this will anger some readers, there's another tree allegedly older than Methuselah, but the NPS doesn't talk about this tree for the same reason mentioned above--the latest oldest tree, also nearby, though seemingly an unnamed Bristlecone Pine, is 5,065 years old. That means the seed germinated in 3056 BC -- wayyyyy before the Roman Empire, we're talking the first pharaohs of Egypt old.  

When you get to the forest, take the 4.5 mile Methuselah trail loop and it'll lead adjacent the Methuselah grove where you'll snap tons of photos and incidentally take a photo of the now-second oldest tree. Honestly, it seems like every couple decades we find an older tree, so it's possible the oldest tree is next to you on the trail, they're all many, many thousands of years old. 

All Bristlecone Pines have a characteristic gnarled and twisted shape, with deep red and yellow trunk fissures, growing in large open stands (instead of dense forests). A hearty and robust species, the tree can exist in harsh arid, cold and drought stricken climates. They've also adapted to live in harsh soils and do well where other trees and plants suffer. 

It should be noted that these old Bristlecones are acknowledged as non-clonal organisms. Clonal trees can live several orders of magnitude longer.  Some of the genetically identical clonal individuals, in Utah for instance, have thrived for a staggering +80,000 years.  

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HYPERION - THE WORLD'S TALLEST TREE

Quick Facts:
AGE: 700-800 years
DISCOVERED: 2006
HEIGHT: 379.3ft (115.6m)

Hyperion was discovered, no joke, in 2006. It always blows my mind when these kinds of discoveries are so recent. Goes to show you how the frontier for discovery is always in front of our noses. The specific location of Hyperion was kept secret, but the location is easy to track down online. Just be respectful and dignified while at this sacred ground, humans have a way of carving their names, desecrating and stealing things like record-holding wildlife. Nevertheless, you can get to the Hyperion Grove through Humboldt County by Redwood Creek. Hyperion is 323 miles north of San Francisco, from US-101 just north of Orick, turn onto Bald Hills Road and drive 7 miles to the Tall Trees Grove Access Road. You'll need to pick up a permit from the visitor center where they'll give you a combo for the lock. 

Dispersed camping is allowable here, the only place in the Redwoods where this is permissible, though this is an easy day hike, as it's only 2 miles from the parking lot. Viewing from the ground, it's impossible to tell the difference between trees that are towering a length of two stacked Statues of Liberty.

Talk about living the dream, the botanist team from Humboldt State University, led by Steve Sillett, climbed to the top of the tree and dropped a measuring tape to the base. Who needs sophisticated technology when precise analogs methods work perfectly well. 

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GENERAL SHERMAN - THE WORLD'S MOST MASSIVE TREE

Quick Facts:
HEIGHT ABOVE BASE: 274.9 ft
GROUND CIRCUMFERENCE: 102.6 ft
VOLUME: 53,500 cubic ft
ESTIMATED AGE: 2,300 - 2,500 yrs. 

Seeing General Sherman for the first time is a divided experience. The tree seems like it shouldn't be the most massive tree on earth, the top is dead and inactive, which gives the tree a crop-top and an incomplete feeling, among a grove of full complete sequoias. But there it is, with its massive 100ft base, and surrounded by giants.

While visiting Sequoia National Park, you'll want to walk the Grant Grove, an easy day stroll and see the President Coolidge tree and the Big Trees trail. Arguably, the Big Trees trail is one of the most humbling places in California. Staring at these enormous living giants, which are flattened and hardly magnanimous in photographs, feels like you're seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. You should put your hand on the spongy sequoia bark and feel that fire resistant outer layer.   

Incidentally, there's been a couple other more massive trees that we've known about. Both Coastal Redwoods, the Crannell Creek Giant (15%-25% larger than General Sherman) in Trinidad was cut down in the early 1900s, and the Lindsey Creek Tree, also a Coastal Redwood, was uprooted and felled by a storm in 1905. the Lindsey Creek Tree was evaluated to be twice the size of General Sherman. 

