By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate

A panoramic vista view of Big Sur from Highway 1. Linda Ballou photo

A moisture-laden, bone chilling wind funneled up from the canyon as I stood on a vista point on California’s Highway 1, aka the Pacific Coast Highway or PCH.

The aquamarine sea laced in frilly white, lapped at the rocky cove below. Formed by relentless energy crashing on its shore for millennia, the rugged coast of Big Sur remains free and wild. Humans have tried to bend this beauty to their will, but thankfully, Big Sur remains unconquered.

Presently, a six-mile portion of the highway from one mile south of Esalen to two miles north of Lucia remains closed to all traffic due to the Regent’s Slide which occurred February 9, 2024. CalTrans optimistically predicts reopening late summer 2025, but I doubt this.

NOTE: Highway 1 is also CLOSED to all traffic including vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists 5 miles south of Julia Pfeiffer Burns due to Regent’s Slide. For more information on Highway 1’s conditions, I recommend you visit BigSurCalifornia.org.

The upside of this disaster is that driving up the road from the northern end of Big Sur is a dream. Less traffic pressing you forward means you can take your time and pull over at will. My goal was to reach Nepenthe, the iconic restaurant featuring California fare and a terrace with breathtaking views, which sits on a bluff overlooking the Santa Lucia Mountains and views of the Pacific Ocean far below. Like an eagle overlooking its domain, it stands proudly alone.

A view of Garrapata State Park’s Meadow Walk. Linda Ballou photo.

I had planned to stop at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, with its magical coastal trails tracing coves where marine life frolic, however, as I approached the entrance, I discovered cars full of hikers lined up for miles. I decided to press on. Not far up the highway I saw a small cluster of cars parked near a sign indicating I had arrived at Garrapata State Park.

My spirits soared, upon the discovery of a delightful path meandering through a meadow bursting with blooms. The trail dipped through a gulch on the way to a stunning view of a white-sand beach. Next, I spied a stairwell down to the shore and made my descent.

Most approaches to sandy beaches in Big Sur require a strenuous hike, so I was thrilled to find this sturdy, safe stairwell to the sands. On arrival at the beach, I found a warm rock for a backrest and watched a platoon of pelicans in V-formation fly by on a fishing expedition.

Should you not stop at Garrapata, you’ll find several enjoyable hiking opportunities further up the highway. The Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers camp spots and a redwood-shaded lodge beside a stream.

McWay Falls, located in Julia Pheiffer Burns State Park, flows year-round from McWay Creek to the Park, which is located about 37 miles south of Carmel. Linda Ballou photo.

McWay Falls, an 80-foot tall waterfall, is a highlight of the park which can be viewed from an easy trail. You’ll want to be aware that hikers are not allowed to access the beach below the falls.

Once I reached Nepenthe, now a three-level chic restaurant abuzz with diners enjoying the splendid view, it was 3:00 PM. So I settled into the casual patio where I sampled some wine from local vintners. This iconic restaurant, whose website explains that it is a “little slice of paradise…located on the edge the continent, high above the Pacific and watched over by the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains,” is still a place to breathe deeply of the crisp, clean air and let your soul soar with the unending beauty of Big Sur.

A mecca of poets, artists, and vagabonds since its opening in 1949, I recall sitting here around a fire, gazing upon the stars, and listening to a soothing guitar riff when I first came to California, 40 years ago. Nepenthe has evolved. So have I, but Mother Nature’s work is timeless.

On my way back to my lodging in Pacific Grove, I noticed that the cars at Point Lobos were gone. Happily, I was able to enter the park and access parking lots by trailheads with no problem. There was plenty of daylight left to explore what is considered the crown jewel in California’s state park system. Point Lobos is just as gorgeous beneath the water as it is above. The Carmel Submarine Canyon that lies just below Point Lobos is a deep canyon that provides cold, nutrient-rich waters that fuel a vast array of marine wildlife including seals, sea lions, sea otters, and migrating gray whales. Thousands of shorebirds also make the preserve their home.

