First time visited Pinnacles National Park. We didn't have too much time to spend, but we chose to…read morevisit the East side of the park to do the Bear Gulch Cave Trail. This was really the only trail we wanted to do during our visit, and it is 100% worth it. A lot of the trails in the area interconnect, so it's easier to add on if you're doing another hike in the area. We parked in the lot by the Moses Spring Trail and started that trail until it branched off to the Bear Gulch Cave Trail. The hiking portion itself was easy - incline wasn't that bad and the entire hike itself was only about 2 miles. Once you enter the caves, though, is where the fun (and the bit of difficulty) comes in. It's not a strenuous hike, but it does require squeezing and maneuvering through tight spaces, walking through water, and moving through the dark. If you're claustrophobic, this is probably not going to be the hike for you. All that aside, though, it was such a fun hike, and I found myself enjoying it much more than I anticipated. It was super cool to explore the caves, and once you're in the tighter areas, the hike is clearly labeled with spray painted white arrows. It is pitch black in some areas, so definitely bring a flashlight. You could probably squeak by with your cell phone light, but a small flashlight was ideal. Some areas of the water were also ankle deep, so wear appropriate footwear. After the caves, you'll pop out at Bear Gulch Reservoir. And let me tell you - pictures do not do it justice. It is so incredibly beautiful and peaceful. We spent much more time than we had planned just sitting on a rock and taking it all in. Highly recommend this hike when visiting the east side of Pinnacles National Park.

We very much enjoyed our 2mile ish hike through the cave, circling around the reservoir to come…read moreback down. We started on a weekday at around 830am and were able to park in the closest parking lot to the trailhead where there's a nice restroom. There is also more parking around, it just requires a bit further of a walk. The trail stays with a slight incline through some woods with tons of birds around. You eventually level out and start to enter the cave. You definitely need a headlamp or flashlight for the very dark parts. We went when it was very dry, so no worries about slipping for us. You do have to squeeze through some tight bits, but nothing too treacherous. After the cave, you pop out to the beautiful reservoir at the top. We did the loop and headed back down on a very sunny and scenic part of the trail. Watch for squirrels, chipmunks and birds along the trail, as there are many beautiful species around to enjoy. I suggest bringing binoculars and take pics along the way!

A very short trek to the ocean from Hwy 1. The only drawback are the narrow trails where you can't…read moreavoid the brush. The lighting makes for great photos against the cove and emerald turquoise water.

Had a wonderful time on this course. We walked it and had no idea at first it wasn't all par…read more3s....It has great variety on holes and fun challenges. Because of the recent weather the grass was long in most places but we had a great day. We golfed 9 holes at 10: When we come this way again we will totally hit this course but with a cart!!! LOL

A beautiful CA national park. We did 2 short hikes in one day…read more The pinnacle rocks and the caves are SO cool! Parking was really easy for the trails we wanted to access. National Park pass is required.

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Pinnacles National Park turned out to be one of the most enjoyable surprises. Pinnacles may not be as famous as Yosemite or Sequoia, but it is well worth a visit. It offers dramatic rock formations, beautiful scenery, excellent hiking, and one especially memorable feature: its talus caves. The landscape feels rugged and distinctive, with spectacular views around nearly every bend. We especially appreciated the variety of hiking options. There are trails for every ability level, including gentle paths that are accessible for visitors with mobility limitations, so many people can enjoy the park's beauty. For me, the highlight was exploring the caves. These are not traditional limestone caves but talus caves, formed when enormous boulders fell into narrow canyons and created natural tunnels. Walking through them was a real adventure. Some sections were very dark, and while a flashlight or headlamp is definitely recommended, I managed with my phone's flashlight, and a little optimism. It made the experience even more memorable. Pinnacles is also one of the best places in California to spot the magnificent California condor. We weren't lucky enough to see one soaring overhead, but knowing these endangered birds have been successfully reintroduced here adds another layer of appreciation for the park. Spring is especially beautiful, with wildflowers covering the hillsides, and the park is full of interesting rock formations, oak woodlands, chaparral, and abundant wildlife. Pinnacles National Park offers a little bit of everything: beautiful scenery, excellent hiking, unique geology, and genuine adventure. It may be one of the smaller national parks, but it delivers an impressive amount of beauty and fun in one visit. If you go, don't miss the caves, and bring a flashlight. Or, if you're like me, your phone and a sense of adventure might just do the trick.

