I can cut carrots, open a can and make a tuna sandwich while riding along the winding, harrowing Hwy 1.
Elephant seals are massive heart-melters.
I could live in the central coast region, happily.
Montana de Oro is a forever favorite place to camp and hike. The coast is like a pick-up-sticks splay of giant petrified dinosaur spines. And there are mounds of the coolest rocks you could ever find just lounging on the beach like treasure. Great kid spot.
RVs are not low-maintenance.
The Kern River is a real beauty and fun to swim.
Next time I wanna pee outside in a wind storm, remind me not to.
If you want to hug a Giant Sequoia, you better have 15ft arms.
CALIFORNIA IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!
Week 1: 750 miles. Week one has been a gem; has exceeded my hopes and expectations. We began shooting on day 1– no sound yet, but ample opportunities for John to get chummy with the camera and endless scene candy…..
Day 1: We pulled out of Topanga and headed in and up, parking the first night on BLM (Bureau of Land Mgt– our customary best friend) land — Jawbone, outside Red Rock Canyon State Park. The stars were so thick the sky was almost white. And then the sunrise…. so burnt-orange and crusty, like a marmalade biscuit all warm and welcoming and make-you-feel-all right.
Day 2, a sweet spot along the Kern River above Kernville and part of Sequoia National Forest. We swam in the cold dark water, and John caught cool water shots until the sun went down and we were all frozen but amped.
Day 3: We visited the Trail of 100 Giants. Insane behemoths and a great playground, except for when John stepped on a bees’ nest. Then we drove in a long big circle through the mountains, resting in California Hot Springs that night at our first RV park. The kids could ride their bikes (Zelda wiped out twice and got chased by a dog, tough kid) and we had electricity, H2O and our first fire. Good living.
Day 4: Thinking we had to be in Vegas soon to meet my mom, we rambled through gorgeous rolling sizzled-golden hill country, like out of a classic Western movie, until we stopped for a swim in Lake Isabella. We needed a cool-off/wash-away moment: my mom, we’d just learned, wasn’t going to be able to make it to Vegas (bummer), and Lulu was having a minor pre-teen meltdown about not seeing her pals, being away too long and when was she gonna get a dog. Understandable stuff, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed by a sailor-mouth rant and ensuing family battle of bawdiness. ( I think Lu won this one– she had me cornered and cringing with her Spanish-fly Inquisition of acts I don’t dare mention so early in this trip’s literary life.)
So without the prospect of Vegas, we headed west towards the coast. We stopped in a tiny town called Buttonhollow where they had the most outrageous taco truck called Tita’s Supusaria (?). I didn’t know what the hell a supusa was, and I know that’s not even the correct word, but it must translate to “cloud of heaven” because it was a billowy warm pillow of cheese and squash/cheese and beans, like a tortilla dumpling….mmmmm, goddamnitall MMMMM….!
Then we drove for the first time at night, and we got to know a whole new Harvey. The snaky road must’ve been a beauty, but it was dark and spooky and got real quiet in that night-time in a car way. Each kid had an end of the RV and a cinematic view of the stars to put them to sleep. John turned into Los Padres Nat’l Park down a road that soon turned into something out of a horror flick– a lonely ominous and pockmarked road with Sleepyhollow branches overhead…. John and his flashlite stopped and got out to explore, disappearing behind the next steep bend….. Good thing, because it was only getting worse. We had to back up a mile in the blackness before Harvey could turn around, then parked somewhere for a few hours of sleep. It was our first pull-over sleep and kind of creepy, so….
Day 5: …. at a sliver before dawn John was already up and moving on to Montana de Oro below Morro Bay, a place we all love.
Day 6: same spot, more shooting, this time at sunset for John to work his B-roll magic. He’s got a natural artistic flair that i can’t help but imagine will create some cinematic gorgeousness. Plus, the kids are so damn beautiful and just ripe for camera-catching.
Day 7: we headed up Hwy 1 and made an unintentional but serendipitous stop in a cool town called Cayucos. Great vibe, beautiful beach…. But you could repeat that like a broken record from this point on– the whole coast and Hwy 1just don’t let up– too beautiful to ever get old…. We stopped above San Simeon (with a promise to return and ring Hearst Castle’s doorbell) at Piedras Blancas beach, the elephant seal colony. The juveniles (still huge) were hangin out like lazy kids at a juke joint, cuddling up, flipping sand, sometimes undulating their way to the water for a slow dance with the waves…. But the squirrels there almost steal the show– they are as blubberous as the seals and will jump up on your lap if you let them.
We settled in at Fernwood campground along the Big Sur River in Big Sur, where the tall redwoods always make you feel like a kid. Z and I took a wade that slipped into a swim, and we all had a sweet meet by the fire where John sampled some score for the film and I melted the bottom of my boots. (“Mom, are your boots smoking?” “Holy shit– they are!” )
Today, I’ll hopefully retrieve mail sent here and look into hitting some hot springs!
On the burner for Week 2: sound! (yikes) Monterey Aquarium, Half Moon Bay, San Fran for vo work, more home school (the best stuff to learn is what’s smack dab in front of you).
Harvey is doing great.