Pacific Coast Highway

What you hear about California is all true. Perfect weather. Laid back atmosphere. Gorgeous beaches. Feels like you’re on a constant vacation. In our case, we were indeed on vacation, with a goal of driving the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Big Sur. David and I were ready to escape Manhattan’s east coast hustle and bustle to soak up some California sun… but not until lathering on A LOT of sunscreen.

Since this trip involved being in a car half the time, David insisted on renting a BMW to make the drive more fun. We started by sightseeing in San Francisco, visiting its major attractions like the adorable and bumbly seals at Pier 39, climbing up the nearly vertical street to Coit Tower and of course driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. We also explored a little north of San Fran, making our way to the towering forest of Muir Woods and the pet-friendly Muir Beach.

When it was time to head south, our next destination was Monterey. Most of the drive was spent admiring the views and pulling over at low tide to examine tide pools full of colorful urchins, crabs and sea stars. We also made sure to stop at major landmarks like the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and Point Lobos State Reserve. When we reached the Monterey Peninsula, we ended the day by driving the 17-Mile Drive, a scenic road that leads you through Pebble Beach and the Pacific Grove.

The next day before making our way south to Big Sur, we stopped at the Tuck Box in Carmel for its famous waffle, which definitely lived up to its reputation. After breakfast we toured Carmel’s fairy tale cottages; each whimsical house looked as though they were picked right off the pages of childhood fairytale books we grew up reading. Crossing the Bixby Bridge, we finally made our way to Big Sur. Its scenery was absolutely stunning. We hiked to the iconic McWay Falls, strolled along the shores of the secluded Pfeiffer Beach and watched a couple of sea otters playfully float in the ocean.

On the flight back home to New York City, we knew we weren’t going to call it home for very long. This trip to California reminded us how much we missed being outdoors, and how hard it was to escape NYC. But for the time being, we had our sunburns and jet lag to remind us of California’s alluring coast.