Biography
I am not usually a fan of memoirs and I had no idea who the author was, but the title caught my eye so I gave it a try. I was pleasantly surprised! I loved learning how Meredith coped with the divorce of her parents and the neglect and abuse of her mother through learning about bees. Meredith is yanked from the only life she has known by her psycho mother and taken from Rhode Island to California to live with her mother at her grandparents home. Luckily, her grandpa becomes a surrogate father to her. Her grandfather is an eccentric old beekeeper that makes honey in an old bus in the yard. As you read about her trials, you also read about bees and how they work as a community to make the hive hum along smoothly. Although, Meredith is living in a dysfunctional situation, she learns from the bees and her grandfather what a family should be like and how people should treat each other. The chapters were not bogged down with too many details of the abuse and neglect she suffered at the hands of her mother, but focused more on her loving relationship with her grandfather and the different job of the bees. I believe that is what made this memoir an interesting read.
Where To Go?
Big Sur, California
This memoir takes place in Carmel, California, but Meredith’s grandpa often takes her to Big Sur where some of his bees are. The descriptions in the book made it sound so beautiful I had to research it! Big Sur is between Carmel and San Simeon. The mountains on the East and the Pacific ocean on the west of a narrow 2 lane road make for a beautiful drive. There are numerous state parks along the way for those interested in hiking or beach combing. There are also places to camp along the way. This is a picture from Tripadvisor
At https://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/ you can find out all about Big Sur from lodging, camping, weddings and restaurants. The site explains that California Condors can be viewed as well as sea otters. There is also an blog https://www.crazyfamilyadventure.com/big-sur/ with lots of pictures and information. It looks like they had a great time! They gives tons of detail of activities you can experience in the area.
WHERE TO STAY?
Big Sur Lodge in Pfeiffer State Park
I love staying in the lodges in state and national parks. You always get a little bit of history along with your stay. They are usually more expensive than a chain hotel, without all the amenities. Like many state park and national park lodges this one doesn’t have wi-fi, tv or air conditioning so if you need those things you better stay in a chain hotel! The reviews for the hotel on trip advisor were mixed. Those that were there for the scenery loved it, those who can’t live without all the amenities hated it. The rooms run from $300-400 dollars a night, which is typical for these kinds of lodgings.
Big Sur Campground and Cabins
This campground is located on the coast along Highway 1 among the Redwood trees. You can camp or rent a rustic or fully equipped “fancy” cabin. Campsites are $70 a night and cabins run from $185 for a rustic cabin to $300-500 for a fancy cabin. They have pictures of the available cabins on the site so you can choose the one that fits your needs. They are also among the Redwoods. The location is beautiful! Kids can even rent a tube for a buck to float down their little river. There are plenty of reviews on TripAdvisor and some even list the cabin number they were in . I would check this out before booking. They rated 4/5 and got mostly excellent and good reviews.
There are many hotels in the areas outside of the State Park. The prices range from $200-300 for a chain hotel to over $1000 dollars for lodges, spas and fancy hotels. Do your research on TripAdvisor and do what fits your family budget. If you go this route you will be any where from 20 minutes to an hour commute into the Big Sur area.
The Traveling Bookworm 