I have a special connection with King City. It's weird, and I can't really explain it, but I love…read morethis little city even though it annoys me even though it doesn't even though it really and truly does. The 101 runs right through town, but if you know like I do, you can get from one freeway offramp/onramp to another within town by traveling the back roads, which are sometimes main streets. And then there are the darling little subdivisions a little bit of a ways away--but not too far!--from the freeway and most of the businesses. Most of these were built in the 1980s, and even though some of them look dated even for the time period, there's this voice in my head that's cheerleading the people for whom these little neighborhoods are their little slice of the American Dream--and I hate the American Dream! OK, I don't know whether I actually hate the American Dream, but I do hate the way it doesn't work now, but that's for a different screed. Within one of these first subdivisions (as you head north from the freeway) is San Antonio Park. It has playing fields, a playground, a basketball court, a skate park(!), and some lovely trees and green areas. The neighborhood that surrounds it is tiny, so I guess people from all over King City come to use it, because I've seen its ample parking lot packed before. My main use for it is as a place to catch a twenty-minute car nap if I'm feeling tired on my drive up or down the 101. I take all the normal precautions because sleeping in public, even in a car, always has its risks, but I cannot say that I have ever felt truly unsafe or even worried in King City, and that's saying a lot, because I've spent a lot of time in this place and am generally worried about everything, especially before I understand it. As I said, it's very close to the freeway, so even if you're not picking up food in King City, it's a nice, quiet, green, shaded place to eat your bag lunch or dinner on your 101 trip. Check it out!

I absolutely loved this race. It was my first half-marathon, and I've caught the bug. After years…read moreof semi-training for 5K's and 10K's, always to be left kind of disappointed with my performance, I finally just went for it with a 1/2 and am so glad I did. The course for Salinas Valley is gorgeous, the community running the race is incredibly friendly and good-spirited, and few things compare to the self-pride of completing this kind of physical challenge. Additionally, this was by far one of the most well-run races I've participated in. Everything from parking to nutrition stations to the post-race event were well-planned and expertly executed. I wasn't much up for all the wine tasting after throwing myself across the finish line, but it seemed fun! Maybe I'll toughen up by next year; the chocolate milk beat out Cabernet this time. If you're on the fence about running a half, know that the large majority of folks were run/walkers; I came in around 2:37:00 and was in good company. I had a blast and am already looking forward to next year. The one thing I *won't* forget is Body Glide - these thighs just aren't made out for August heat in Salinas. Lessons learned! ;-)

Just ran the race today. It is one of the most well organized event I've participated in, not to…read moremention one of the most scenic. The traffic flow and parking were well thought out, the goodies at the start and end of the race were great (water, plain bagels & cream cheese, grapes, candies, water, coffee, wine, coconut water), there was a massage service at the finish area, the mile markers were in nicely done boards and in large print, water and port-o-potties were available every few miles, and there were volunteers carrying pace boards that I found helpful in reaching my goal time. I look forward to doing the race again next year!

I did an overnight motorcycle ride with a buddy, from the SF Bay Area to Prewitt Ridge and WOW! The…read moreride south along Hwy 1 heading there is spectacular, but the views from the ridge are next level! The 5+ miles of silty, rough dirt road heading up to the ridge was a little challenging on street bikes, but we managed just fine. The views from the ridge are breathtaking in every direction, and it was very pleasant to see very little trash laying about. Clearly, this is a campground area that is mainly used by seasoned, "Pack Your Trash" campers, which is awesome. Hope it stays that way. We went in mid Fall during a very brief heat wave, and the small flies were annoying, but they don't bite. We just covered our faces with buffs and slept under netting. That was literally the only drawback. PROS: Awesome Panoramic Views FREE to camp! Many flat camping areas to choose from No Trash lying around Weather is usually comfortable Many trees to find shade under CONS: Some seasons have annoying, small flies. They don't bite though TIPS: If you're heading there from the North and you need provisions, stop at the Big Sur Lodge Store. They have EVERYTHING you may need Dirt road leading up to the ridge is not maintained (much) and may be tough to navigate for novice drivers. If muddy, may need 4WD and off road tires Bring a mosquito net No water access, so you have to bring your own No bathrooms - Bury your #2! *No open campfires allowed during the warm months (but you won't need it for warmth anyway) Jet boils and contained flame are OK PACK YOUR TRASH!