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The tree tour, completely do-able in a week, plus you get to engage a couple of California's National Parks, which is awesome. Obviously, camping in the National Parks takes some planning, but I recommend seeking campsites outside of the National Parks, find dispersed camping, or head to adjacent State Parks. Many have first-come first-serve spots, and the camp hosts have always recommended great sites in last minute binds.

If you enjoyed this piece, take a look at our article on famous California drives, and our collection of places to camp on California beaches. Shoot us a message in the comment section with stories, recommendations or favorite road trips of yours, we'd love to read them. 

Banner image: David Wood

We loved the feedback and interest generated by our love for California's best libraries and our favorite California botanic gardens. We're anticipating a forthcoming California National Park series, so with that, let's get into some of the iconic and especially scenic or famous California drives. All images are clickable to expand into full frame. 

LOSE THE WINDOWS. OPEN THE SUNROOF. LET'S ROLL.

Many of these drives are civil engineering marvels, places recognized and internationally favored by travelers and transportation designers everywhere. It seems fitting that a true California veteran should attempt all these drives in his or her lifetime.  A well planned road trip can easily stitch several of these segments together and the fact they're located state-wide suggests a backbone to an intrepid extended getaway. If you plan on hitting multiple famous drives in one trip, pick up a National Park Annual Pass. They're $80 and you're showing support for public lands, appreciating the legacy that ensures great natural beauty belongs to everybody.

You should start a National Park passport stamp collection. For adventure, It's as good of a goal as any. The idea is to get a stamp from every National Park in the country, 59 total. You simply stop in a visitor center and add the specific National Park wet stamp to your passport book. As you can imagine, this becomes a worthwhile and liberating addiction.  

Avenue of the Giants - Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Experiencing the redwoods always feels important, like you're paying respects. Camping trips here are always significant because you're in the redwoods. You are sleeping at the feet thousands of years old giants.

The drive runs parallel to the Hwy 101, by Humboldt. 31-miles weave by 5 of the top-10 tallest trees on the planet. You should get out of your car and walk to a smaller grove and sit quietly for a moment listening attentively to the redwood forest.  

It's one of the most humbling and important landscapes in not just California, or the United States, but on Earth. Literally the tallest organism on the planet, found in the Coastal Redwood. Don't forget California also has the most massive organism on the planet, the Sequoias. Also, the oldest known individual of any species, the Bristlecone Pines.

Walking among these indescribably massive living organisms you feel humbled by the enormity of time. How long it takes for these trees to adapt to this environment and grow so colossal. Everyone thinks the same thing.  I'm so glad this place exists.

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Hwy 1 - PCH - Between Morro Bay and Carmel

A drive everyone knows. The fabled PCH has continued to be affectionately preserved for generations of bohemians, adventurers and the wayward lore. Everyone from Nobel winning particle physicist Richard Feynman, beat writer and personal inspiration Jack Kerouac, and troves of artists gravitate to the historic and hallowed coolsville mecha.

There are hundreds of Pinterest guides floating around talking about the best-everythings to do in Big Sur. When you first drive the coastline from end-to-end, it doesn't feel like the west coast. If you're from California, you likely experienced this as a child.

This strange and always present thousand foot drop right there rolls into a surreal topaz ocean that slaps into the long deep-cut rock faces, often with active water features roping across pocket beaches. The road is a marvel for engineering and design. 

Many critics, including a professor I had while formally in college, feel the PCH should be closed on account of the maintenance costs, "They should use a ferry or something. It's not worth the upkeep."

I view the PCH like I view a piece of interactive art. Fine engineering furnishing a conduit to creativity and a transcendental admiration for the outdoors.

There are now segments of the highway indefinitely one lane, managed by odd single lane traffic signaling. You finds bicyclists here hugging the cliffs, narrowly insulated between cars and fate.   

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Mulholland Drive - Santa Monica Mountains (From Cahuenga Boulevard to US 101)

The fabled highway of Hollywood's and the City of Angels finest and most photographed views. The map to the right indicates the more famous portion, the portion you want to drive, highlighted in orange.   

