2016 May. Point Lobos. Pfeiffer Beach. McWay Falls. Hearst Castle.

Big Sur is the 90-mile stretch of rugged and awesomely gorgeous coastline located along the scenic Highway 1 between Carmel to the north and San Simeon (Hearst Castle) to the south. We started the day with Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, which has beautiful views and is definitely worth spending 2-3 hours exploring, especially hiking the entire loop along the north and south shore trails. You can either park your car in the reserve (entrance fee) or along Highway 1 (for free) if you intend to hike the whole coastal loop.

May is a good time to visit, weather is cool and comfortable, and the wildflowers are beginning to bloom, which made the hike very pleasant.

Scenic views along the coastal drive.

Pfeiffer Beach is Big Sur’s most popular coastal access point but very hard to find, as you have to make a very sharp turn into the unmarked Sycamore Canyon Road from Highway 1. My best advice is to use Google Map GPS to locate, so you know exactly where to make the turn. Describing any further here probably would not help you much. 🙂 Following the sharp turn, you still need to drive another 2 miles along a narrow and windy road unsuitable for trailers. Pfeiffer Beach is definitely worth the effort, not just for the views, because the sand on the beach is purple!!!

We camped at Big Sur State Park for 2 nights. This campground is well equipped with basic necessities – potable water, flush toilet, coin-operated hot shower and laundry facilities, what more can you ask for? You can make reservations online. Choice sites get reserved many months in advance so make your reservation and choose early. I am quite happy with site #107 I chose though I booked rather late. It was spacious with enough privacy, next to big trees with the right amount of shade cover and yet able to enjoy the sun and the stars.

smores over campfire — Smores! Had to try this over the campfire, suggested by my Canadian friend Jeff when he saw my previous FB post roasting bak kwa in Finland. It is simply a sweet messy gooey goodness. But I still miss having my bak kwa, which i knew would be confiscated by US Customs for sure.

There are several hiking trails starting from Big Sur State Park. We hiked the Pfeiffer Falls/ Valley View Trail where you get to walk among the redwoods and visit a rocky waterfall and a good view of the valley.

And the Buzzards Roost Trail, which was essentially a good workout but nothing too spectacular to see. So I turned to the wildflowers instead. 🙂

When you get tired of eating camping food, there are also restaurants in Big Sur that serves proper meals. This restaurant is at Big Sur Lodge within Big Sur State Park.

A short drive from Big Sur State Park is the Henry Miller Library, a place that is out of place and out of time. Nothing much to see here, it is essentially a bookstore amidst the redwood trees, with some random experimental sculptures in the front yard. Good thing is you can get free wifi connection and coffee (donation appreciated) here.

A visit to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a must when visiting Big Sur. An easy short hike would bring you to the picturesque McWay Falls that drops 80 feet onto the untouched sands of the beach before churning into the azure Pacific Ocean. You can either pay the $10 park entrance fees to park in the limited lots, or find a free spot by the roadside which is even closer to the viewing point for the waterfall.

Another nice hike within the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is the Ewoldsen Trail. We only did a small portion of the trail from the trailhead, which was very pleasant and pretty.

We drove further south the next day and had breakfast at Ragged Point Inn, which has a nice compound and great views. The flowers in the well manicured gardens was in full bloom.

This is the Elephant Seal Rookery along the drive towards San Simeon. The main viewing point was very crowded with tour buses and cars. There is really no need to squeeze with the crowd, as the seals are all over the coast. These pictures were taken at a turnout, a short distance from the main viewing area. You can get an even closer view of the elephant seals, all by yourself and no crowd!

Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark at the southern end of Big Sur, which attracts a lot of visitors. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and filled with art and antiques from Hearst’s vast collection. The estate is huge, and the castle is perched at the top with fantastic views. You can pay for a guided tour to view the castle grounds and interior. Personally I did not appreciate the architecture nor antique collection. They seemed more like an uncurated mishmash of expensive things acquired from europe, smells rich and ostentatious but not of very high taste or aesthetic values, imho. 🙂 But of cos everyone’s taste is different, you may find them extraordinarily beautiful, so it is definitely still worth a visit. Especially since you have come this far into the wilderness to find a opulent “castle” out of nowhere, why not?

On the way to San Luis Obispo to spend the night, we stopped briefly at Morro Rock and Montana de Oro State Park for a few pictures.

We were lucky to coincide with the Night Market at San Luis Obispo which only takes place on Thursdays nights. It was fun to party with the locals, and experience the tastes, scents, and melodies that make San Luis Obispo special.

We had awesome BBQ from this stall called McClintocks. The combo with beef ribs, chicken kebab and pork munchies were so good and juicy that it can rival the best ones in Texas! Just look out for the longest line towards the south end of the market, totally worth it. Sooooooo good!