The Big Sur is one of the most spectacular coastlines I have every seen. Even the beautiful valleys and coasts of Hawaii just don’t come close to this amazing beauty of the Big Sur. Translated from Spanish Big Sur is ‘El Sur Grande’ which translated into Big South.

The Big Sur coastline covers about 90 miles, more or less bordered by the Carmel River northwards and about 120 miles south of San Francisco. Along these far-reaching, swooping seascape of woodlands, sheer cliffs and mostly little used beaches, Highway 1, finished in 1937 with inmates used as labor, makes its occasionally alarming, but always a spectacular drive.

It is not for the faint of heart because this is a steep winding drive with turns that will slow you down to a few miles an hour. Many travelers ask if they can take their RV on this portion of Hwy. 1 and the answer is yes. I have done it in a 25 foot trailer and I have seen 40 foot rigs make the trip, just be prepared to drive slow and very cautious.

Point Lobos State Park is a must see. Here you will find a variety of wildlife including sea lions, sea otters and grey whales. Point Lobos is about 20 miles north of The Big Sur near the town of Carmel More beautiful stony scenery abounds somewhat farther south at Garrapata State Park.

Big Sur stays sparsely inhabited, with about 1000 residents. The citizenry of Big Sur nowadays are a various blend of descendants of the first colonist and ranchers, artists and additional creative people, along with affluent residents.

There are no urbanized areas, but you will find gas stations that sell gas at very high prices, some great restaurants and motels.. A great deal of the land on the coast is privately owned or belongs to the state park system. The Los Padres National Forest and Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation cover almost all of the interior areas. The mountainous terrain, environmentally aware occupants, and deficiency of property acquirable for exploitation has preserved Big Sur all but unspoiled, and it continues to be an isolated part of California.

If you plan to travel to this area during the winter months be aware that when there is heavy rain in the area parts of the road wash away right into the ocean. Be sure to carry emergency supplies, water and food. Sometimes Highway 1 can be closed for weeks. The closest civilization is the town of Carmel which is about 20 miles north up the coast if you can make it.

Also during the summer months fire is a great danger. The Basin Complex Fire of 2008 forced residents and visitor to evacuate for 2 weeks and of course Hwy. 1 was closed also.

Nowadays Big Sur continues to comprise to be a preferred place for local and foreign artists of every type. Art galleries located along Highway 1 display beautiful visual artistry.

A great deal of of the area is controlled by the state and federal park systems, and hiking trails can be found throughout The Big Sur. The Los Padres National Forest, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Garrapata State Park and Andrew Molera State Park is known all over the world for their bedazzling scenery, and with good reason. Each park bears its personal unique ambiance, and no 2 hikes are similar.

Festivals. A place where people looking to have a great time can dance, listen to great music, celebrate, party, have fun, and relax. They happen all over the world for many different reasons. Some celebrate religion, some the new year, some art, some the harvest- whatever the reason, every month, somewhere in the world, you’ll find people descending on a location to celebrate and share a common experience. If you don’t like crowds, they probably aren’t for you. But if you feel like getting wet, dirty, staying up late, dancing, or just want to enjoy the energy of tens of thousands of people, check out some of these festivals:

Carnival (February)

Carnival is a giant party held right before the christian holiday of lent. Brazilian Carnival is the most famous and attracts the most numbers of people to it, with their dancing, parades, and floats, music, and drinking. Vegas may be sin city but this the sin holiday. Alternatively, if you can’t get down to Brazil, you can always head to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Holi (March)

Holi is a Hindu holiday celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March and glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land. Moreover, Holi is also celebrates the triumph of good over evil, at least according to a legend involving the god Krishna. It can last up to 16 days, depending on where in the world you celebrate it. There is music, food, and, of course, throw paint on each other.

Songkran (Mid-April)

Thai new year is one of the most fun event’s I’ve even been to. This three day water fight that engulfs the whole country, you can’t walk two seconds out of your house without getting wet. No one is safe. The most fun I ever had was riding in a Tuk Tuk and having a mobile water fight with the people in the lane over.

Bay to Breakers (May)

The Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace which takes place in San Francisco, California on the third Sunday of May. The complete course is 7.46 miles long. The footrace is more of an excuse to drink and dress in weird costumes along the way. It’s a very large event and is more like a moving party than a footrace. Also expect to see a lot of people running in the nude.

