Conquering Big Sur 2012

After 8 trips to Yosemite, 4 trips to Kings Canyon, 6 trips to Marin County, and various outings in between, Big Sur seems like the final frontier of Bankhead Adventures from the Bay Area. We attempted a mild day trip to this magical stretch of coast back in 2011, which, while fun, resulted in pregnant Amy being injured and temporarily bedridden. A few months later, Amy stayed home with newborn Amos while Paul attempted to camp with the other children. He drove all the way there only to find all the campsites taken, and so he turned around and drove angrily home. Still, the frontier beckoned, and so we tried again. This time, Paul found a super-secret campsite that only appears on a special map and which required us to coax our minivan over some fairly treacherous roads (losing a skid plate in the process). We arrived in time to enjoy an enchanting sunset over the Pacific Ocean. We spent the next day hiking along, admiring, and playing on the rocky beaches as we slowly made our way back home. Finally, Big Sur has been conquered, and we'll probably be back again.