The American Wilds: A Slow Road Trip From the Grand Canyon to Big Sur
It’s taken me a long time to compile this blog post, partially because I had so many photos to go through but mainly because it’s hard to write about this trip during the current lock-down. I’m really missing freedom and travel in general, but if there is one place I could be right now it would be the Big Sur coast. As much as I loved exploring the deserts we visited on our trip, it was in the forests and by the sea that I felt most at home.
The second half of our trip was dominated by the American wilds, visiting National Parks and wilderness areas with luscious green forests, towering mountains and rocky cliffs. I’ve also included our day at the Grand Canyon in this post, as we parked in the adjoining Kaibab National Forest for the night.
This side of California, Yosemite and Big Sur in particular, is somewhere I’ve been dreaming of visiting for a very long time. It can sometimes be a letdown when you finally find yourself in a place you’ve hyped up in your mind, but this was thankfully not the case. The few days we spent in these locations were my favourite parts of our trip, and to be honest I didn’t want to leave. I’d love to return to Yosemite in the summertime, or spend an entire week exploring the Big Sur coast.
Here are my highlights from the wilder landscapes that we visited …
THE GRAND CANYON
We arrived at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon late afternoon, after driving down the seemingly endless road that leads to the park. Nothing prepared me for the views - the sheer size of the canyon has to be seen to be believed. Endless pink and purple cliffs, ridges and chasms, a sparkling river twisting through it all. We returned to the canyon in the early hours of the morning, waking early so we could watch the sunrise over the cliffs. It didn’t disappoint. The entire landscape transformed before our eyes, beginning in shadow before the sun rose and a soft haze covered the view. After breakfast, we started to drive out of the park when a gang of elk (look it up, that’s the official collective noun!) ran out of the woods into the road. Such an incredible experience, watching them from the safety of our car.
KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST
Wild camping is forbidden inside National Parks, but conveniently the Kaibab National Forest borders the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. Just a five minute drive from the view point where I took the above photos, we drove into the forest to find this secluded wild camping spot. Closer to the road there were a few other vans, but we drove just two minutes further into the woods for more privacy. This was one of my favourite camping experiences of the entire trip, watching the sunset through the trees and cooking around an open fire, the moon shining down on us.
LAKE KAWEAH
Lake Kaweah wasn’t on our itinerary. We were planning on visiting Sequoia National Park on the way to Yosemite, but towards the end of a long drive from Death Valley I realised that our van was too long and we wouldn’t be able to enter Sequoia. We looked on the map and found a campground on the shore of a lake not too far away and decided to spend the night there. Sometimes you need to step away from the obvious destinations and just enjoy a slow, relaxing evening with no pressure to see or do anything. That’s exactly what we did at Lake Kaweah, just admired the scenery, had a little wander around and sat around another roaring fire.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Yosemite was everything I hoped it would be. I completely fell in love with the dramatic landscapes and only wish we could have spent longer exploring the park. I’d love to return in summer when more of the park is open to visit the sequoia grove, hike on some of the higher trails and swim in the river. We spent our first night at a wild camping spot near Wawona, just outside the entrance to the park. We had a little wander around the forest but got a bit spooked on our own, expecting a bear to come crashing out of the trees. The next morning we entered the park, coming face-to-face with one of the most magical views I’d ever seen: Tunnel View. I could have sat on the wall admiring this view all day, watching a man nearby who was painting the landscape. We crammed a lot into our 24 hours inside the park, still managing to enjoy a few slow moments such as sitting by the river, admiring El Capitan while sipping a cup of tea. We fit in two hikes, walking to Mirror Lake and up to Vernal Falls, but I still feel there is much more to see, giving me a reason to go back one day.
BIG SUR
The final stop on our trip was my favourite of them all. As soon as we started driving down Highway One I felt butterflies in my stomach, eager to visit a place I’ve obsessed over for so long. Big Sur lives up to the hype - from that very first moment you spy Bixby Bridge on the road ahead, I knew I wanted to spend more time here. We settled into our campground for the night, before setting off on a golden hour hike through the redwoods. There’s something humbling about tilting your neck back and gazing up at these gigantic trees. That evening, we sat on the patio of the bar above our campground, under fairy lights and giant trees, just soaking it all in. The next morning, we took things slow, starting with breakfast at the Big Sur Bakery. We then lingered at the Henry Miller Memorial Library for a while, chatting to the owner about all the amazing musicians that have played its tiny outdoor stage and buying a few books. We stopped off at several look-out points on our drive down the coast, but McWay Falls was a definite highlight. Even though I’ve seen the view photographed countless times, it still felt incredible to witness it in person. If there’s one place I’d love to return to, it’s Big Sur. I keep dreaming of spending an entire trip here, doing all the things we didn’t have time for, including watching the sun set on the beach and exploring more of the surrounding landscape - who wants to come with me?
