We took a quick road trip to San Francisco during Christmas weekend (the best give we could give ourselves… a weekend along the coast!) and drove up through Big Sur, which I’d been dreaming about since the last time we went to Big Sur, a year before. Now that we’ve stopped several places on our visits, I thought it was about time to share my favorite ways to spend the afternoon in one of the most special places on Earth (indisputable fact, btw)…
Yes. This unassuming photo of the great Pacific. It had to be included because that little darkened dot in the center is one of the first whales we caught sight of up the coast. The whole drive up the highway we could look out the window (well, I could look out the window, while simultaneously telling Kevin to keep his eyes on the road) and see spraying off into the distance. Tip for anyone who might want to catch sight of whales or dolphins off the coast: look for either the spray, or the birds circling above. If you’ve found those, you’ve found them!
The incredible Partington Cove.
Iconic Bixby Bridge.
And my top for spots in Big Sur – an ongoing list:
1. McWay Falls. Let’s start here because it provides possibly the most iconic view of the Big Sur coast, and is what you see in my photos from our last trip. If you don’t have much time in Big Sur or won’t be coming back any time soon, you’ll want to make at least a quick stop here. Be sure to watch out for the signs as you can easily drive right past the location. The biggest indicator will be all the cars parked alongside the road, and people crossing frequently. If you want to take in more of the trees, my Insta friends at Hardon Epoch suggested Buzzards Roost Trail.
2. Partington Cove Trail. See the cove photos above. A wonderful little secret right off the highway that it seems not quite as many people know about or care to stop at. It’s a quick one mile walk down to the shore. Near the beach it splits off in two directions and you can see the cove from two angles. The sunlight filtering through the trees on the way back up was one of my favorite views, and we sat on those jagged rocks once again seeing more whales passing by in the distance. This is perfect if you want a quick stop that’s more than just a viewpoint. Whenever I plan trips, I’m usually trying to pack way too much into one, so this was a great quick stop to discover.
3. Andrew Molera State Beach. I’ve only been here once so I’m not an expert by any means on this entire state park but visiting this beach and then the Bixby Bridge shortly after (traveling north) made for one of the most stunning evenings of my life and forever solidified my love of the coast. You can park off the street or in the main lot, and from there take an almost entirely flat trail to the beach. It winds through tall grass and trees and open clearings, and then out of nowhere (from what I remember), you step out of the shade and onto the beach. Stones and sand met crashing waves on our particular set of beach, and we looked onward in wonder as the sun began to set. We made it back to the car just before.
4. Bixby Bridge. I love stopping at the bride after driving across it toward Carmel. It lends itself to amazing views (like the last three photos above) and although it can be cluttered with tourists, this scene will be forever imprinted in your mind, no matter how quickly you chose to stop.
I’ll never forget the first time I discovered Big Sur. This time, following whales up the coast, was another otherworldly experience. Hope someone stumbles upon this post and decides to make the trip!
