Big Sur - Treebones Resort

Last weekend we took a trip down to Big Sur and stayed at Treebones Resort.  J & I had visited the resort about 15 years ago, but hadn't been back since, and we thought the kids would enjoy the experience of sleeping in Yurts and waking up to the view of the ocean. The eco-resort is super popular so you need to pre-book (and pre-pay) about a year out.

K and I drove down together (about a 3 hr. journey from our house) and had to stop for a photo.  While a bit twisty, I would happily do this gorgeous drive down the coast any day.  The views definitely invoke a "this is why I love California" response.

The yurts at Treebones are perched on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Each of the yurts has a private deck out front with Adirondack chairs which was a nice way to relax in the sun. 

Behind the resort is a mountain view with hiking trails and lots of critters.  

Inside, our yurt had two queen beds, a futon couch, and a bistro table and chairs.  There was also an electric fireplace to keep things nice & toasty as well as a small sink (a nice touch so the you didn't have to brush your teeth in the common restroom).

Fan & skylight at top of Yurt

bistro tables + 2 queen bed

The essence of Treebones is the same from our first visit although they have expanded a bit so there are more yurts and tents. They also invested in their dining options, which includes a Sushi Bar and farm-to-table resturant, however due to COVID we limited ourselves to take-away. 

Unfortunately most of the beaches and hiking trails nearby were closed to the recent wildfires just North of Treebones (as we were driving down we could see the singed hills).  So we changed plans and spent the afternoon out 30 min down south in San Simeon (home to Hearst Castle), visiting the small town of Cambria and stopping to watch the Elephant Seals lounge on one another, play wrestle and scoot across the beach.  

In the evening, the kids decided go for a swim in the pool, while I enjoyed the sunset over the pacific (and lifeguarded :)

The beds inside the yurt were super-comfy so we didn't want to get up.  However, when we opened the yurt door saw a blanket of fog covering the water (which burnt off an hour or two later).  The green yurt on the left hand side was our yurt, viewed from the seating are outside of the lodge.

Perhaps the most disconcerting part of the trip was that there is absolutely no cell service in Big Sur.  This meant that from Monterrey/Carmel down to Treebones we were in the modern sense of the word "off the grid".  And while the resort had wifi it was very slow and unreliable so we definitely experience a low-tech weekend.  Unfortunately that added quite a bit of stress to the trip since I had to be online for work but we managed.

This place is really special so I'm glad we were able to experience it as a family. Both kids commented that "there wasn't much to do" but also both agreed that they would like to go back.  Guess I should start booking for 2022.  Sweet Dreams, Adventures and Memories.