Featured in countless songs, movies, shows and novels, the 21 mile Mulholland Dr. stretch weaves the ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains and offers terrific views of Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and the Hollywood sign. 

Opened in 1924, Mulholland Dr. is named after the iconic civil engineer who designed the roadway, William Mulholland. Talk about the epitome of civil engineering fame.  Expect the drive to take about an hour. You'll probably stop somewhere, and there undoubtedly will be a bunch of other cars in front of you doing the same thing, except going a lot slower.  

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Tioga Road (Hwy 120) - Yosemite National Park

Also known as State Route 120, Tioga Road runs the entire east-west length of Yosemite National Park. Tioga Pass is also the highest mountain pass in California, serving as the park's eastern entry point. You'll want to come through here outside the date range from October to May, sometimes as late as July, snow causes road closures. The pass has trail heads for numerous back country trails and areas less trod by weary Yosemite day hikers and tourists. The eastern Sierras are true marvel and haven't been as exploited and packed with development and tourism as Yosemite Valley. On par with the valley in terms of bucolic tranquility, Tioga Rd takes about 2hrs to complete some of the most stunning and inspiring California landscapes, which register the importance of this place being one of the first protected National Park lands in the world. Thank Abraham Lincoln for that, who in 1864 signed the first protective park bill all while knee-deep in the Civil War.

It used to take weeks, if not months, to get to Yosemite from San Francisco.  These days, a person can hit up Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite all in a hellofa day's road trip. If anything, I recommend finding campsites on the eastern Sierras and save yourself the headache of dealing with the thousands of tourists who pack the Valley.   

If able to camp, bring binoculars or invest in a telescope and feel the weight of the cosmos as stargazing from high country Yosemite wilderness offers mostly light-pollution free and shallow atmosphere viewing of the milky way. Seeing the milky way from up here  can change a person's life.

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Interstate Route 395 - Through Mojave Desert Adjacent to Mt. Whitney.

Thanks to talented Logan Bush for allowing us use this video. 

There's a good chance if you've driven to Mammoth or Bishop you've driven this long desolate, post-apocalyptic stretch of highway. It's one of those classic images of two converging lines intersecting at a pinpoint horizon, where a straight road disappears into the curvature of the earth. Desert flanks both sides of the road with the Sierra jutting craggy granite faces thousands of feet on either side, archaic cindercones, dark otherworldly lava beds and prehistoric volcanic activity dusts everything in view.  The road cuts through a series of small towns that offer solace and places to check your tires, get some water and take a knee praying your car continues to operate through one of the harshest environments on the planet. You're able to see Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 from Hwy 395, in Lone Pine, characterized by the stunning Needles that stand like cathedral spires to the west of the pinnacle. When I was a child, my father took us through Bishop to a cabin we had ages ago in the Eastern Sierras. We'd stop and feed the fish hatchery, explore the lava flows, blister from the heat while he drove and I listened to U2's Joshua Tree album.  

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Highway 101 from San Francisco to Marin City (Across the Golden Gate Bridge)

Driving the US-101 through San Francisco for the first time is an intense driving experience. I can't imagine coming from some sleepy eastern suburb where I didn't have a car, then come to California and rent a car for a road trip and have to deal with driving in SF. I'd probably pull over and hail an Uber.  Northbound US-101 is certainly easier than southbound US-101 in the city. Heading southbound, after crossing over the Golden Gate bridge, after paying a toll, the US-101 dumps you downtown SF along Van Ness Ave. Good luck if you hit at peak hour. Enjoy moving one mile per hour.  But if you plan for mid-day, mid-week or luck out, you can manage this trek like a boss well under an hour.

Traveling across the Golden Gate bridge is spiritual experience, as my dad would say. We used to have an annual walk across the bridge tradition.  But driving can be just as fun if you don't have a couple hours to kill, or feel like walking over three miles. Every Californian has a memory of the Golden Gate bridge, standing or driving on it, seeing Alcatraz, a dense forest of buildings and iconic structures dotting the horizon.  

