Beautiful Big Sur

Sea Otter

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise peeking into our hotel room.  A sea otter was floating in the bay with a baby on her belly just like in the movie we saw the day before at the aquarium.

The girls had breakfast in bed so we could get off to an early start (8:45 AM).
 

The blogger at work

Our first stop was at the Carmel Mission.  On Thursday we could not get in because it was closing.  Today it wasn't open yet so we only got to see the outside. But we have posted a picture of the inside so you can see what it looks like.

  Carmel Mission

 

Flowers at the Mission

    

Inside of the Mission

We were not able to get a shot of the Bixby Bridge.  Right before we got to the bridge, the road was being reconstructed so there was one lane controlled by traffic lights. We whizzed over the bridge before we knew it was coming up.  This road does not give you too many opportunities to make U turns so that was that.Take a look at this aerial video of the bridge

Rocky Shoreline

The road we traveled today was spectacular.  Hugging the cliffs and weaving in and out for miles and miles, the road offered beautiful vistas of the ocean below, an unspoiled natural shoreline. Only 1,000 people live in the Big Sur area and the homes here go for at least $2 million.

At Pfeffer Big Sur State Park, we took a short walk along the creek and saw some redwood trees.including the Colonial Tree, the oldest one there.  It would be even taller but its top got severed several times by lightning strikes.

At the base of the tree

Big Sur Creek

Diana in the tree cave

Just down the road are Nepenthe Restaurant, Cafe Kevah, and the Phoenix Shop, a beautiful stop.  We loved our meals and the view at Cafe Kevah, a highlight of the day.

Nepenthe Restaurant Patio

  Nepenthe View

Cafe Kevah

Dining with a View

Back on the Road Again

We spent the next several hours driving south viewing one spectacular scene after the other.  It was a wonderful day.

Driving

The road hugs the mountains

Diana's Paty

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Just before getting to Hearst Castle we visited Point Piedras Blancas to see elephant seals basking in the sun along the beach.  It was quite a sight to see them all on the beach.

We then took the Grand Rooms tour at Hearst Castle in San Simeon.  It was a huge estate with a main house and three guest houses and he was a huge collector.  Dont have enough time to post about his house or collections, but we could see he spent millions on the place.

Main Reception Room

Neptune Pool

Refrectory

After Hearst Castle we drove another 45 minutes to our hotel in Pismo Beach.  The rooms are great and the hotel is a cute family place.  We walked to the nearby Ventura Grill for a fantastic meal right by the ocean. 

Our first stop was at the Carmel Mission, but for the second day we could not get inside. It was closing when we got there the day before and this morning it was not open yet, but we got some pictures outside.

Then we started toward Big Sur and had magnificent views for mile after mile.