Nothing Better Than Camping and Driving Up the California Coast

There is going to come a time when we'll be asked what our favorite part about the road trip was, and we're going to disappoint because there isn't an answer. On the first leg of our trip, after we had camped in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we started discussing what we thought the best park had been that we've visited.

Whitewater rafting was an insane experience. Hiking the Rockies was so peaceful. Camping under the stars in Arches National Park was incredible. The sights and sounds of Bryce Canyon National Park were unforgettable. And getting to walk to a beautiful lookout in the Grand Canyon was a once-in-a-lifetime view.

But therein lies the problem. Everything about this trip - and on another degree, everything about this country - is that it is so very unique. Every national park and forest has created a different memory. Even our time in San Diego has made opened our eyes to something we thought we'd never get to do.

So the answer to that question now is the same as it will be in a little over a week when we return. We can't pick a favorite part because everything has been wonderful and unique.

That trend continued when we left Katie's apartment on Thursday, July 21, and had to navigate our way through Los Angeles traffic (successfully thanks to our lovely navigator, Cara!) to our campground in the Montana de Oro State Park, a coastal park just south of the Morro Bay area.

When I first found this campground, I picked it solely because I didn't think we could drive from San Diego to San Francisco in one day without overdoing it. A stay at this park, about halfway between the two cities, seemed like the perfect place to stop, camp, and then move on in the morning.

That was the attitude we all had after we left San Diego. The Islay Creek Campground, in our pre-arrival minds, was nothing special. We had talked to a couple California natives, and they had never even heard of the Montana de Oro State Park. And if natives hadn't heard of it, what good could it be?

Well, the view we saw of both the park and campsite changed all that.

It just goes to show that on road trips, you will be pleasantly surprised by places you didn't really think had anything going for them.

We got to the campground with enough daylight left to set up camp and hike along the coastline. We chose the Bluff Trail, a roughly two-mile walk right along the edge, and stayed to see the sunset.

The sunset wasn't the only thing we saw, however, as we came across a California Quail family and a tide pool that was just teeming with aquatic wildlife like hermit crabs, actual crabs, and urchin. It was really neat.

For the sunset, we stopped along a jut into the ocean and watched the waves come crashing in as the sun began setting. I took some videos of the trail and the waves. Hopefully I can get those uploaded here one of these days to show you all.

All of this made for a wonderful and surprising stop along the Pacific Ocean.

The next morning we ate breakfast and packed up our campsite. We did get to sleep in a bit because our site was nestled in a valley and the one hillside blocked the sun for about an extra hour.

Friday was spent on California Highway 1, which often reminded Cara and I of Ireland with its winding roads right along the ocean. The sites, like everything else on this trip, were amazing to take in.

Our main stop along the way was Big Sur, a rocky beach with a natural waterfall.

We also learned that up until the 1960s or 1970s, a family lived in a house right in Big Sur. Could you imagine waking up everyday to see the Pacific Ocean in your backyard?

The rest of Highway 1 wasn't too bad, and we stopped in Santa Cruz to meet up our friend Liz for lunch. She recommended an Irish pub, and that didn't disappoint.

By the time we got to Santa Cruz, we decided that it was time to get off Highway 1 and start cutting across toward the main highways to get into San Francisco (actually Walnut Creek, California). Cara, again, did a great job navigating, especially around traffic spots, and we got to Lauren's great Aunt Kay and Uncle Ron's place in Walnut Creek around 7.

Uncle Ron and Aunt Kay had delicious dinner and dessert waiting for us. It was great to have a home-cooked meal for the first time in a long time.

The rest of the night was spent chatting with Uncle Ron and Aunt Kay as well as taking a quick dip in their pool.

That's it for our camping trip along Pacific and our drive up the California coast. We're in Walnut Creek now and planning to head into the city of San Francisco today. Who knows what we have in store? Maybe Alcatraz if we can get tickets. If not, maybe we'll just enjoy the Firsherman's Wharf and Golden Gate Bridge. We'll get you another update hopefully tonight.