Big Sur, the mecca of beauty and thought, light and love, hope and the American wilderness dream. It was only fitting that after the travesty of the election I ran away to the most incredible place in the world and settled for a few nights in a cabin at Glen Oaks, amidst the Redwoods and silence of Big Sur. Glen Oaks, which underwent a big renovation about ten years ago under new owners, is modern wilderness chic defined. From the peaceful cabins in the woods to the roadside motel rooms, which resemble a cross between your favorite friends woodsy home and the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, Glen Oaks is ideal for one night or one week, or in my case, the dream… one month or one year. Each room comes equipped with a copy of Henry Miller’s epic Big Sur & The Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch and thankfully no TV or radios or alarm clocks, though phones and wifi are provided. The rooms do have plenty of wine and a smores kit, which includes belgium chocolate and wafers and specialty marshmallows. Bring some extra marshmallows to enjoy by the fire each night, but splurge on the kit. In the mornings you can walk over for coffee and homemade donuts at the Big Sur Roadhouse, where they serve breakfast and lunch until 2:30PM. The cabins sit amidst astounding Redwoods, including the Grandmother Pfeiffer tree, which is the second largest in Big Sur. You can hike or meditate and sit still in the woods (what I did mostly). While hiding from the world I was also inspired to write and reminded of how much I love to dig deep into a book and sit in silence. I also learned that illegal camp fires are a national tragedy: this summer over the course of two months the Pfeiffer State Park lost 200,000 acres of forestland along with 60 local homes and one firefighter’s life. Check out the essay I wrote on Huffington Post about the trip as well, and more photos from the trip below. The rays of light in the images here are real, not retouched or enhanced in any way, it’s what happens around 8am in the woods during sunrise.
My supplies for survival: my journal, a book and a bottle of Raketir from Black Hand Cellars in Cambria, where I stopped for lunch on my drive to Big Sur. The eggplant burger from Harmony Cafe down the block is also phenomenal.
Morning light
The best fish tacos I have ever had in my life at Big Sur Taphouse (thank you Steve!)
The Grandmother Pfeiffer, the second largest tree in Big Sur, was just a few hundred feet away from my riverside cabin
Reading room
In a funny coincidence, my friend of many years from DC, Cynthia Connolly, was doing a reading and signing of her legendary book, Banned in DC, at the Henry Miller Library
Roadside views aka heaven
