I'll be out in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend for my cousin's wedding and I'm thinking about making a day trip Saturday morning - Sunday afternoon down to Big Sur. I'll be driving a rental car, looking to camp, and not spend too terribly much money. So, I'm wondering if any of you have recommendations on the one or two places I MUST see out there in that 24 hour block.

And go!

8/24/2009 11:41:19 AM

shit

i thought this thread was about

8/24/2009 11:48:15 AM

Is that his nickname?

8/24/2009 11:52:24 AM

wow, really beautiful picture. pretty sure ill be booking a cali flight soon.

8/24/2009 12:17:30 PM

Yes:
1) Nepanthe Restaurant (sp) - famous, on a cliffside, beautiful
2) Phifer beach - Big monolith on the beach -
3) Hot Springs at Eslan Institute (sp) - Open to the public between 1am and 5am - go soak in the tubs


more to follow ....

8/24/2009 12:22:38 PM

8/24/2009 1:14:09 PM

You can also make it to the redwood forest in aptos if you want. That is around an hour from there.

8/24/2009 1:25:53 PM

how are you getting down there? I'm assuming you're taking the PCH. If not, then you should!

8/24/2009 1:50:25 PM

Yes. But take US1 (a must) and stop by Santa Cruz on the way down there. Also, Point Reyes (en route) is amazing. That whole drive is killer.

Just get up in the early AM and head down there. Don't take the shorter way on the more central highway, it's not nearly as scenic.

8/24/2009 3:30:23 PM

wow! great pics

i wanna go

8/24/2009 4:16:57 PM

Become an alcoholic recluse and live in a cabin in the woods.

8/24/2009 4:22:03 PM

Quote :

"Just get up in the early AM and head down there."

Unfortunately, my flight gets into SFO at 10am. I'm planning on heading down there straight from the airport and then possibly camping out that night. I don't have to be anywhere till 5pm the next day.

Quote :

"1) Nepanthe Restaurant (sp) - famous, on a cliffside, beautiful 2) Phifer beach - Big monolith on the beach - 3) Hot Springs at Eslan Institute (sp) - Open to the public between 1am and 5am - go soak in the tubs "

Got it. Did you mean PM?

Quote :

"I'm assuming you're taking the PCH."

tis the plan

Quote :

"stop by Santa Cruz on the way down there."

anything in particular there?

Quote :

"Become an alcoholic recluse and live in a cabin in the woods."

Oh I wish.

8/24/2009 8:51:27 PM

Excellent

At the height of your delirium, write a poem about ocean sounds.

8/24/2009 9:08:12 PM

and at my depths?

8/24/2009 9:33:57 PM

Try to fuck Neal Cassady.

8/24/2009 9:40:14 PM

Do secure a reservation for your campsite.

We learned this the hard way.

8/24/2009 10:04:36 PM

Quote :

"Yes. But take US1 (a must) and stop by Santa Cruz on the way down there. Also, Point Reyes (en route) is amazing. That whole drive is killer. Just get up in the early AM and head down there. Don't take the shorter way on the more central highway, it's not nearly as scenic."

Santa Cruz is cool, one of the few real "beach towns" on the central coast. But if you're pressed for time you can skip it. Also, Hwy 1 isn't that scenic through here. You'd be better off saving some time by taking the 101 and cutting over to the coast closer to Monterey.

If you're driving down to Big Sur I would say you should take the 17 Mile Drive to Pebble Beach from Monterey. Now THAT is the California coast. Down side is it is 10 bucks per car. Try to go in the afternoon when you have a better chance of the marine layer clearing out.

8/24/2009 11:19:52 PM

If you are looking for any advice on stuff off of CA-1 in Marin shoot me a PM... I loved traveling to all of the hole in the wall places there the three years I lived there. There are some really, really cool little places to get a drink or just see up there...

