BIG SUR: The last leg of our northern California vacation took us down the Pacific Coast Hiway from Pebble Beach to Big Sur. The area was made famous in movies such as Taylor/Burton’s The Sandpiper. Home of many famous writers, musicians, poets, dancers and actors like Kim Novak, Nepenthe’s Restaurant overlooks the Pacific in an amazing spot.
We stayed at a little log cabin on the Big Sur River called….wait for it!….RippleWood! What a hoot. We toured the Pfeiffer State Park where redwoods loomed and enjoyed exploring the rugged coastline.
CAMBRIA: Finally, further south to the charming town of Cambria, just south of San Simeon where Hearst Castle sits high above the Pacific. On the way, we stopped at the overlook where the huge elephant seals stop for a rest on their annual trek from Mexico to Alaska. These giant mammals grow up to 3,000 pounds in the males and 1,500 pounds in the females. The males have big snouts that make a honking sound during their mating process. They turn over on their backs to absorb the sun’s energy on their lighter bottom side.
We stayed in the charming, historic town of Cambria, just south of the famous Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Food was outrageous good….we loved it here.
MORRO BAY: Morro Bay is a charming little town south of Cambria which is known for the giant rock that sits just off shore. After golf we ate at a seaside restaurant and then went to the movie Bridge of Spies at a little 50’s theater that had been totally renovated. Felt like we were back in the 50’s.
SAN SIMEON & HEARST CASTLE: The BEST thing about this part of our vacation was the visit to Hearst Castle at San Simeon. The story of how William Randolph Hearst built this amazing structure over a period of 28 years (ran out of money several times) made this stop on our vacation Jim’s favorite…what fun.
This vacation was truly a lifetime experience…our first in our 3 year relationship, and it was well worth it. Next…..Cuba, Colombia and Mexico.
Penny In Paradise 