Big Basin Getwaway: Part I

Make sure to click through and scroll down for a special added feature at the end of this post!  

Last weekend we took Friday off and made a little getaway down to Big Basin State Park. We completely recommend it: it felt like a real break even though it's only 65 miles south of San Francisco and about a 1 1/2 hour drive.

Big Basin: Route 9 signage, map, and what I call the "dirty RV sign" (you need to work backwards to the 'dirty dog' and then Black Dog Cafe t-shirts...)

We've gone before and loved it: there are great little tent cabins with woodstoves inside and firepits and picnic tables out front.  And the redwoods and nature are pretty incredible.  One of David's patients calls anything that's not backpack camping "glamping," but I really enjoy not having to worry about packing and pitching a tent, and getting to concentrate on being there, enjoying nature, having fun, and, of course, good campfire cooking (stay tuned for future food post!).  The tent cabins are $65 per night, so pricier than tent camping, but we find it a really happy medium as far as cost, comfort, and ease.  You do have to reserve way ahead for weekends, and remember to bring quarters for hot showers!

Big Basin: the tent cabin site with cabin, table, and firepit

The time before we'd been in the fall for David's birthday, and we'd said we wanted to come back in the spring when the waterfalls in the area were really running.  And we'd been talking about it for awhile with Donna and Dan, so this time we rented neighboring tent cabins with a path between, and split the cooking of meals with them.

Big Basin: Looking up through the redwoods and a burnt-out tree

We had a great time, took some good hikes, had some roaring fires, big laughs, and great meals. And it really felt like we were away and really had time to relax, breathe deeply, and sleep heavily.  Once you get off 280 the drive there and back is also incredibly beautiful and winding.

Big Basin: Looking up close at fallen trees, trunk rings, and spider webs

So here's the added value feature I hope you'll enjoy: I always buy myself a(n early) birthday present, and this year it was one of those Flip video cameras whose reviews, ratings, and price I've been following (very reasonable at Amazon at the time); I tried it out on this trip, and have been trying out iMovie, so...ta-da..here's my first 'flick' (please excuse the shaky hand and cut-off foreheads...it is a first effort!):

Big Basin: The Movie

Please comment and let me know what you think...I do want to try more multi-media and highlight more of my photography on my posts.  And remember you can always click on images in my posts to see a larger version.

Stay tuned for: Big Basin Getaway: Part II, the FOOD...