Luxury redefined on the cliffs of Big Sur

This stretch of Pacific Coast is something that must be experienced. I went with the intention of taking pictures, but every time I looked through the viewfinder I found the potential image far short of the actuality of the place where I was standing. A few impressions: Lucia Lodge was a cozy, under rated place to stay. The end cabins 8,9 and 10 are the best, situated a little back from a cliff edge high above untouched beaches and shoreline. The quality of the air, sound of the ocean, moonlight on the waves, fog receding in the morning add to the magic of this location. All of this experienced from your comfortable room. Not inexpensive, but you can stay here several nights for the cost of one at the acclaimed Post Ranch Inn. The restaurant was adequate, not gourmet, but decent food. The view at McWay Beach in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is well worth the short walk. I looked at postcards of this place and wondered what was the big deal, but again the photo does not capture the feel of the space, the air on the skin or the crash of the waves. A waterfall cascades to the beach even in this drought summer. Much of this coast is wild and inaccessible. The construction of the highway in the 1930's was a marvel of engineering and it remains so. The Historic Bridges alone are worth the trip. The largest, The Bixby, is a perfect parabola, supporting the highway on slender, fragile appearing, poured concrete columns, over the steep,rugged, boulder strewn canyon of the same name. There are six or seven other magnificent bridges and many more minor ones. Pfeiffer Beach was windy and hot. The rock formations are unique; not being a sun lover, I could have skipped it. Djeetens Restaurant was good, but plenty expensive. the setting there is OK, but really nothing special. Finally a word about Nepenthe. My first time there was with a private party from Esalen Institute where my ex-girlfriend was in residence in 1971. Never in my life had I been to such stunningly perfect spot. I have been back many times since then and have continued to observe the increasing coastal tourist orientation of Nepenthe. Despite the tour buses, digital cameras, cell phones and sun burned tourists this is still an enchanted location, unparalleled on earth. It is splendid, beyond compare, nothing can change that.

we had to drive from los angeles to san francisco in one day. our options were 3: I-5, which is the fast, and boring way to go; I-101, which is ok, less boring than I-5 but not as interesting as highway 1; our 3rd option was highway 1 all the way: this was the longest but prettiest, with big sur along the way. we opted for highway 1, knowing it would take us maybe twice as long, but it would be something to remember. We had read a lot of reviews for driving on highway 1, the pros and cons, and life magazine had it as one of the prettiest scenes in america. we left los angeles at 9:30 a.m. and arrived in san francisco by 8:30p.m. DONT FREAK OUT! we took r a 1.5 hour detour to see solvang, a charming little dutch town just a bit out of the way. we drove with our kids 4,7 and 9 years old! I must tell you, that the drive is intense, lots of curves, and lots to see. we stopped at almost every vista point (view points): we saw the clouds below us, we saw the ocean below the clouds, we saw flowers like we had never seen before, we literally touched the clouds! i honestly hope that if you are considering driving big sur, you do it! you will not regret it, and you will find yourself sitting here, as i am, trying to describe the magestic sights, whether it was created by the hand of god, or by nature, it is something that will stay with you forever! all the pictures we saw of big sur, we thought were altered, or photoshop... boy were we wrong! believe it! it is that picture perfect! one piece of advise: there are no gas stations on big sure, so fill up before starting your drive.

I lived and worked in Big Sur for 3 years. As someone who has travelled extensively, there is, in my opinion, no more beautiful coastline than this. The heart of Big Sur is nestled in a Redwood forest, one of the last remaining three in the world. Three miles in any direction, on highway 1, takes you back to breathtaking ocean view. People come from all over the world to see this magnificent area. I queried why, when they themselves have their own spactacular coastal views; the response was always that they had nothing on so grand a scale. Very true.

This could be my most favorite place on earth. Taking the Pacific Coast Highway and stopping at the overlooks is a magnificent way to spend a day (or two, or three). The trip can be enhanced by stopping at the various California State Parks along the way and hike along the creeks that lead out to the ocean. The scenery is difficult to describe in words because of its great beauty. We usually stop for lunch at Nepenthe Restaurant. The view is so fantastic from this location that, to tell the truth, I can't even remember the food!