#019 – Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (Big Sur, CA)

(日本語は下にあります↓)

Always feel the good ‘ol “California Dreamin'” blasting off my car stereo as I drive past the flock of out-of-State-tourists who believe their vacation time is the moment of history. One sunny weekend in August, a group of adventurers embarked on a scenic excursion to the legendary coastal resort. Big Sur–a breaking tide whose color is bluer than the bluest of paints–is surely legendary and most beautiful part of California that you must visit in order to claim that you have properly visited California.

Getting to Big Sur from either end of two major hubs of California (Los Angeles on the South or San Francisco on the North) is easy. You just have to take Route-1 all the way. The view of drive along the Pacific Ocean is breathtaking. At one point we have ran into a local artist who was working on the landscape painting. The California born artist told me he moved back from East Coast after several decades of career venture; he said there’s something about California, particularly Big Sur that always pull him right back. An easy glimpse at the Ocean and its sapphire blue reflection doesn’t require much effort to struck my heartstrings either.

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Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is where we based our campground for this weekend trip. It was quite lucky how we managed to book a decent size campsite right by the flowing river. Our campsite was located further in the depth of woodsy park and perfectly sheltered from the wind by tall trees and hills. On the first day, we unpacked our backpacks and headed directly to the river for a short hike… with beer cans in our hands of course.

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On Day 2, we decided to do another 12 mile drive southward to enter Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for mildly elevated beautiful hike on Ewoldsen Loop Trail (4.5mi). Ewoldsen Loop offered range of natural beauty from redwood forests to grand panoramic view of Pacific Ocean that quickly put us in awe.

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Special bonus about Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is that even if you decide not to do the hiking, you can still receive one of the most iconic views of Big Sur with ample walk from the parking lot. Julia Pfeiffer Falls is without a doubt one of the most immediately recognizable waterfall that every tour magazine and website uses on its cover page (such as goofy website titled Poached Egg Quest). From the coastal observation point you can admire the wonder of this serene white powder beach tucked away in the cove.

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As our day of hiking and sunbathing come close to an end, we decided to stop at tiny town called Loma Vista for an ice cream. Instead of simply concluding the trip with luscious vanilla ice cream, we walked into Big Sur Taproom adjacent to the store for a quick Sunday drink. This action was rather most awesome decision we have made in this trip (which was only surpassed by the In-N-Out burger stop on the way back to SF). Taproom has a very spacious patio in the back where people gather around to play board games and play songs on acoustic guitar. Some sports was on tv and all the good people in the area were there to hang out. Sometimes all it takes is to enter the bar doors to truly appreciate the vibe of the place.

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Near Big Sur Taproom, there was this very hippie garden with cool artifacts.
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All in all, Big Sur is one of the most scenic destinations in California and I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for epic coastal adventures. It’s a place for great outdoors, and Jack Kerouac surely written all about it. The place makes you want to give him another try even if you already decided to hate him.

  • Camping and overnight stay is recommended at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park check the park’s website for availability and current condition.
  • Famous Julia Pfeiffer Falls is located outside of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and it’s easily accessible by foot without “hike.”
  • Wonderful detail of beautiful Ewoldsen Loop Trail hike can be found on this website.
  • If you are more adventurous and/or been to Big Sur multiple of times, perhaps try Botchers Gap for backpacking.

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カリフォルニアでロードトリップをするなら確実に行っておきたい自然名所があります。
ビート・ジェネレーション系の作家ジャック・ケルアックの著書の舞台でも有名なBig Sur。ここだけはちょっと無理してでも絶対に行ってみてほしいですね。

もう2ヶ月前の話になりますが、会社の友達とBig SurにあるPfeiffer Big Sur State Parkまでキャンプに行ってきました。サンフランシスコから車で3時間ほど、さほど遠い場所ではないので週末を利用して気軽に出掛けられるのが魅力です。

僕はどちらかというと山派なのでキャンプをするならヨセミテなどのほうが好みなのですが、海沿いにあるBig Surはまた一味違った魅力を持つ場所です。ルート1沿いにキャンプのできる場所は幾つかありますが、今回利用したPfeiffer Big Sur State Parkはアカスギの林を入った奥地にキャンプサイトが広がっていて、山でのキャンプに慣れた人にも違和感なく楽しめます。

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Parkから更に12マイルほど南に車を走らせるともう一つの州立公園Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Parkに行き当たります。
こちらの公園には旅行雑誌などでもよく取り上げられているJulia Pfeifferの滝があり、観光客も基本的に多いです。滝を見るのには公園の駐車場に車を停めて見に行くのが一番わかりやすいのですが入園料が掛かります。歩くことに問題がないのであればルート1沿いの少し離れた場所に車を停めて展望台まで降りていくのがスマートかもしれません。ちなみにPfeiffer Big Sur State ParkとJulia Pfeiffer Burns State Parkは同じ入場券で出入りが可能なので、どちらかの公園で支払いのレシートをもらってあればもう一方の公園でも使えます。

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Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Parkで一押しのアクティビティはEwoldsen Trailのハイキングコースです。中級者向けの4.5マイルのコースは生い茂るグリーンの林を切り抜けて太平洋まで出るバラエティーに富んだルートで、山と海の双方の魅力を存分に楽しませてくれます。

海と緑に囲まれたこのBig Surはまさにベスト・オブ・カリフォルニアの名に相応しい美しい大自然のゆりかごですので、ルート1沿いに長距離のドライブをする際には必ず立ち寄りましょう!