Make a day of it and explore some of SF's finest, hit up Li Po in Chinatown for a brew, Una Pizza Napoletana for a slice, the curvy Lombard St. and Painted Ladies, later hit up the Tonga Room for one of the best beverage experiences in the City.  

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Joshua Tree National Park - Park Blvd. into Pinto Basin Rd.

Surprisingly, Joshua Tree National Park is one of those places a lot of Californians haven't explored. Everyone I've met who experiences Joshua Tree for the first time says two things: I should have came here years ago, and the place feels prehistoric. It may be the closest we'll get to having an actual Jurassic Park, although I suppose that title would go to one of the many national and international fossil hunter parks in India, Australia or the 260+ US fossil parks. 

Park Blvd. passes some true twisted and bristled Joshua Tree icons, important geological features and especially beautiful views of spiny natural oddities and wind and rain carved landscapes. 

Joshua Tree is arid and hot during the summer, understandable considering the park is flanked by the Colorado and Mojave deserts. The best time to drive this park is anytime, but it's especially wonderful in Spring, particularly if there's a desert bloom underway. Joshua Tree is a fantastic and rugged escape from Los Angeles. A place for people to camp and feel the great native California wilderness.

Bring a chalk bag, a crash pad, some climbing shoes and a climbing buddy to take advantage of the glorious bouldering opportunities.  If you're a star gazer, it's a wonderful place to feel the magnitude of the milky way, largely unblighted by Los Angeles light pollution.  

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There are so many drives we wanted to include, but we wanted to tackle the highlights, the broad strokes that helped make driving in this state memorable. We're anticipating an on-going series for amazing California drives in the future. Ideally, become a repository for unique California scenic drives, more approachable than a cold database. We would love to read and experience your favorite California drives, shoot us a message in the comments below with some of your favorites. 

If you enjoyed this piece please hit the share or like icon below and you may be interested in California's best libraries and our favorite California botanic gardens. Our latest piece covers our road trip: the Grand Tree Tour where we visited the oldest, most massive and tallest trees on the planet. 

Banner Image: Orbo. Media image: Wolfgang Staudt

Thanks to the popularity of our favorite Mexican grill piece and reviews of locally made SLO County salsas, we felt necessary to expand our lens to appreciate the best meal of the day. 

Undoubtedly, you wake up on a Saturday or Sunday and examine the breakfast options.

You could go to that same old spot you've been a million times.  

They know you there, right? They make fine greasy spoon cuisine, piling on the cheese, half a dozen eggs and the okayest coffee in the neighborhood.  It's time to mix it up. I want you in on some amazing Central Coast meals, hard finds for recent years.  Places we've stumbled upon via recommendation or simply stopping in and finding delicious often-healthy inspired breakfast restaurants. The kinds of places turn a lucky find into a breakfast memory.  

Honeymoon Cafe (Pismo Beach)

999 Price St. Pismo Beach.

Honeymoon Cafe has served delicious morning and afternoon meals in Pismo Beach for years. Located along Price St, a couple blocks from the troves of tourists filling Pomeroy Ave, abutting the pier, Price St became the best avenue for food in Pismo Beach. Every weekend Honeymoon, or H-moon if you're a local, makes several varieties of breakfast burritos (I recommend the cowboy or the pigpen, they have an option for every taste), hashes, wraps, scrambles and California-Mexican grillables. Though one of my favorite items is off-menu, a moonrise on pita with cilantro. The pita is folded taco-style and filled with market fresh veggies, cheese, eggs, sprouts, arugula and choice or omission of protein.

H-moon is known for healthier options throughout SLO county, their salads, smoothies, street tacos and sandwiches are all excellent. The cafe is often packed during weekends, so show up early and anticipate a line that sometimes stretches from the inside counter to the sidewalk. Just like Rome, when you see a line, expect good things happening. On weekdays, expect to find a seat anywhere inside or out, though I certainly prefer the patio. An unusual restaurant model, those unfamiliar will expect waitresses to take your order from a table. Everyone orders from the same inside counter, then it's up to you to grab utensils and find a seat. Sometimes that means sharing, which has always been a pleasant experience. Be sure you bus your table after finished eating.

