Big Sur Birthday

For my birthday this year my parents came into town for a visit. We rented an SUV and headed up north, past Oxnard, beyond Santa Barbara to an area known as Big Sur. Now Big Sur itself is a town that takes you 3.4 nanoseconds to drive through, but the surrounding areas are pretty awesome.

Here are some highlights from the trip:

1. Pismo Beach

There are some beautiful cliffs covered with some not so beautiful bird poop, but let's stick the positives, shall we. :) The sites were breathtaking, as was the sunset.



2. Julia Pfeiffer Waterfall

Once we got into this area, we got hit with some super heavy fog, which made the photos kind of cool.



3. The Elephant Seal Hang out

Apparently the best time to visit here is during mating season when you can watch 6 tons of pure blubber pick fights with equally built foes, all for the affections of the females. Since it was not yet mating season, we watched 6 tons of pure blubber pick fights with equally built foes....just for fun. We also watched the rest of the elephant seal population chill on the beach.

4. Hearst Castle

In true I-have-too-much-money-and-I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it style William Randolph Hearst commissioned a palace to be built on a rock in the middle of (nowhere) California, and he proceeded to invite the rich, powerful, and popular people of his era to come on over for a visit. It is as opulent as any palace as it is filled with relics from the castles of Europe.:) It was stunning for sure.



5. Random stops by the ocean

Along the coast there are piers and sandy spots galore where you can get out to watch the waves or snaps some pictures of your parents happily enjoying the sights.



All in all it was a beautiful trip and a wonderful way to spend my birthday weekend. Thanks mom and dad! :)