Dreaming California

1. Big Sur

Photo: Ali Erturk Photography.


We recently invested in camping gear for our trip to Yosemite, so I’ve been dreaming of going down to Big Sur and camping out under the stars. I found that you can rent a campsite (for only $15 a night) that overlooks the Ventana Wilderness of Los Padres National Forest. Once we get our plans together, this is a list of campsites from the Parks Management Company.



There is a place where you can reserve “public night bathing” between 1:00 and 3:00 AM in a nearby hot spring (how California, right? I love it!) in case you pitch a tent and have nowhere to clean off before bed.


As usual, there are beautiful hikes, and the majesty of the Pacific sprawls below the cliffs of the Santa Lucia Mountains. Big Sur is definitely at the top of my list.