Look at the water carefully to see the whales here in this shot from Point Lobos. Linda Ballou photo.

Additionally, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is famous for whale watching, particularly during the gray whale migration from December to April. Both humpbacks and orcas, can also be seen generally during the spring and summer. To enjoy whale sighting excursions, be sure to bring your binoculars and look out for whale spouts (exhalations) or clouds of condensation, as they are both indictors of whales. Point Lobos also offers guided tours led by naturalists, who can offer insights into whale behavior and migration patterns.

Farther up the coast, and just south of the madness of Monterey, Pacific Grove makes an affordable, charming place to stay. It serves as a springboard for the many adventures in the area, including Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Linda Ballou enjoys atmospheric views from the Napenthe restaurant’s deck. According to an article published in SFGate, the restaurant, once a hidden cliffside retreat owned by Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth and later occupied by a string of literary luminaries including Henry Miller, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London, George Sterling and poet Robinson Jeffers, is said to be both “ever-changing but always the same,” according to Kirk Gafill, its third generation owner.

You can walk the Coastal Trail to the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, which takes you inside the kelp forests that are home to seals, otters, sharks, and many more creatures of the deep. Perkins Park, often called Shoreline Park, is a beautiful oceanfront bluff park stretching nearly a mile along Ocean View Boulevard between Lovers Point Park and Otter Point.

My discussion of the Big Sur area would not be complete without a discussion of a special Pacific Grove citizen. Hayes Perkins spent most of his early life gallivanting around the globe. He settled in Pacific Grove in the 1940s and proceeded to pull out the poison oak on the bluff overlooking the ocean. In its place, he planted pink ice plants that form an enchanting blanket of blooms. Benches on the trail invite visitors to sit a spell and listen to the waves carving the jagged sea wall below.

A view of Pacific Grove’s Hayes Perkins park. Note the undulations of pink ice plants. Linda Ballou photo

Perkins died in 1964. After his death, the city of Pacific Grove invested $70k into the park amenities, with the proviso that all of the gardening be done by volunteers, who are dedicated to carrying on Perkins’ labor of love, allowing all visitors to continue to enjoy the view.

A few blocks up from the Coastal Trail (California Coastal Trail), you will find the laid-back shopping district of Pacific Grove. Lighthouse Avenue boasts gussied up turn-of-the century homes and shops displaying local artisans’ wares. I was drawn to a cozy bookstore that invites readers to stay a while, leaf through a few books and enjoy a latte.

Another not-to-be-missed Lighthouse Avenue destination is Toasties Cafe, a charming cottage-style eatery that’s a local favorite for breakfast, and a great place to start your touring day. Toasties’ website explains that they believe the breakfast and brunch should be a celebration of flavors. Beyond offering both vegan and vegetarian options, their passion is creating elevated breakfast classics with  twist.

Be warned that you may have a hard time deciding between Toasties’ many delicious breakfast offerings. The menu includes just about any kind of eggs you can think of, including their popular breakfast scramble, huevos rancheros, steak and eggs and a variety of omelettes, as well as both crab and Eggs Benedict. If you’re not into eggs, you can still enjoy a breakfast of French toast, pancakes, waffles or breakfast sandwiches. Lunch specials include a calamari steak sandwich and a California burger.

Linda Ballou Freelance Writer

Linda's mission is to experience as many beautiful places on our planet as she can before they are no more. Travel tales relating her experiences while kayaking, horseback riding, sailing, birding and hiking about the globe have appeared in numerous national magazines. She had great fun collecting travel stories, and profiles of people she met in “naturally high places” for her book, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales. Her latest book Lost Angel Unleashed is the third book in her Lost Angel Trilogy

Go to LostAngelAdventures.com for more adventures.

For more about Linda’s novels and media offerings go to. www.LindaBallouAuthor.com