Waiting For The Sun

Who is Jim Morrison and why does he have a hidden “cave” named after him on Corral Canyon Road? When I first approached writing this post, I didn’t bother to think twice about it. But then I thought, well I climbed through a narrow claustrophobia-inducing crack to his now pink abyss, so I better know who this man is.


Turns out he’s the lead singer of the band The Doors. You can all collectively shake your heads in disapproval for my ignorance. Fellow blogger Jordan of the New Girl’s Guide to LA mentioned he used to hide away in that cave and wrote lyrics on those very rocks now slathered with pink walls and graffiti. Although I don’t listen to The Doors, that was pretty cool to learn.

Jenn, Randy, and I cruised through the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in search of the cave. It was my first time driving down the CA-1, so I had no idea I was experiencing such a beautiful historic and picturesque route until Randy told me. If there was one place that described my ideal SoCal, this was it. Watching the ocean waves and endless coast was the LA I was used to seeing, not the crowded and sepia-toned streets of DTLA.

The road up Corral Canyon Road was terrifyingly windy. At one point I got lightheaded and had to lean away from the side because of my fear of heights. Before we reached the top, Randy pulled over to the side for a quick shoot on the ledge.

At the top, we started our trek. The hike itself is only 0.5 miles, which to most people meant nothing, but I admit that I got tired. I used to think I loved hikes; I was quickly proven wrong when I hiked in Tahoe last summer. This hike wasn’t so bad, so I’d be down for any future 0.5 mile hikes.

 

Shot on iPhone 5

We reached the labyrinth which was an indicator that the Jim Morrison Cave was near. I know it’s just a bunch of rocks laid out in a circle, but honestly the scenery was stunning so it all made sense at the time. I explored the area (and simutaneously looked for internet service because #millennial) while Jenn got her photos taken. Randy climbed some giant rocks, as he does.

Denim vest: Thrifted | Top: Forever 21 | Bralette: Aerie | Jeans: Urban Outfitters | Shoes: Cathy Jean

After the main shoot was done, we bumped into a few more people in search of the cave. We blindly walked down any trail we saw while checking the blogs and Yelp reviews for help. Eventually we reached the cave and found a couple more adventure seekers.

Shot on iPhone 5

So disclaimer (as if you needed one): I’m not outdoorsy. I don’t rock climb, so getting into the cave was a huge feat for me. I kinda chilled in the vagina-like crevice (ya’ll.. it’s pink, come on) for a good minute before taking a literal leap of faith and crawled through. The cave itself was small but provided a breathtaking view. The whole time I was praying an earthquake wouldn’t suddenly strike but once my fear subsided, I got to enjoy the urban hybrid the organic structure transformed into. I was pretty proud of myself and took a moment to secretly thank Jenn for pushing me to inch away from my comfort zone. Photo creds to her as per usual.

Also, thanks to Randy for driving and being another tour guide for me in the big city. Randy’s a new friend I made all on my own (woohoo, I'm sociable!). How we met was kind of a funny story, a story that I’ll happily share once it comes to fruition.

I've got some "essay" style blog posts in mind that are actually opinionated and not simple blabbings of my day, so I'm pretty excited about writing them. More importantly, a three-day weekend is ahead of us all and I'll be reuniting with a few of my close college friends this weekend. Cheers to what will be a fun and food-filled time!