Santa Barbara: Sunrise Above the Clouds
In the coastal hills above Santa Barbara, you’ll find some amazing views, day or night…
After heading up the hills above Santa Barbara and a night of car camping, I awoke just before dawn to an amazing sight. The previous night was indeed an adventure. After finding a spot on the iOverlander app, I drove up the mountain pass through an eerie fog. Eventually, I broke through the marine layer, although I could not tell how high above the city below I was until later on. There were several places mapped out to test out and surprisingly there were a lot of other van-lifers and overlanders up in those hills. I would suggest that anyone else who uses apps to find overnight parking areas to potentially consider them as a starting point. Safety being the biggest concern, especially the further out you are from civilization. I kept driving up the mountain until I found a spot with enough of an area off the side of the road to park for the night.
My hope was to be there in the morning to capture dawn and photograph the views. The night was long with light sleep. Even until the early morning, you could here performance cars driving around the tight turns. Above the marine layer and at a higher elevation, it was surprisingly cool. Even with a good blanket, I turned on the car's heater a few times to make the air temperature more favorable. I stayed in the reclined driver-seat to make sure I could leave at a moments notice if I needed to.
Eventually when I finally did awake, all of the struggle and lack of comfort was worth it. With my camera in hand I took these photos of the early morning sky, high above the layer of coastal clouds. It was indeed an amazing experience. I slowly made my way back down the mountain, pulling of to the side of the road whenever I saw a picture worthy scene.
The jeep continued to be the perfect road trip vehicle.
Mountain cliffs above Santa Barbara, CA.
