Big Sur - and the elephant seals!Aug 22, 2011
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Camping in the Big Sur overflow lot (the picnic area)
awesome views of the clouds lifting...
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| Well - on Monday we had to stop for the mundane - the car needed regular maintenance... It was actually a lovely pause - the day to day tends to be... We had checked out of the campground so we dropped the trailer in the dealership parking lot and gave them the car... We went back to the trailer with the dogs and read and napped and ate lunch and had a VERY nice time... All auto repair times should be so awesome:-) Then we hightailed it down the coast working to get to the Big Sur State Park for the night. We enjoyed the beautiful coast and got there just at dark. The campground was full so we stayed in the parking lot of the picnic area - their place for one night overflow camping. It was quiet and comfortable... The next morning we took a walk to the Big Sur River and then started on down the beautiful coast in the magical mists of morning... It was awesome... The drive on down the coast was wonderful - AND we happened to say we'd stop at the next pull out for lunch at just the right time... Piedras Blancas - the resting place of an elephant seal colony! They were amazing... almost extinct until the demand for seal oil waned and the population had a chance to restore itself. Their skins are not soft so they are not sought for that reason and are basically left alone - except for hundreds of visitors a day gazing down on their antics... We had decided to spend Wednesday with Jonathan's friend Jeanette Scholer - so we camped that night right on the beach just above Malibu. We had a lovely lunch with Jeanette, whose husband David died three years ago. He had been one of Jonathan's best loved seminary professors, and the Scholers were members of First Baptist Church in Beverly. Then we headed to Anaheim to get us and the dogs set for the next day and to do lots and lots of laundry! San Simeon CA Elephant Seal calendar (note: the elephant seals are always fasting when in California - when not in CA they are in Alaska, or traveling there or back, and feasting to bulk up for the next fast.) June,July and August - subadult and adult seals come to CA to molt September and October - young-of-the year and juveniles haul out to rest November - Subadult males haul out and bulls start arriving December - more bulls return and Females arrive, the first birth is about mid-month January - Females continue to arrive, births peak the last part of Jan. February - Births continue and the peak of mating is around mid month (Valentine's Day!) Females start to leave. March - Last adults leave, weaned pups teach themselves to swim. April and May - Females and juveniles return to molt |
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