Walking the Refuge by the Sea

One place along the California coast pulls me back time after time. Stone walkways from the last century, historic buildings, and boardwalks through dunes appear like wishes from a better life. The place is called Asilomar, or Refuge by the Sea. If you are looking for tranquility, this is a good place to start.

A short two and a half hours from Estero Bay, Asilomar rests between Pacific Grove to the north and Pebble Beach to the south. It is owned by the State of California and there for anyone, anytime to come and walk its pathways. This open-ended invitation offers a rare sense of welcome. There is no entrance fee. You will find no entrance gate. If you wish to be there, you have simply to walk from one existence into another.

The refuge calls to wandering folk. The climate and fresh air revive you. Wide pathways crisscross the grounds. You can pick any route and wind up somewhere that is a complete surprise. Stop along the way and admire rustic buildings on the grounds. Even if you feel lost, you won’t be for long. Just continue the loop and you will return to the spot where the trail began, with a sense of calm that is Asilomar’s gift to everyone who walks there.

This refuge keeps the natural geography so that as you walk, it’s a reminder of what coastal California looks like untamed and undeveloped. The dunes shift daily. Plant life follows a craggy growth, sculptures-in-the-making. Tiny flowers bloom in the sand. Wooden walkways give you the right to step into a place that only asks you to be at peace.

The trail from the center of the property to the beach will wait patiently for your footstep. Sit on a lawn chair in front of Hearst Social Hall before you go or when you return, the choice is yours. Sooner or later, though, you will choose to follow the call of the Pacific. Walk to the bluffs above the beach and take in the extensive ocean view before you return to the Asilomar grounds. Or you can continue to stroll along the wooden boardwalk north on the bluffs fronting the ocean. Really ambitious walkers can hike to Cannery Row in Monterey, the next-door community. You can also add a tidepool to your adventure.

My favorite walk is to take a right-hand turn onto the pathway off the main boardwalk just before the beach. You are still on Asilomar’s compound, heading up an easy incline. Once at the top of the dune, you can walk along a ridge, or take a seat on a bench. This boardwalk also offers side-trips for exploring. One of the walkways takes you to an end spot where you can sit, especially at sunset, looking north past a wooded gully, south to the long curling beach, or west onto the ever-present roll of the Pacific.

Most walks are the daily habits of people on-the-go. Routine, known, and often appreciated, these customary treks help our days have meaning. Others challenge each person in different ways: a physical test or a mental task. Any walk you take in Asilomar, this refuge-by-the-sea, will transport you to a place that, with one small step onto the grounds, brings an enormous sense of peace.