  • Ewoldsen Trailのハイキング・コースはここのウェブサイトに詳しく載ってます。
  • Big Sur付近でおすすめのバックパッキング・コースは?と訊かれたら間違いなくBotchers Gapを推薦します。以前ここでこのコースの魅力を紹介しました。

#018 – Gypsy Jazz Night at Amnesia (San Francisco, CA)

(日本語は下にあります↓)

I don’t care if Monday’s blue. Tuesday’s grey and Wednesday too… I don’t quite recall the remainder of lyrics but hey if it’s Wednesday night you might as well debunk your Wednesday shades and dance away the hump day slump. Here’s a tip:

Amnesia Bar is located on the stylish Valencia Street in Mission District; and it is one of those tiny box-sized bars where nightly debauchery of music and excessive drinking keep pumping the lives of San Francisco. Drop it like it’s hot. Go change to your comfortable kicks and enjoy the exotic sound of Gypsy Jazz performed by local’s staple Gaucho band.

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Whether it be a special occasion (example: have some lovely guest from England to party with) or just a casual going nowhere Wednesday night, Amnesia is waiting for you to swing by for a decent time to be spent.

Once and the only other time I came here was to see this English singer-songwriter named Jay who goes by the moniker Beans on Toast (check him out on tour with the mighty Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls this fall), the bar was pretty empty considering it was on the earlier side of Saturday night; yet the evening left me with some unforgettable good feeling knowing this kind of bar exists. This kind of bar — meaning the type of hole in a wall bar that is way too small to invite any touring bands in mid-range popularity and you are squished at the bar counter which makes it almost uncomfortable not to start a conversation with strangers next to you — sounds pretty awful right? I F–KING LOVE IT! Fact of matter is, this is the kind of bar that any city community needs in this rather disconnected world.
So the last time I was here, I ran into Frank Turner fans who were also there to catch Jay hit the stage (who is a long time compadre of Frank) on his West Coast tour. To me, meeting Frank Turner fans or whoever knows anything about the band Million Dead is immediate flicker of friendship, thus the evening kicked off right with great conversation and positive vibe.

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In all honesty, I had no clue what the hell Gypsy Jazz was until I saw Gaucho on the stage. It is something you just have to experience in person to understand why such type of music is played inside a tiny saloon or street corner of Eastern Europe somewhere and being absolutely loved by people. Accordions, double bass, two guitars, occasional trumpet, and drums… liberating and improvisational performance of music on the tiny stage of Amnesia has transported our existence to somewhere outside of tech infested San Francisco city.003 004 005

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Check out the bar’s website for full-schedule.

For information on where Gaucho is playing next visit their website.

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サンフランシスコのミッション地区には昔ながらのジプシー・ストリート・ミュージックを演奏し続けるバンドがいます。

Amnesia Barの小さなステージでアコーディオンにベース、時にはトランペットなんかも割り込んでくる異国風土をふんだんに感じさせるGypsy Jazzと呼ばれるこの音楽を演奏するGauchoはいわゆるAmnesia Barの住み込みアーティストで、毎週水曜日にはここで演奏しています。
こういった音楽のことはまるで知りませんでしたが、先日ロンドンから来ていた友達がヨーロッパの路傍音楽文化にかなり詳しく、サンフランシスコでも聴ける場所があるということで知ったのが今回のイベントです。真紅の照明に浮かび上がったバーのステージでは五人の音楽家たちが肩を寄せ合い即興のジャズを演奏し、観客たちはその怪しい音調に酩酊しながら体を動かしていました。

Amnesia Barには前にJay (Beans on Toast)というイギリスのフォークシンガーソングライターのライブを観に来たことがありましたが、その時は時間帯も早かったためか、場所も空いていて、他の音楽ファンたちともつながりやすい雰囲気が好印象を残しました。小さい飲み屋だからこそできる気軽なジャズの演奏や社会人が仕事帰りに立ち寄れるちょっとした遊び場所といった古酒場の形態は流行とは逆行しているものの、一風変わった魅力があります。ロンドンの郊外にもこういうパブがあったので懐かしくなりました。Haight StreetにあるClub Deluxe(ジャズクラブ)とPolk StreetにあるAmelie(ボサ・ノヴァ/ワインバー)と並んで今後もまたお世話になるであろうおすすめの一店です。

Amnesia Bar :: website ::
Gaucho :: website ::

#017 – Verve Coffee Roasters’ 3rd Annual Record Swap + Block Party (Santa Cruz, CA)

(日本語は下にあります↓)

Santa Cruz, California, is a calm little beach town that keeps your shoes gritty and eyes glittering from the endless summer sunshine.
This town is a home to my all time favorite Verve Coffee Roasters and also a cradle of boardwalk promenade and great rock ‘n roll concert venue, that is The Catalyst, and oh not forget to mention Streetlight Records right next to the music venue that also plays a crucial part in Santa Cruz vibes.

