February 11-13, 2024
The drive from Cayucos to Big Sur is incredibly beautiful - we stopped a few times for pics and stretches!
This video was taken at the California Sea Otter Game Refuge - no otters, but still amazing!
We loved Big Sur - just like everyone who's ever visited. Our plan for travel on this particular Sunday was to get to a site in time to watch the Super Bowl - Go Chiefs! After crossing a nerve-wracking river access bridge into the Riverside Campground and Cabins, we set up at our heavily forested site by a loud and rapidly-streaming river. It was nice, but we felt somewhat exposed as the first site on the grounds. Check in process here was a little odd and wifi was super spotty...but, it was pretty nonetheless!
We walked 10 minutes to The Big Sur River Inn (historic spot established in 1934) and watched the game on a big screen with a small eclectic mix of people gathering to watch a piece of football history! Decor was really pleasant, cozy ambiance and they cook up delicious food. We had a beet and pear salad, halibut with quinoa and a fancy burger. And so-so crème brulée. Service was okay.
The next morning, I dressed in layers and headed out for Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Really wanted to explore the area and hit some trails. Joel is not big on mornings, so I do a lot of early walks. Aside from exercise, the nice thing about this is that we have a little morning space and I can scope out cool places for us to visit together.
The walk was a couple of miles from our campground to the park, so I cruised along Hwy 1 to explore the Pfeiffer Falls & Valley View Trails. The Pfeiffer Falls trail was closed, but the waterfall was accessible via a different path off the scenic Valley View Trail (easy 1.5 miles to the bench/lookout point). Passed only a couple of people. Waterfall is not huge, but I can't pass 'em up and this was a peaceful spot. Enjoyed a few solitary moments before another onlooker arrived to snap a photo.
The Big Sur Lodge is located in the center of the park with all types of lodging - after walking another short hiking trail on the campgrounds, I meandered through the rustic and cozy lobby (restaurant looks nice, too). MUST STOP SPOT! This state park is undoubtedly worth a few hours!
A few additional random images:
After a functional drip-drip hot shower (seen better bathrooms), we carried on to Carmel-by-the-Sea! We plan for the next destination, but always remain flexible...never know what lies just around the next corner!
Read about Carmel-by-the-Sea!
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