There and Back Again

Listening to: Cold Wind (Arcade Fire)
Pondering: Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. (Mark Twain)

I just got back from a wonderful, quiet and peaceful weekend at Costanoa Coastal Camp and Lodge. Costanoa is 55 miles south of San Francisco, on the eastside of Highway 1. It is surrounded by acres of untouched wilderness, rolling coastal hills, and undisturbed beaches.

My sister and I drove up there from work on Thursday evening, amidst a nasty storm that was threatening havoc along the coast of Santa Cruz. The drive up Highway 92 and then Highway 1 was tense. The road was so dark despite it being only 6 p.m., and wet because of the on again, off again rain. We kept the heater/defogger on the car for the most part of the ride and a couple of times, we had to switch the car lights to high beam to make sure we’re still on track.

The website direction stated that the last landmark we would hit before getting to Costanoa was the majestic Pigeon Point Lighthouse, which is one of the tallest lighthouses in America. As we slowly maneuvered our way around the winding stretch of Highway 1, I kept my eye out for the lighthouse and got worried because I might not see it. What I didn’t remember is that the lighthouse is an actual working lighthouse. Sure enough its rotating beacon light welcomed me to safety from miles away, assuring me I was not lost. They’re so fascinating, lighthouses; makes me wish I could retire as a light keeper when I grow old.

On the first night, my sister and I bought dinner-to-go from the lodge café. My grilled chicken was lukewarm but hit the spot just right. We showered and retired shortly after, listening to the quietness that surrounded the place. By then, the rain has stopped and the storm was letting up.

The next day, we went for a walk around the property. We followed the footpath to the beach – past the horse’s stable, the tent bungalows, the picnic areas and a walking trail. When we got to the gates, we were faced with the decision to cross Highway 1 to access the beach or to turn around and go back. In the end we turned around and walked back up, not totally thrilled about crossing this historic highway. For lunch we went to a most wonderful restaurant in nearby Pescadero called Duarte’s Tavern where I had the most delicious shrimp melt! If anyone reading this entry is ever on this side of the coast, you must drop by Duarte’s Tavern. In the evening, we spent our time watching the log burn in the fireplace. We had a light dinner from the lodge café again and went to sleep watching the log burn to ashes.

The next day we drove up and down Highway 1, stopping by Scott Creek Beach near Davenport and we were going to go all the way to Santa Cruz but we hit traffic and decided to turn around. We spent the rest of the afternoon in our room finishing our books. I finished reading Chuck Palahniuk’s ‘Lullaby’ and I was pleased with the story though it’s not a book I would read again.

On our last night, we had dinner at the lodge café. We dined in this time and had a hearty roast as the cold coast wind blew outside. On the walk back to our room, I looked up and noticed the big vast sky full of millions of stars. It was a wonderful sight. One I haven’t seen in a long, long time! We spent the rest of the evening starting at the fireplace again, letting the fire guide us towards dreamland. At 2 a.m., the fire alarm broke. It is awful to get awaken by a fire alarm so early in the morning. My knees were shaking and I was unnerved. Thankfully it turned out to be false alarm.

This morning, we got an early start. We had our last free breakfast at the lodge café before heading out. On our way home, we stopped by a Christmas tree farm and harvested our own Christmas tree. We found the prettiest tree there ever could be. We had lunch at a Thai restaurant in Half Moon Bay and then headed home with our lovely, lovely tree tied to our roof.

It’s a good weekend. Sad to see it end.