The Majesty of Big Sur: A Perfect Day Trip

Nothing shows off the grandeur of the Pacific Coast better than Big Sur, a perfect day trip from the South Bay.  Just hop on Highway 17 South over the hill, connect to Highway 1 South, and in less than two hours (depending on traffic and how fast you drive), you’ll be in Big Sur.

It’s hard to say what’s better about Big Sur, the journey or the destination. The gorgeous drive south passes Monterey Bay, where the water glitters like diamonds if the sun’s shining, and then the road narrows just past Carmel, and you’re really on your way. Highway 1 South winds around the edge of the Santa Lucia mountain range with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean on the right. Dropoffs are so sheer that drivers must be alert to every curve so as not to become members of what locals call “The West of 1 Club.” In the spring and summer, orange, yellow and purple wildflowers peek out from the rocks, and all year around, cattle graze on huge grassy parcels of ranch land looking over the Pacific.

Once you reach Big Sur, the terrain changes, and stately redwoods provide both a buffer and shade. Almost hidden away on the right and easy to miss is the Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant, where true coffee artisans make the best specialty drinks around. The unassuming exterior hides a fabulous restaurant and bakery.

The Big Sur River Inn and Restaurant is a great place to stop for lunch, offering patio dining on the River. In the heat of summer, bent willow chairs sit right in the river, and patrons are encouraged to relax a while and dangle their feet in the cold stream. There are even a few shops for browsing.

If you’d rather travel on, a bit further south is Big Sur’s most famous restaurant, Nepenthe, whose iconic phoenix sculpture stands guard on the patio. Nepenthe perches on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, and there’s not a bad seat, inside or out. The most coveted seats are on the edge of the cliff, where greedy blue jays can easily swoop in to steal cheese, bread and French fries. They know good cookin’ when they taste it. Stop in the Phoenix shop to pick up unusual items by members of the Big Sur creative community and from all over the world. If you arrive before the restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m., the Café Kevah, just above the Phoenix Shop and below Nepenthe, cooks a mean breakfast. 

Tucked away in a redwood grove just a few hundred yards or so south of Nepenthe is an unusual little shrine to one of Big Sur’s most famous residents. It’s the Henry Miller Memorial Library and it’s chock-full of Miller’s books and other art, as well as posters and books by the Beats he influenced and others. In spring and summer, the Miller Library hosts outdoor movie events, concerts, poetry slams and even a wedding or two.

There’s so much more to Big Sur: a tiny Catholic Church almost invisibly nestled in the trees, the well-regarded Ventana Inn and Restaurant, a food and wine festival, an international marathon and more. It’s close enough to explore again and again, and once you’ve had a taste, you’ll want to.

(The road's open south to Big Sur, but metered for a bit past Carmel while workers repair a  stretch where the road washed out after a spring slide. Highway 1 is still closed south of Gorda.)

The opinions expressed here are the blogger's and not necessarily those of the local editor's or anyone affiliated with Patch.