19 September

I could describe for you our trip from Emeryville to Big Sur, down 880 to 101, 101 to 56, 56 to good ol' 1, but really there isn't anything that stands out as memorable or different from any other drive on the highway. There were a few cars stalled along the road which required the slow inspection of 3 lanes of cars passing as if a fallen brother lay in state, the odd person or two oblivious to the high rate of speed cars in lanes on both sides were passing, and of course the missed exit yours truly manages to fit into almost every trip. Oh, and for the billionth time I wish I had paid the extra $1000 to put air conditioning in our little Honda when I bought it.

Now, our accommodations in Big Sur warrant a paragraph. Firstly, Treebones is in Big Sur's vicinity, not really in what folks consider Big Sur proper. This is only of concern when one urgently regrets having a liquid breakfast (smoothy, not spirits) and learns that relief is 30 miles further. Treebones is a new "resort" up a five mile unimproved rode about a mile north of Gorda (which, according to the sign, gladly welcomes Tour Busses) on Highway 1. After bouncing our way into the parking lot and checking in we were shown to our Yurt. Yes, Yurt. Treebones feels something like Summer Camp. There is a main "Lodge" which is Yurt shaped, but not made of Yurt cloth, wherein one finds a waffle breakfast, BBQ dinner, and the Men's and Ladies facilities complete with the day spa version of locker room showers. They also have a gift shop/general store which offers supplies for barbeque, hiking, and advertising that one has stayed in a Yurt. Our Yurt, number 11, is described as having a "partial water view", partial meaning the entire Pacific Ocean isn't visible as it is from the Lodge. The Yurt sits on a raised foundation and has a fine plank floor finished in the general color of honey. The walls are 7 foot 2x4s spaced at 16", each of which holds a 10 foot 2x4 at such an angle as to create a pitched roof terminating in a skylight with approximately a 4 foot diameter. Lashed to the vertical 2x4s is what looks like a large latticed wall mounted hat rack sans pegs. Draped over it all is a fitted canvas wall and roof which breaths though not so much as to give a discernable draft. The appointments are a cross between modern and country that only Ikea could make attractive. We have electricity and hot water, both courtesy of 6 tanks of propane adjacent to the parking lot. Treebones has at least two propane burning generators and hot water in the Yurt comes from a small tankless propane water heater under the sink. One gets the feeling Hank Hill consulted on the physical plant. The entry to the Yurt is two French doors on a small deck which accommodates two chairs, two paper cups, two weary travelers, and one bottle of two-buck chuck ($9.37 from the Gorda General Store).

In addition to the $10 bottle of two-buck chuck we bought gas in Gorda. If you are ever in Gorda, do not buy gas. There is one station, full serve only. They don't advertise their gas price, and with about a gallon and a half left in the tank I asked myself retorically "how much could it be?". $3.79 a gallon. The bill for filling my little Honda was $28. I asked for a receipt and the attendant humorously suggested that he should charge me $30 for providing one. I felt like humorously suggesting what he could do with my money and one of his orrifaces. In Spanish 'Gorda' is the feminine version of fat. She's certainly getting that way from unsuspecting tourists.

What was a good value is the optional BBQ dinner at Treebones. For $33 we each got a plate of black beans with pork, coleslaw slaw, cheese bread, and the BBQ'd meat of our choice. We ordered the hot links and the beef ribs to share. The BBQ sauce was great, not to tangy, not too sweet and the meat fell off the bone. Treebones doesn't offer beverages other than water with dinner, but fortunately we, and virtually everyone else, had brought our own. There are also soda machines close at hand and a selection of juice and tea drinks in the lodge store should one not have anything else at hand.

Author's note: this was to be a multi-page travel journal, but never got there.

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