From the Road: Big Sur

Big Sur is the most beautiful place I have ever been to.  When I visited the Grand Canyon and surrounding region it took my breath away but Big Sur stole my heart.  It is a coastal region in central California that is not so clearly defined and is sparsely populated.

There are numerous parks in the region and we were only able to tip the ice berg on this trip.  You could easily spend a week or even a month exploring Big Sur.  We first caught a glimpse of Andrew Molera State Park on horseback.  Our ride quite literally took us over the river and through the woods.  Redwood and Cyprus trees towered above the trail; we passed through open fields, and crossed the Big Sur River.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is not easy to get to.  If you are coming from the north you have to attempt a right handed switch back and hope you aren’t going to run in to someone leaving the park.  From there you have to venture down 2 miles of a very narrow and yet two way road.  If the parking lot is full, someone will be at the entrance to let you know and there is parking along the roadside you can walk the two miles from….I don’t recommend getting caught down at the beach at dusk if you have to make that walk. Whether you drive or walk, you will find yourself at an expansive beach surrounded by large rock formations.  Some of the sand is purple (my favorite color!); turns out this is due to manganese garnet particles from the cliffs above.  While scenic and worth the venture, this beach is incredibly windy; even if it’s warm you may want to consider long sleeves to keep the sand from biting you.

Sand Dollar Beach was potentially my favorite.  It’s easier to get to than Pfeiffer Beach as far as the drive and parking, but the walk is longer and more taxing (really just the hike to get back up to your car, it’s all downhill getting to the beach).  Once you make it to the beach it is completely worth it.  It doesn’t hurt that this is where we saw our first seal…turned out to be a mother nursing her pup!  The winds were calm here and I could count the number of people we saw on the beach with one hand.  So relaxing!

We also made a quick stop at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to see McWay Falls.  Due to a fire in 2009 some areas of the park are currently closed but the trail that leads to a fantastic view of the waterfall is still open.  This park also boasts some of the best camping in Big Sur.

For the best view with your meal, find Nepenthe.  Absolutely incredible views and incredible architecture.  The structure was built by a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright and designed to blend in with the natural surroundings.  Nepethe itself is a sit down restaurant all the way at the top of the mountain and seems to have a wait no matter what time of day.  If you are there early enough you can step down to the next terrace with equally impressive views for a simpler menu and shorter wait at Café Kevah.

Wearing layers in Big Sur is a must.  The elevations change so often and there are so many micro climates that you can go from sweating to freezing in five minutes or less.