Check out the savory stacked farmwich, breakfast enchiladas and huevos rancheros, all proudly served and patiently grilled. All photos are click to enlarge.

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Sidecar (San Luis Obispo)

1127 Broad St. San Luis Obispo.

Sidecar is one of the sleeper hits in SLO. Usually, when people think of grabbing some breakfast, Big Sky Cafe comes to mind. You'll find people crowding around the sidewalk in front of Big Sky Cafe and basically staring at the Sidecar sign. Meanwhile plenty of tables are available in Sidecar, but more importantly Sidecar is making, I argue, a more inspired, textured and flavorful meal. Sidecar has a fantastic interior and attentive staff ensuring you're getting more than expected. Also, Sidecar is one of the few places on the Central Coast serving up a delicious batter of chicken and waffles. Their version of the eggs Benedict is tastefully served with portions not swimming in hollandaise, harmonizing with Sidecar's especially crispy tater-tots.  

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SLO Provisions (San Luis Obispo)

1255 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo. 

SLO Provisions has kicked out the baked greatness since October 2015. Expanding into the neighboring space, the new larger space can accommodate massive families and still offer a bright comfortable view of uptown SLO. 

This whole part of SLO is going to coolsville, some progressive mixed-use redevelopment, amazing eats options and reachable on foot if you live in proximity to downtown. Finding SLO Provisions was a lark, but the word is out. 

The lady and I stumbled to this side of downtown on our way to two of our favorite eclectic shops, Ruby Rose and Left Field. They poured two coffees and we ordered breakfast sandwiches (below right) made with morning baked and toasted multi-grain bread festooned with avocado, ham, tomato and egg, meticulously prepared and presented with pride. It's one of the best breakfast sandwiches you'll find anywhere on the Central Coast, an indication of what quality ingredients curated for flavor accomplishes. You'll probably think the serving is too small, but it turns out to be a perfect size for a healthy on-the-go option. If you want a little more girth, go with the english muffin breakfast sandwich. The El Bocadillo baguette sandwich (below left photo, right sandwich) has magnificent finely sliced jamon, sweet tomato spread, prepared on that-day french bread--also perfect for on-the-go.

When we finished our breakfast sandwiches, we promptly bought one of their handmade pot-pies, a perfect 2-person meal. Comes with prep instructions, basically: throw in the oven. Their pot pies are one of the most affordable and delicious meals available on the Central Coast, savory, flavorful and humming with satisfaction. I honestly had given up on pot-pies prior to SLO Provisions showing me the way.   

Kay's Orcutt Country Kitchen (Orcutt - Santa Maria)

135 E Clark Ave. Orcutt.

Everybody has a favorite comfort food style diner (many favor Jocko's in Nipomo, Penny's All American Cafe in Pismo Beach, Celia's Garden Cafe in Los Osos, or Tanner Jacks in Nipomo) where the portions are continent-sized, meals are savory and the reputation for customer service is top-notch. Any of the places in parenthesis above are equally fantastic if you love country-style hearty breakfasts. 

Kay's Orcutt Country Kitchen is an institution. Serving massive plates of delicious country-style hearty meals for decades, I first came here the same way most people arrive, with family. Later, my father and I consecrated a Saturday sit-at-the-counter tradition that held for years. One of the best counter-sitting experiences on the Central Coast admittedly. It's fascinating watching the cooks choreographically move while preparing another twenty breakfasts.

Known for their mammoth omelettes, hashes, biscuits and gravy, Kay's generous portions will send you home with aftershock meals and a full stomach. Kay's also has a formidable Central Coast reputation for quality ingredients. Often families from hours away make the trek for a spot in the sunny and eclectic restaurant. Another fascinating aspect is all the old-west Orcutt memorabilia, images and clippings everywhere.  

