We traveled south this past weekend down old Hwy 1.  After swinging by Succulent Gardens nursery, it was a short drive to one of our favorite places on earth…Big Sur.  Below is just a taste of the 75 mile ultra curvy coastal road that leads you through the belly of Big Sur.

About 30 minutes south of Carmel, you come to Bixby Creek Bridge.  Completed in 1932, Bixby Bridge is the gateway into Big Sur.  There is a hint of wildflowers in the foreground…more on that soon.

We stay at The Fernwood.  Check out the cool green mini roof just above the door.  We love this place.  PROs: Dog Friendly, inexpensive ($75 for tent cabin for 2 people and 1 dog), 25 feet from the Big Sur River, smack in the middle of a bunch of Redwoods, attached to Julia Pfeiffer State Park, you can stay for just one night, on-site bar / grill, live music on Saturdays, etc.  CONs:  some people think it is a little too crowded.  There are plenty of other places to stay if you are not on a budget…and Fernwood gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

Our tent cabin just fits between the bunches o Sequoia sempervirens.  Those Redwood trees are huge!  The other side overlooks the Big Sur River.

This place also has an Albino Redwood, no joke.  It’s a freak of nature!

One of the old skool RV people planted a succulent garden by their semi-permanent spot.

Such a treat to see my two favorite plants together…moss and succulents.  Those Agave attenuata looked happy.

Plenty of places for Max, the crazy Border Collie, to frolic.  I don’t know who was happier during the trip…Max for getting to swim to his heart content, or us enjoying the peacefulness of one tired puppy.  After our stay in Big Sur, we journeyed onward to the Central Coast.

– Far Out Flora