Wow, wow wow! Amazing spot! We went there during 4th of…read moreJuly this year and I have to say, it was packed! I am glad that we arrived early and found a spot. It is an amazing spot to watch the sunset, however, it is tough to get up there. Once off the paved road its another 20-30 min to get to where all those pictures are taken Whoever said 15 min was either not in a Prius (unlike us) or was speeding quite fast. It's a one-way road with a lot of potholes and curves where you can not see any other car coming around the corner which makes it very hard to drive safely. When we first got there, there were not too many people there but once we got out of the car, bees were flying around, bugging us quite a bit so we went back to find a better spot away from the bees and in the shade. Unfortunately, there is no shade on the top of the ridge. Throughout the mid afternoon we decided to go back to the bees since the other spot was covered in gnats which were 5x more annoying than the bees were. We brought mosquito repellant and a candle, but nothing worked :/ In the end, I was glad we went back to the highest spot right by the cliff/ridge. Directions: 1. Its hard to see but take a sharp right (coming from Los Angeles) onto Nacimiento-Fergusson Road ( over a rain gutter) and just continue going up the hill for about 20-30 min depending on speed and other people coming down the hill. 2. Once you see a sign and a road going downhill TURN RIGHT! We almost missed it since you don't pay attention to your right. It states "Prewitt ridge road" 5. Take it and be cautious of other cars coming your way! I recommend NOT to drive it at night, but it's up to you. 3. There is a little intersection where you have to take a sharp right to get where you want to get, there is no sign, but you can see that the road splits. 4. From there on, you will see multiple spots where you can camp if you want to. Continue going straight and then up to the main spot. You made it. We have seen any variety of cars going up. We were in a Prius and made it :) Tips: There are no bathrooms but plenty of bushes where you can go. There are firepits but I am not sure if they are allowed. You need a permit for a portable stove ( according to signs along the way). Bring games, guitars, food, beer etc to keep you entertained up there. But make sure to take back home what you bring up and don't leave anything up there. Anyways, enjoy!

Monica was our guide. She was amazing. We had a great tour and got so much information from her. We…read morewould definitely book this again.

DH and I had a memorable half-day trip to Big Sur with Steve Copeland as our guide…read more When booking the trip, we discussed our needs and interests -- and Steve totally hit the mark. First, we wanted our guide to be the driver, so we would have plenty of time to soak in all the scenery without worrying about driving. (We saw several crazy drivers speeding, crossing double yellow lines, etc.) We also wanted plenty of time to stop for photos and a lunch break about half way through the trip. Steve showed us most of the usual "must see" sights, plus he took us down a couple of less traveled back roads. Those back roads meant we had some photo angles that we might not have otherwise had. While we didn't eat at Nepenthe, we did enjoy walking through the grounds. We knew we were in "good hands" as it seemed Steve knew everyone at Nepenthe and other stops in Big Sur. Our time at the Henry Miller Memorial Library (actually more of a bookstore) was a kick -- set in a redwood grove it was a step back in time. We also enjoyed stops at a couple of galleries -- Coastal Gallery and Glass House at Ventana. We had plenty of time for a good lunch at Big Sur Smokehouse. (See review.) We truly appreciated Steve's professionalism. He tailored the day to our needs. We learned so much about the history of Big Sur and saw one breath-taking sight after another. We would not hesitate to book another trip with Big Sur Guides and Hiking.