By way of long appraisal of this special California town, I had a wonderful opportunity to visit music and art event that took place at Verve Coffee Roasters’ headquarter this past August. It may have passed few month since the event happened but as you can see in this video it was exquisite event and still fresh in my memory:

Marking the third year of inception, Record Swap + Block Party was more than an average local street fare: vendors set up tents to sell used/new vinyls and invited delicious local bakery Manresa Bread and of course, endless cups of great coffee brewed right for you by amazing baristas! There literally could not be any other place like it.

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The event also showcased wide array of local music talents including Halcyonaire (who are featured in the above video) as well as Unconditional Arms (I’m telling you, these guys are just getting better and better each time I see them live!) performed inside the roastery in quite intimate setting.  There was also a popup vintage Revival Tintype Studio booth making awesome tintype photo prints behind the pyramids of coffee bean bags.
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I could rightfully claim that I am coffee aficionado considering the amount of that dark and stormy beverage I consume every day. Verve Coffee Roasters is definitely the best producer of fine cups (especially notable is their nitro cold brew, so creamy and not too acidic) I can savor dedication and commitment in each drip that soars above all A-OK caffeine fixers. Simply it’s the best.

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The concept of record swap hit me with big surprise as I have never been to Verve’s headquarter storefront on Bronson Street. I’ve only been to their modest storefront on Pacific Avenue during the day trip or pit stop before catching shows at The Catalyst and that location is tiny.  Naturally, I underestimated the scale of this event. Turn out was beyond my expectation, and it was just nice to see how the record trading culture is still strong on street level to keep the healthy life cycle of *good* music.
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What captivated me the most was the collection of great records that extended from reggae, acid jazz, 80s hardcore punk, and new wave. Regrettably, I had to pass on buying records as I have been long away from my beloved turntable since the move from LA to London, but otherwise totally would have dug into that bin containing slew of classics including Minor Threat and Charlie Parker records.     010

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Thank you Verve Coffee Roasters and all the talents that I came across and shared some good stories with. I will be there again next year!

VERVE COFFEE ROASTERS :: website ::
Revival Tintype Studio :: website ::

Hey, in case you are curious about that “elephant” painting inside the facility… I found this write up and time-lapse video of its creation.

 


サンフランシスコから海沿いのハイウェイ1をずーっと南に向かって走ると、モントレー湾に突き出るような形で位置するサンタクルズに辿り着きます。アカスギ林の香りと曲がりくねった山道に囲まれるこの小さな町は昔からサーファーやスケーターの集う町として知られ、カリフォルニアでも最も西海岸らしい雰囲気が味わえる場所です。

僕が最高におすすめするサンタクルズは三つあって、一つは極上のタコス(139 Water StにあるTaqueria Los PericosのPericos Tacosは神懸かってる)、一つはライブ音楽(The Catalyst)、そしてもう一つはサンタクルズが発祥のVerve Coffee Roastersの絶品アイスコーヒーです。他にもビンテージのお店やスケート&サーフ関連のお店は色々あって楽しめますが、とりあえず絶対に外せないのは上記の三つ。

もう二ヶ月前になりますが、Verve Coffee Roastersの本店で地元のレコード屋さんやコレクターが集まって音楽の取引をするという面白いイベントに行って来ました。Verveの美味しいコーヒーをすすりながら好きな音楽を探す、嗜む、語る。これほど最高な週末の過ごし方は他に無いだろう!というくらい素敵なイベントでした。

(こんな感じです↓)

実はVerveの本店は今回初めて訪れたのですが、普段行きなれているPacific Avenueにある小店舗とは違い(正直ここのコーヒー好き過ぎて、特に用事が無いのにサンタクルズまで来てしまう事もあったりする。笑)大きな建物の中にはコーヒーを炒る機械やパッケージングをする器材も設置されていたり、オフィススペースもあり「ここで神のコーヒー豆が作られるのか・・・」と大感動。思わず社会科見学ばりに工場内をうろうろしてしまいました。

今回のイベントもコーヒーショップの一隅でささやかに展開されるものかと勘ぐっていましたが、広々とした工場のシャッターを全面展開してライブバンドの演奏やスズのプレートに写真を焼き付けるビンテージな写真撮影のコーナーなども設置されて非常ににぎやかなイベントでした。まさかコーヒー屋さんでThe Clashのレコードを吟味するなんて想像してなかったので、そこにはとても心地よい違和感がありました。

毎年開催するイベントのようなので来年までにはレコードプレーヤーを購入してレコードを漁れるようになりたいです!