Glastonbury (June)

Every summer in June, Pilton, England becomes the stage for one of the largest music festivals in the world. Glastonbury is best known for its contemporary music, but also features dance, comedy, theater, circus, cabaret and many other arts. About 175,000 people come to this area for a few days of music, mud, and mayhem. The fields turn into giant tent cities as everyone camps out looking to have some fun!

Swedish Midsummer (June)

During the summer solstice, Swedes come out and celebrate the start of the summer. It doesn’t get warm often this far north so when it does, people like to celebrate it. Local Swedes head out into nature, dance around a pole, eat lots of fish, drinks lots of beer, and stay up to enjoy the longest day of the year. After all, the sun doesn’t set until about midnight.

Running of the Bulls (July)

During July, Pamplona is filled with white clothed and red scarf wearing people who quench their thirst with sangria and the daring few try to out run some angry bulls. It’s usually a recipe for one or two people getting hurt and not something I’d ever consider doing but the atmosphere and celebrations are not to be missed. By the end of the day, your white shirt will soon be sangria red.

La Tomatina (August)

For one hour, 20,000 people engage in a tomato fight in Bunol, Spain during the last Wednesday of august. The whistle blows and the tomatoes fly. It’s fun, it’s dirty, it’s the food fight we all dreamed about as a child. After you have your fill of tomatoes, you go wash off in the river and then join the dance party in town where the sangria and food flow.

Burning Man (August)

At the end of August, tens of thousands of people head out in the Nevada desert for 6 days of alternative living. Burning Man brings out the arty, the alternative, and the eccentric. It’s 6 days of camping (bring lots of water!), art, and music. At the end, a giant wooden man being set on fire (hence the name).

Oktoberfest (September)

Though really in September this two week beer festival in Munich attracts people form all over the world with its beer halls, lederhosen, giant steins of beer, and huge pretzels. No one I know ever lasted the whole two weeks but 3 or 4 days you are there will be the haziest of your life. It’s the best place in the world to celebrate one of God’s greatest gifts- beer.

Day of the Dead (November)

With paper mache skeletons and candy skulls, Mexico’s carnavelesque day of the dead is one of the world’s most familiar festivals. Participants devote a day to cleaning their family graves, decorating them with candles and flowers, having picnics and dancing to mariachi bands. It’s an odd combination of remembrance and festivity.

All around the world and no matter what month of the year, you’ll find people celebrating. I’ve been to a large number of these festivals and my goal is to see them all. Not only are festivals fun they are also a great way to do something different than the normal sightseeing we do when we visit places. The next time you are looking for something wild, crazy, and festive, plan your trip around these celebrations of life.

By NomadicMatt |

California is the third biggest state in the US and stretches over 163,000 square miles. Its sprawling surface area and coastal location makes for a diverse climate and ecological landscape, which means that whilst some areas are arid and desert-like, others are far cooler and temperate. With European tourists eager to escape the Eurozone this summer, and more and more airlines offering cheap flights to San Francisco, here is my guide to some of the standout natural sights of the region.

Death Valley

Redwood National and State ParksDeath Valley desert in California is one of the hottest places in the western hemisphere and is the location of the highest recorded temperature, 56.7 degrees Celsius, measured in 1922. Located in the south east of the state, Death Valley National Park is visited by over 700,000 visitors a year who come to see the inspiring landscapes and ancient geology (some rocks are said to be billions of years old). As a consequence of its harsh environment, the valley is home to a host of unique animals such as the coyote and pupfish.

Humboldt and Del North counties are located in the north east of  California, and are home to a great number of redwood forest and other areas of natural beauty – collectively known as the Redwood National and State Parks. The redwoods in the area descend directly from a species that grew 20 million years ago, though what remains today (almost 40,000 acres) is just 2 percent of what would have existed pre-civilization. Although there are no hotels or motels within the parks, nearby towns such as Orick and Crescent City offer sufficient lodging for visitors.

Lake County
Lake County takes its name from Clear Lake, the largest natural lake (68 square miles) entirely in California. Aside from being a quiet and tranquil destination for nature lovers, the area is also famed for wine production, an industry that flourished until prohibition in 1920 but has been re-established since the 60s. The county is also home to a portion of Medocino National Forest – a prime destination for recreational activities.

Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is located in the central east of California, and stretches over 1,100 square miles. Despite its great size, the area that is mostly visited by the 3.5 million people each year is Yosemite Valley – a portion of the park that stretches over about 7 miles. The valley is popular due to the number of trails and the diversity of natural and geological sights within the relatively small area. Rock formations and cliffs such as El Capitan and Sentinal Rock offer inspirational scenery whilst the area boasts a Mediterranean climate.