It would be a crime not to include at least one traditional diner experience on our local favorites list. Favored by thousands of customers every year, Kay's puts the heart in hearty. Below, a monte cristo sandwich and biscuits and gravy on the left, chorizo omelette on the right. Anyone with a hangover in Santa Maria knows about Kay's-prescribed cure-all dishes and the jubilant atmosphere will make you feel at home. 

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Bon Temps (San Luis Obispo) 

1819 Osos St.

You can tell if a person knows what they're talking about regarding Central Coast breakfasts if they include Bon Temps Creole Cafe in SLO. An institution with a funky new railroad station location, Bon Temps, pronounced "bon-toms," serves the best California-inspired Cajun meals in SLO. Known for their savory blackened dishes, jambalaya, gumbo and collard greens; when you show up for breakfast, you order one thing: eggs Benedict. They make them a bunch of ways and they're all delicious.

Pick up some grits, a fluffy biscuit to soak up the residuals and expect to bring home leftovers. I prefer the fried green tomatoes, echoing a Benedict, of course complemented with links, firm red beans and rice, all sparked by the infamous table-width string of hot sauces parked on every table (see below middle, click the image for the full show).

Thing is, when it's busy expect to wait. I've only witnessed at most two waitresses working all the tables in the restaurant on any given day. Just be patient and your meal will be worth the investment. Good things take time.

Come to San Luis Obispo's historic railroad district and check out the new location for Bon Temps; the menu is the same, but now the restaurant is in a highly walkable location. It's anticipated that the new location will bring even more traffic, so anticipate getting there early. 

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Lido at Dolphin Bay (Pismo Beach - Shell Beach)

2727 Shell Beach Road. Pismo Beach.

When you need a Sunday brunch, you can't go wrong with Lido at Dolphin Bay in Shell Beach. With one of the best views on the Central Coast, zero wait-time and savory seafood-inspired dishes to welcome your week. I always splurge on a plate of Morro oysters splashed with lemon and horseradish. Lido also produces delicious eggs Benedicts drizzled respectfully on a halved muffin and dusted with herbs. Bottomless mimosas strike an ambitious morning chord.

The salmon Benedict (bottom second from left) is one of the most savory vacation-reminder meals available anywhere. Crispy home-fries accent the dish with a crunch. Sit outside, breathe in the ocean air with your meal, but bring a hat and sunscreen just in case as the canopy-shade situation can sometimes be dicey. I've left red-cheeked a few times.  

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Kitchenette (Templeton)

105 S Main St. Templeton.

More than ever, Templeton is worth crossing the grade to enjoy the sleek, sophisticated and hip breakfast and lunch haunt, Kitchenette. Offering a daringly clean roster of dishes, the team produces elegant, healthy and delicious meals with respect for quality and refinement. I've only had memorable meals at Kitchenette.

If it's your first time, get the corned beef hash. Everything is good, but the corned beef hash is spectacular. The kind of meal that always pays off when going outside your boundaries. Kitchenette's staff are some of the friendliest and warmest on the coast. And the meals are respectfully and pridefully prepared, well-deserving customer loyalty. The formula here is similar to Honeymoon Cafe in Pismo Beach, you order from a counter, grab your own utensils and try to find seating. Please, sweet ever-loving Jesus, bus your table when you're finished eating. I highly recommend grabbing a counter seat and enjoy a meticulously prepared espresso drink. Make an event of going wine tasting while you hit this place in the morning, it's worth any trip and is excellently priced.  

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This closes out our first edition of our favorite Central Coast breakfasts.  If you enjoyed this piece, check out our favorite Mexican grill article and our reviews of locally made SLO County salsas. Show your support for more local content by smashing that like button below and sharing a link to an amigo. We greatly appreciate it.  

HONORABLE MENTIONS - EDITION 2

Obviously, we can't get to every great place for one list, it would be insanely long. But we're not even close to done. We look forward to your recommendations in the comment section. Some honorable mentions and places likely to be included in or next Breakfast roundup:

• Jocko's in Nipomo
• Penny's All American Cafe in Pismo Beach
• Celias Garden Cafe in Los Osos
• Tanner Jacks in Nipomo
• Sally Loos in San Luis Obispo

SEASON OF THE BEACH: Stock Your Beach Bag, and Let's Hit that Sand. 

