Esalen, a little piece of heaven
I returned late last night from California, exhausted yet refreshed. It was a wonderful getaway at a magical place called Esalen located on Hwy 1 on the coast of California. The property is very hilly and has fabulous views of the ocean and the mountains. When I first arrived, I asked the staff to direct me to the areas where people did their running. They suggested Hwy 1, that winding, curvy mountain road we always see in the movies where car chases end in someone going over a cliff. I decided that was way too dangerous for me. After a bit of thought, I decided that I could convert the oval shaped drive in front of the office into a track of sorts, do mostly laps and then finish up with a walk through the property. And that is what I did. The great thing was that the laps afforded views of the ocean, the mountains and the gardens, so it was not at all boring.
I went out each morning around 6:00am before too many people were out and about. The weather was cool and refreshing. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I did 80/65 intervals for 45 minutes, 60 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively. We had a long break on Thursday afternoon. I joined 3 other ladies for a hike in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State park. I had envisioned the trails of Memorial Park, only to be greeted by a trail that ascended at a 45 degree angle. Luckily, one a the ladies was having as much of a problem with the elevation as I was, so we pulled back and went at a slow pace. All in all, we covered 4 miles along a babbling stream, through the majestic redwoods. At the top of the trail we were rewarded with a view of a lovely waterfall.
Not exactly dressed for a hike
Thank goodness for the mineral baths at Esalen. Each night and especially the next morning after my hike, I was able to soak in the natural, hot and therapeutic sulfur baths for which Esalen is famous. Not only did the aches and pains go away, but the light show put on by the stars in the evening was phenomenal. I wish I could have captured the grandeur of the jeweled sky, the Milky Way in all its splendor and the multiple shooting stars, all in view, along with the sound and sight of the splashing surf. It will be a memory that will long stay with me.
Friday was the time to transition back to reality. When I had booked my return flight for 1:00pm on Saturday I hadn't realized that there was a major Motorsport Grand Prix being held nearby. I got what was the last "inexpensive" room in Monterey, for $290. I was tempted to spend the night at the airport rather than being gouged, but Stan insisted that I have shelter for the night. I wasn't expecting the "Ritz", but I thought the room would be more than it was. I called the front desk when I couldn't find the A/C thermostat, only to be told that there was no a/c. That meant leaving the window open when I went to sleep, but because of rowdy neighbors partying and smoking all night, I was forced to close the window and leave the TV on, so I could try to sleep. After a restless night, I woke up around 5:30am and headed out for my 10 miler. The motel I was at was about 3 miles from Fisherman's Wharf and with map in hand, I started my journey. I walked through the residential area by the hotel, under Hwy One to a street called Del Monte, and right across the street was the fabulous Monterey Coastal Trail, which I have since discovered runs along the entire coast of California. I took the trail from the edge of Seaside, going North along the beach, through Fisherman's Wharf, past the aquarium and Cannery row, to the City of Pacific Grove, and back around with a detour into a hilly subdivision of beach houses overlooking the water.
Monterey Bay just after sunrise
It took me around 2.5 hours and was one of the most incredible walks I've taken. I did intervals for only about 45 minutes, as the elevation made it very difficult for me but I got my mileage in and was glad.
And now it's back to the streets of Fort Bend County for running and for work. I'll just have to use my imagination, a lot!
