Since March, I have wanted to drive up Highway 1 from Cambria to Carmel. We finally went and picked a beautiful weekend without fog. We started out in Paso Robles visiting friends and left in the afternoon for Cambria. We hit a lucky patch of weather without any fog until the early morning. It was windy as always but beautiful. Cambria is a great area to walk on the beach to collect moonstones and driftwood.
There are many shops in the town itself that sell items made of driftwood, shells, and moonstones. I found this beautiful mermaid on the porch of one of these stores. I don’t think it was for sale, but had to take the picture.
Cambria is a small little town surrounded by woods and the beach. The beach here isn’t good for swimming. It is rough and cold with lots of riptides, but still you can walk on this beach and collect little items. The town is filled with artists and other fun places to check out. There are a few famous restaurants there. Linn’s restaurant makes baked goods and their Olallieberry pie or anything they bake with olallieberries is pretty popular. I stopped in myself to pick up a pie to take to my cousin’s in Pacific Grove. It is a small town so you can easily walk it. The other famous spots are Robin’s in downtown and Sea Chest on the beachfront. This visit, my husband and I went to Moonstone Beach Cafe and were very pleased with our choice. It was affordable also, unlike Sea Chest.
For the last three years, Highway 1 was closed due to storm damaged roads; some of which collapsed completely in areas. It is such a beautiful drive filled with coastal views and forests. After leaving Cambria, we passed San Simeon, home of Hearst Castle and roaming zebras. But the little gem is Piedras Blancas where you can see elephant seals. They have made a protected walkway now to keep the seals and you safe.
The elephant seals are so much fun to watch. They like to flip sand over themselves; I presume to keep warm in the chilly air. I didn’t see any nursing baby seals on this trip, but this area is where they come to mate and have their babies.
After Piedras Blancas, we traveled north passing the little stops of Ragged Point and Sorta before coming into Big Sur. Big Sur is big on beauty. There are several camping, hiking, and picnicing areas here, plus restaurants and lodging with expansive, breathtaking views of the coastline. Writers and artists of all types settled here. It is a tough place to live at times as it frequently gets cut off due to the winter storms that cause flooding and mudslides. To live here is beautiful but challenging as well. Nepenthe restaurant and gift store is world famous. The food is ok, but the view is really what you are paying for. It is definitely one the most beautiful coastlines in the world. We didn’t stop this trip as we were having lunch in Carmel with a friend. By the way, there is no cell phone coverage at all anywhere. I think it is one of the charms of Big Sur.
We were a little past the wildflower blooms, but these Alstromerias in Carmel caught my eye. Even though Carmel has changed since I lived in this area, it is still unique. Carmel is filled with little Hobbit like houses and cottages. It has a very unique architecture that appealed to me when I moved to this area several years ago. Its a dog town as well. Almost everyone seems to have a dog and the hotels and cafes cater to them as well. The beach is wide and wild. Its lovely to walk on the beach, and it is right next to parts of the Pebble Beach golf course (I believe the 18th hole). The natural beauty of the Monterey Peninsula attracts many to this area. I was impressed when I lived here that throughout the beach towns of Carmel and Pacific Grove, the landscaping seemed to be natural. Its very peaceful here.
When I first lived in Pacific Grove near Asilomar Beach, there was a little train that delivered wood to the lumber store not far from my cottage. The cottage was so tiny I slept in the combination living room/bedroom and could wave to the engines on the train. My little cottage, as well as all the other little cottages, were razed to build condos and the train track became a walking pathway. If you haven’t been to this area, it is filled with deer. They have become like the local pets or pests at times since they eat all your plants. Here is a mother and her two does. I waved to her, and for a minute, I thought she was going to come over to us.
Saturday we woke up to beautiful sunny skies and my cousin and I took his dog for a walk at Asilomar Beach. Asilomar is also a rustic conference center. No one cares, because the beauty that surrounds you surpasses any 4 star comfort you may be wishing for.
Asilomar is a very rugged, rocky beach, as is all the coastline in Pacific Grove. The water is treacherous but still attracts surfers. It was very windy that day with strong gusts of up to 35 miles a hour. There is a pathway that goes from Pebble Beach all the way to Monterey harbor. I always have to walk it when I am up there. The entire pathway from Pebble Beach to Monterey is about 5.5 miles but easy to walk.
Here is a picture of the pathway with the ice plant in bloom. It was a little past bloom time but still gorgeous. You can see the gentle pathway for walking. April through early May is when the ice plant is blooming.
Little trips like these get you out of your house and into nature. They are so restorative.
Coming up next week will be some local shots and an update on the grapes.
Reflections Outside My Window 