One of my friends asked me why I always have a fully stocked beach bag, and hiking boots in my car at all times.

You have to follow the wise old surfer mantra, "If you hear the ocean roaring, get your toes on the nosing." They never say that, but if they did, it would totally apply here. Point is, when you live in proximity to the ocean, you never know when you'll be at the beach, or when the perfect beach day will strike. Be prepared. Around here, you'll get a text from a friend who knew a guy who talked to a store owner who passed the ocean and let the world know the perfect beach day is afoot. 

So you read the text and start fake-coughing at your desk and head home from your cube to grab your gear. WRONG, rookie.  You have your gear in your car already, like a damn professional, and you head straight to the sand.  

So as a proud beach regular, I'd like to share what's in my go-to beach bag. All images and blue links tie to places to purchase online. If you enjoy this piece, check out our pieces on the Best Places in California to Camp on the Beach and our piece on amazing Rentable California Fire Lookouts.

Without further adieu...

THE CALIFORNIST DOES IT ON THE BEACH

Foxtail Goods - The Market Tote

Foxtail Goods produces some of best in durable and practical, buy-it-for-life minimalist designs. The new California bay-area based company features refined urban swagger with an adventurous underbelly. This wonderful beach-ready tote of course may also be used for rummaging farmers markets, lugging a laptop or trucking essential sundries and the internal pocket is perfect for your KPW--keys, phone and wallet. 

I love Foxtail Good's enamel camping mugs and minimalist card holder wallet (that green leather destroys me) all designed with long-term usability and beautiful timeless style. The market tote works unisex with several color options featuring a patina-ready reinforced leather base and tried-and-true canvas cladding. 

All Good Elemental Herbs SPF-50+ Water Resistant Zinc Sunscreen Butter & SPF30 Sunstick

Two of the best packaged, convenient for traveling, effective and safest-ingredient sunscreens you can find anywhere. All Good sunscreen butter and sunsticks are beach bag and outdoor essentials. I have sunsticks everywhere in my life: my office desk, glove box, beach bag, bathroom drawer. You can't have enough of these, they're simply convenient and effective.

Draw the sunstick on your body and rub in until fully covered, the coconut scent recalls the fantastic Sex Wax surfboard wax from my formidable surfing days. The new All Good sunscreen butter is perfect for ocean and pool-going, water resistant and maintains a safe register of ingredients, the kind of daily sunscreen you want your whole family to wear. 

All Good is a Central Coast staple, forged in Los Osos, the company is now headquartered in Morro Bay, California. They've been producing natural, safe and synthetic-chemical-free sunscreens, lotions, lip balms and all sorts of fantastic gear to rub on you and a loved one's body since '05. Ryan Rich and Caroline Duell are the husband and wife team who married their love for the outdoors and creating quality, safe products with Elemental Herbs, now All Good. Starting from humble roots, their now nationally recognized All Good Goop healing balm is coveted among athletes and outdoorsy folk everywhere. The hard working All Good team continues to design, promote, sell, package and ship all the items sold on the All Good line from their Morro Bay HQ. The Californist is a big fan and supporter of this talented local business which is partner with 1% for the Planet and works with Patagonia, REI and a host of other favored outdoor outfitters. 

Pendleton Oversized Jacquard - Santa Fe Saxony & National Park Beach Towels

Few things are as West Coast as Pendleton. I love their geometrically complex and energizing native-inspired designs. These towels are those huge, luxurious ones you find on your vacations in cushy hotels.  They have that butter soft feel, shake loose easily and are machine washable.  

I've been a fan of Pendleton's National Park blankets since they started production a few years ago; recently they're differentiating the popular blanket patterns into other practical forms, everything from beach towels to hand towels and washcloths. Pendleton is one of the greatest promoters of our National Park System and have been ruggedly outfitting the west since 1863, thirteen years after California became an official state. The Californist remains a strong supporter of the Pendleton legacy. 

