OUR BIG SUR ENGAGEMENT STORY

And Adventuring With Out A Plan

With only a destination in mind, we traveled 5 hours up California’s coast towards Big Sur. We found the most beautiful campground in California, sitting on a bluff above the ocean, and to my surprise, this is where Charlie proposed to me. Four years later, I am remembering our engagement story and unpacking why occasionally adventuring with only a destination in mind is worth it.

To love Charlie is to trust him completely. To trust in his love, his word, and in all his ideas. He goes towards his ideas with so much passion it’s tangible.

I only suspected for a minute that he was going to propose on this particular adventure because he kept bugging me to plan it! (Note that we usually go on trips when I plan them, and it’s rare that Charlie suggests we should check out a new national park, or what have you). When I let my sister in on my hunch she got Charlie to take it down a notch and thus, we went to Big Sur with out any plans!

We had a handful of sites we knew we could check out, but I did nothing in terms of reserving a site or even really researching much to do in the area. All we knew is that it was beautiful up there and that we wanted to go for two nights over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Now, surely, this is a red flag to other outdoors folks- holiday (aka long) weekends are super popular times to adventure! duh. It’s all crystal clear to me now, but that ignorance, naiveté if you will, is what got us on one of my favorite camping trips, and I’m sure it will be up there forever.

Looking back on it, I know it all played out just as it should have. If there is no plan there is no expectation to uphold, it’s just how it was meant to be!

the proposal

Let’s cut to the chase. Charlie didn’t waste any time, so neither will I! Just as we got our camp’s bare necessities up and running, Charlie suggested we find a trail down to the beach. You see we found a site on the WEST side of the PCH! more on that later.

Obviously, thats what I was there for so, although I was surprised at his enthusiasm, I wasn’t about to question it! We found signage from camp directing us down a trail to the beach and then scrambled up some rocks to a nice viewpoint of the ocean and coast line. Looking back on it I should l have been more skeptical at Charlie’s suggestion to bring our tripod. We got that bad boy set up and ready to take a selfie with our Fuji XT-10 (with its in camera wi-fi I can not recommend enough). We were able to set up our shot and frame it just how we liked it and snap the pic from Charlie’s phone! After we took a few pictures, Charlie slowly turned to me and got down on one knee. I don’t remember much ( I think I blacked out) other than him saying I was “so nice to him” and that my initial response was “How”?!

Of course, a “yes!” eventually came tumbling out as I marveled at the emeralds and diamonds that wrapped around a pearl on my finger. The pearl is my birthstone and the emeralds are his :) Including the arctic diamonds, all the stones were purchased ethically from different corners of the world. I had a little pieces from all over the world on my finger, a symbol of how we would spend our life: together and always exploring.

Our campsite

Let’s back up a little bit now. So, how the heck did we find a place to camp over a busy holiday weekend? Well, we almost didn’t. We started looking for camp signage as soon as we arrived in the vicinity of Big Sur. The first handful of campgrounds we came upon were full. One host offered up a group site that was available, but we would need to share it with another couple. We decided that could be a considerable option, but that we should keep trying!

I’m SO glad we did, because soon after we came upon one of the only grounds WEST of highway 1! For some reason I was under the impression that all the campgrounds would sit next to the ocean- I have no idea why or where that notion came from. One of those things you just don’t understand until you experience a place. To our dismay, as soon as we pulled into the grounds and by the host station, we saw the “full” sign. It felt so serendipitous that we came upon the camp hosts at that exact moment. They were so lovely! They offered up one the few hike/bike in sites that was still available. These sites do not take reservations and are on a first-come first-served basis! We never would have known that was an option, and is knowledge I take into the future when we don’t have concrete plans. The only caveat was that we would have to unload and then park our car on PCH. Sounded good to us! A small price to pay to stay a few nights next to the ocean.

The campground sits on a bluff above the ocean, and the views are stunning! We soaked in the sunset as long as we could, taking pictures at the long golden hour and experimenting with our camera. I loved these shots I caught of Charlie walking along the bluff.

hiking in the area

The next day we got up early to explore as much of Big Sur as we could and find some hiking. My favorite thing to do first is find a visitor’s center and hope that its open. Usually thats my best bet to get directions on popular, scenic or even lesser known trails! I definitely trust the folks that live and work on the land. We were directed to this hike that was perhaps 4 miles round trip that brought us to a rocky peak overlooking the ocean. As you can see below, on the way up everything was so green! Such a stark comparison to dry LA. We of course took more pictures of my ring and each other.

After our hike we meandered up and down PCH, stopping along the way for anything that sparked some interest. We of course came across some of Big Sur’s larger attractions including Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls, but also a local farmer’s market, a light house, and a few additional trails we stumbled upon our own.

Four years ago, I was not creating agendas based on what I found on Instagram. Perhaps Pinterest a bit, but I look so fondly back on this time because I hadn’t been tainted by how other people did things. How other people chose to spend their time at this destination- it was purely ours, the experience and Big Sur unfolding at our feet.

This post is a little different than what I usually offer on the blog; as its not a guide or much of a resource to say the least! More or less I hope it encourages and inspires you to get out and explore Big Sur on your own, in your own way. I’ve purposefully left out any information on exactly where went so you can decide if its something you want to to experience and make it happen! Perhaps even with out much of a plan ;)

When was the last time you went on an adventure with out plans? Where did you go? Let me know in the comments below!