Big Sur. When I think of heaven, this is it. To breathe, to see, to feel. A majestic, monumental beauty sprawled along an unspoiled California coastline, Big Sur is a must see at least once in your lifetime.
Regardless of the direction you are driving on highway 1, it’s recommended to start this journey earlier in the day to maximize the daylight as it gets very dark at night and can be a little scary on the narrow and very windy parts of the road (I speak from experience!).
As a travel professional, I like to plan ahead and highly recommend doing so if you plan on camping at any of the state parks between June and August. But during the off-season it’s easy to find a place to stay along the road; private rentals abound (Air B n B has a plethora of options), there are several well known hotels/inns such as the Post Ranch Inn, the luxurious Ventanna Inn nestled among the redwoods and Deetjen’s Inn which began as a home to a Norwegian immigrant back in the 1930’s. If you are really adventurous stay in a yurt at the family run Treebones Resort.
There are many trails, from the coastline to the interior redwood forest, that tell of the rich history of the area. A good resource for local trails is http://www.hikinginbigsur.com. If you are passing through just for the day, make sure to stop at Nepenthe’s Restaurant for lunch, one of the best views in town. Simply put, breathtaking. Right across the street is the Henry Miller Memorial Library, former home of the late writer now functioning as a memorial/bookstore/art and event space. It’s a gorgeous place to lounge about and admire the surrounding redwoods.
Just be careful crossing the road! Do you have any stories of highway 1?
The Suite Life 