Max Flight Glow Frisbee & Aerobie Skylander LED Disc

Few things bring me to the mindful, meditative state like playing frisbee with a close amigo. Back in college, I used to play ultimate frisbee, but these days I simply enjoy hitting the sand and seeing how far a buddy and I can throw the disc back and forth. On windless warm summer days we'll be on the sand for hours throwing a Maxflight hundreds of feet. Sure, it's a meditative act, but it's also a killer workout. You're running, jumping, diving, sprinting. A huge amount of fun. And there's no better beach-friendly, long distance throwing frisbee than the Maxflight. Rubber edges means it's safe around cars, people and also easy on the hands. The smaller dimension means it's packable and essential to keep in your car or beach bag.

At night, we bring out the LED lighted frisbee. The Aerobie Skylander Disc is fantastic and has this strange UFO quality when tossed at night, especially on the beach. Everyone asks us where to pick one up. Gotta love Amazon. 

You want to avoid getting those annoying plastic dishes that you had as a child.  Anytime the wind picks up, those discs go the direction of any mild draft or nearby sneeze. 

Playaboule LED Lighted Bocce Set

A few years ago, some friends and I went out to the shore during a supermoon night, off in the horizon lightening struck the ocean as we played glowing night bocce. A surreal, unforgettable night. Playaboule makes the most addictive bocce set anywhere. The glowing LED balls bring a cosmic level of awesome to any beach night. Fun to play during the day, the game truly takes off at night, expect lots of people to come up to you during the game asking you where to buy a set. A fabulous gift. 

Bocce is a perfect beach game. My friends and I often walk to the sand with the Playaboule kit, which includes nine lighted bocce balls and a storage bag, and we'll create our own rules for throwing the bocce balls. Under the leg, behind the back, after a few spins and a dizzy throw. It's fun and easy to enjoy while holding a beer or a glass of wine.

Game is simple: throw the smaller white ball, the jack, then each person takes a turn throwing or bowling (depending on the surface) his or her colored bocce ball to get closest, without touching, the jack ball. 

Boardshorts - Saturdays Surf NYC

Saturdays NYC is a fantastic New York vintage-inspired surf attire maker with durably designed and tasteful minimalistic boardshorts that lens the past. I love their board shorts, which feature a slimmer, stylish silhouette and hits appropriately above the knee. Great for beach running, surfing and lounging. Think of images of Paul Newman or Steve McQueen hitting the beach with a carefree attitude. Obviously, the Californist loves orange anything. You should explore their entire catalogue online here. 

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Jawbone Big Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

An impulse buy that turned out to be one of my best investments. I use my Big Jambox everywhere, at home it's my bedroom stereo, during bar-b-q's it's my grill companion, at the beach or camping it's a party starter and mood setter, we use it when my lady and I are Netflix and chilling, it's always around and simple to use. One of the fondest memories I have while camping Big Sur was using my binoculars at night with the Google Sky app in hand and classical music beaming on the Jambox. Unquestionably the most versatile wireless speaker you'll find anywhere and offers rich, deep environment filling sound that pairs with anything Bluetooth: phones, laptops, PCs, cars, whatever.

I like the white Jambox, as it reflects the sun and doesn't overheat while outside. I never worry about the issue of sand getting into components as the box is so well designed the buttons and joints are sealed from grit.  At the time I bought my Jambox, white was the most affordable color, but I think the word is out, as black seems to be the least expensive option now. Colors matter less to me than getting a good deal. 

BE BEACH PROUD

Most people are awesome about coastal traveling, they pack their trash--a reminder that 82% of beach trash is cigarette butts--have loud music boundaries, don't let their pets go ballistic on stranger's beach-gear and protect their food containers from the white-flighted gull armies.

People who don't respect public spaces frustrate those of us who have respect for the beach and the ocean, as a habitat, as stewards for natural areas and as proud, humble beach goers.

If you enjoyed this piece, check out our beach-ready music recommendations and our California Design book review.