8/24/2009 11:20:36 PM

umm US-1 runs along the east coast i think you mean US-101

8/25/2009 4:33:18 PM

I thought this thread was gonna be about one of them rap guys

8/25/2009 5:45:59 PM

it's CA-1

the 101 is inland up there

8/25/2009 6:30:02 PM

<333333333333333333333333333333333 redwood forest


you want to make it there

8/25/2009 11:15:41 PM

Quote :

"umm US-1 runs along the east coast i think you mean US-101"

Quote :

"it's CA-1 the 101 is inland up there"

Yes, it is CA-1. I know you weren't talking to me but my point is there is nothing to see on the 1 between Santa Cruz and Monterey because it actually is a bit inland during this stretch as well, and it will take much longer to get to the real sightseeing south of Monterey. Since he's pressed for time the best route to this area and Big Sur would be to take the 101 south from the Bay area and then cut toward the coast to the 1 just north of Monterey (CA-156 i believe).

8/25/2009 11:28:57 PM

Quote :

"redwood forest"

If I read correctly, the Redwood Forest is up near Oregon, but there should be some good ones in Big Sur.

Quote :

"Do secure a reservation for your campsite. "

Any recommendations?

8/26/2009 2:08:33 AM

lol no

we slept on the side of the road, despite signs saying not to.

Not very far south of that bridge, actually.


[Edited on August 26, 2009 at 9:09 AM. Reason : asdf]

[Edited on August 26, 2009 at 9:09 AM. Reason : sdf]

8/26/2009 9:07:24 AM

Pretty much everything that isn't first come-first serve is booked. This could be interesting

8/26/2009 6:35:40 PM

If you have the time and have trouble with stuff being booked, I'd suggest continuing down to Morro Bay, the drive past Big Sur is just as beautiful.

8/27/2009 7:54:04 PM

2nd (landscape) pic ITT is pretty motherfucking relaxing

8/27/2009 8:35:01 PM

Get gas somewhere other than the only gas station in Big Sur.

8/27/2009 9:01:00 PM

Nothing that hasn't been photographed before, but here are some shots I took:











Thanks for all the advice, I only had about six hours there so we just drove as far south as we could go then turned around. Well worth the drive though

10/5/2009 5:55:49 PM

man, that looks awwwwesome. I would love to camp out there.

way to be ambitious!

[Edited on October 5, 2009 at 6:05 PM. Reason : d]

10/5/2009 6:04:48 PM

Talking to a friend of mine here, we've discussed taking at least a week of leave and backpacking / exploring that general area. We'll see.

10/5/2009 6:21:40 PM

Henry Miller Library

10/5/2009 6:43:17 PM

bttt for NCSUWolfy

3/18/2010 5:30:51 PM

Sur 13

3/18/2010 6:17:03 PM

this thread made me want to go to big sur... and now im going!

end of april

any additional suggestions not already mentioned? will be driving down from sacramento and spending 2 nights

3/19/2010 2:47:34 PM

flew into sacramento thursday night. woke up early friday & drove 5 hours south to hearst castle (amazing!! totally recommend this!) then 2 more hours up along hwy 1 (ca 1?) on through big sur & spent the night in carmel for 2 nights. sunday we went to monterey for the day & rented beach cruisers & rode them along the coast

so amazing, so beautiful & very romantic! (i was with my girlfriends but still!) i think this is the most beautiful place in north america and rivals the amalfi coast in views, which is very hard to do.

some pics









most relaxing weekend ever! AND i got upgraded to first class on my way home.

california rocks

4/26/2010 7:27:10 PM

4/26/2010 7:53:21 PM

why are there no people on the beaches?

no access/too rough/too cold?

4/27/2010 1:00:18 PM

^ yes

its very cold there, even if its warm in the sun, the wind is chilling

there are also a lot of signs saying that its not safe to swim, the current is too rough and also too many rocks

there are some places i saw people swimming, lovers point in monterey for example but they were wearing wet suits and most were just in the first 10ft of water (some were surfing and dodging massive rocks)

4/27/2010 3:55:07 PM