TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY JULY 28 & 29

TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 & 29:

     Our days at Big Sur. Actually, Big Sur is the name generally used to refer to the 80 or so miles of coastline stretching from around San Simeon to Carmel. The heart of this dramatically scenic region is the 10 or 15 miles in either direction of Big Sur Village (about 25 miles south of Carmel). It's known for its spectacular terrain: sheer cliffs which loom above the ocean on one side, the foothills of the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains less than 10 miles inland on the other side, and the wooded valleys between the two. Some say that this is the most magnificent piece of real estate where sea meets mountains on earth. This entire wilderness region was basically inaccessible until the 1937 opening of California Hwy 1. That road opened up this magnificently rugged and blessedly pristine stretch of California coast.

      This stretch of Hwy 1 is famous for snaking around the coast in a seemingly endless series of sinuous S-curves, rarely out of sight of the ocean, but occasionally veering inland through beautiful stands of redwoods. The elevation ranges from sea level to 1,000 feet! It's about as majestic a stretch of road as you can find, made even better by the fact that there are virtually no man-made distractions – no billboards, strip malls, gas stations, fast food outlets. Only a small cluster of inns, cabins, & restaurants within a few miles of Big Sur Village.

       Because of my fear of heights, I was apprehensive about doing this. I was afraid I'd be white-knuckled the entire time and not able to enjoy the trip at all. But I was wrong. There was little traffic on Tuesday morning when we set out early (we purposefully avoided a weekend to take this adventure), and Bill drove slowly. Also, within about 5 miles of leaving Carmel, we ran into heavy fog. And actually, as long as Bill could see fine, I think it kind of assuaged my anxiety, kind of softening the edges of the road and cliffs.

       The fog was still surrounding us when we stopped for breakfast at a place called Deetjen's Big Sur Inn (or just Deetjen's) (about 30 miles from Carmel). This establishment has been here since the 1930's, when a Norwegian immigrant came to Big Sur, bought 120 acres, and began homesteading. He soon saw the need for overnight accommodations for guests, and the inn was born. Over the years, “Grandpa” Deetjen built several rooms, each using locally milled, scavenged redwood. It's an absolutely charming place. The little restaurant, known for its breakfasts, consists of 4 small hand-crafted rooms. I ordered their specialty, Eggs Benedict. What a great way to start the day!

                                        A sampling of the redwoods on the property:

                                                                               

       We continued another 8 or so miles down the road to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We'd read that there were some nice hiking trails there, especially a very easy one which led to an overlook of a waterfall splashing into the sea. The views of the ocean below us were splendid, but not nearly what they would be if the surrounding view wasn't enfolded by heavy fog.

 

                                                               

But then again, that's typical for this area . . . and partly what lends the region its sublime beauty – the continually moist cool air giving rise to redwood, cypress, and eucalyptus trees, as well as hundreds of other species thriving around here.

 

  

         So after a while headed back north. After just a few miles, most of the fog lifted, and we were treated to stunning views along nearly every pull-out. Now these are the views we came for!

 

                                                

 

                                                     Iconic Bixby Bridge, built in 1932:

                       

And not just fantastic rugged coastline views, but also of the stunning foliage on the hills behind us

                                                                           

 

(and sometimes in front of us).

 

                                                 

        We kept on driving for a few miles on Carmel Valley Road past our turn-off, to where we were told Leon Panetta's walnut farm was located. Sure enough – easy to locate. As we heard him say on Sixty Minutes, now that he's out of Washington, he's tending to different kinds of nuts!

 

                                                                         

 

 

 

Now they tell us!  Why didn't they have this sign posted on the OTHER side of the pass??

(This sign is posted not 1 mile from where our truck & RV were parked paralyzed after getting off the Laureles Grade from the other side of the pass.) 

       We arrived back home in time to rest for just a bit and then ate our leftover dinner of steak & roasted potatoes & salad over on one of the patio tables, as our newest neighbor had an A/C unit which was pretty noisy. It was so very peaceful and quiet. Just as we were finishing, we enjoyed watching the drama unfold of a German family who thought they'd made a reservation here (for just one night), but turned out they hadn't. No room. Mike & his wife came down to try and remedy the situation – offered them to be able to stay in the driveway right in front of the patio and run an extension cord – FREE – for the night. Right in front of the bathrooms! They declined – were going to try a place north of Monterey. Sure can't figure that one out – must be those stubborn Germans! After they left, Mike & wife Stacy sat down beside us at our table and we exchanged stories for a bit in the perfect evening air.

      On Wednesday, got a much later start after sleeping in and eating a good breakfast here. The day was bright and warm here, so thought we'd give the fog a chance to burn off down south and drive down there again. And we were partially right – the fog had burnt off for the most part. Made a couple of turn-out stops.

 

                                                                      

 

 

Still not totally clear as we approached the State park, but much better than yesterday. So we had a good time walking that same trail to the waterfall overlook again.

                                                                          

And on the way back took notice of a small grove of redwood trees, the southernmost tip of them here.

 

                                                                           

A stand of shaggy eucalyptus trees also, lavishing their fragrance on the way to the truck.

 

       Soon after we started driving north again, the fog crept in! There obviously is something about the geography of this immediate area – the curve of the coastline, the slant of the mountains, the shape of the valleys – which attracts the fog! By the time we reached Nepenthe, a restaurant in the area just north of Deetjen's, the ocean and hills were enshrouded by it. Undaunted, we still stopped there to eat dinner. This is a well-known landmark, recommended to us by friend Shawnee H, as well as by locals. It's a 3-story structure designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, constructed out of native redwood and adobe to blend in organically with the surroundings. With lots of terraces and outdoor seating, the restaurant is known more for its spectacular views than its food. But today, it was the food that won out, even though we still chose to eat outside (they turned on the heaters outside, which made it nice).

        And sure enough, within 1 mile – 2 at the most – of leaving the restaurant, the fog cleared and we had a beautiful drive home.