I'm so excited to be sharing more about my California trip with you today, especially because it gave me a chance to look through all my photos again and remember how amazing it was! Since we went into the trip without a set itinerary, we were able to make plans on a whim while we were there. On the second day, the gorgeous weather convinced us that we needed to see the coast. And so began our drive to the Big Sur!
Before getting too far, we made our first pit stop at the adorable Black Bear Diner in Gilroy, CA for breakfast and coffee. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was so fun. How cute is the little bear paw on the napkins?
After breakfast, our journey to the Big Sur really began. We weren't exactly sure where the Big Sur started, but we made our way to Carmel assuming that we'd know it when we saw it. And, when we arrived at Carmel River State Beach, we knew. We pulled right over to take our shoes off and take in the scenery. It was difficult to leave the beach, but we knew there was even more to see ahead of us.
While we didn't drive the entire 90 miles of the Big Sur, we did spend a good 4 hours driving / pulling over to make the most of each stop. It was so hard to not pull over every 5 minutes because the views were so breathtaking! I think my favorite view was of the Bixby Creek Bridge in Monterey. It was so beautiful, and I wasn't surprised to learn that it is one of the most photographed bridges on the Pacific Coast. If you look closely, you can see it in the photo below.
I seriously couldn't get over the scenery along the Big Sur, and could have driven along that road forever! But, as evening was quickly approaching we decided to make our last stop at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. It was here that I was able to lay my eyes on Redwood trees for the very first time, and they are incredible! This particular tree, The Colonial Tree, is 1,200 years old and is about 27 feet around! Although it wasn't the tallest tree in the park, because as the park ranger told us, it had been struck by lighting multiple times. Still an impressive sight!
The best part about our Big Sur drive was that when we reached our final destination and it was time to head home, we were able to turn the car around and see it all again from the other direction! I would absolutely love to go back to California and drive the full 90 miles of the Big Sur. It is 100% worthy of a bucket list, and if you're heading to the Pacific Coast, do yourself a favor and add it to your itinerary!
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