What To Do In Big Sur
Hello hello, friends! I am so happy to bring you a travel post today! I haven’t gotten to do one of these in such a long time because of Covid and it was so fun to get to go and do things again. As many of you probably remember, we did get to go to Houston in April for my cousin’s wedding, but we flew in the day before and left the day after, so we didn’t have a lot of time to actually do anything in Houston besides the wedding. This time, I got to be more involved in my other cousin’s wedding! I got to go to her bridal shower and help with some prep (vlog about that here) and then we got to go to her wedding spot for a little longer! So the wedding was up in Big Sur, a place most of us had never been before so it was so fun to get to go and explore and be in a new place for a little bit before the wedding festivities! Keep scrolling for a recap of what to do and where to stay!
Stay in the Big Sur Lodge- Unless you are going to camp, this is really your best option to actually stay in Big Sur and not in Monterey or Carmel, which is about an hour's drive away. There are a couple of other smaller hotel/cabin style places to stay, but they are not affiliated with Big Sur itself and are still a bit far away from some of the main things to do. Big Sur Lodge is also just a collection of cabins up in one campground style area, but it is closer to some of the things to do, and booking with them gets you to access to certain national park places in the area as well as beaches without paying for parking. The cabins have parking, bathrooms, and multiple rooms depending on how many people are staying in them. Very liveable and super cute! This is also great because they have a little restaurant and cafe that you have access to! I would also suggest bringing your own snacks and breakfast food to save a little money, as well as make sure you have a car! You cannot get around up there without one.
Go to Pfeiffer Beach- This beach was magical! It is definitely not a sit here and lay in the sun type of beach because of how windy and chilly it is, but it is gorgeous either way. Bundle up, bring your camera, and look at the gorgeous flowers, purple sand, and crazy rock formations this beach has to offer. Seriously just absolutely gorgeous!
Go to Henry Miller Library- This was the wedding for my cousin and her husband, but even if you aren’t getting married there it is still worth a visit. He was a writer and artist, but there were some pretty heavy erotic themes in his work so just be aware of that before you visit. The library itself has amazing books, some indy some mainstream, and gorgeous artwork everywhere. The front yard part of it also has crazy sculptures around it that really are just so weird and so cool. Definitely go visit, but be prepared for some out-of-the-box artwork.
Hikes- Now since we were there for the wedding, we didn’t have a lot of spare time to get to go on any hikes, but I did my fair share of research to find some awesome hikes for when I make it back. The first one I found that I think most people would recognize is the McWay Waterfall Trail. This is the photo I included below this blurb here and this is the most iconic photo of Big Sur (maybe besides the bridge). I left a link down below to show some other really awesome hikes in the area for people of all skill levels. It also lists out some photos you need to make sure you take as well as some beaches to see!
Go into Monterey for the day if you have time- I have been going to Monterey since I was little. When we lived in California we would go to the coast here every summer to enjoy the aquarium and the beach, and of course some incredible seafood. While I need to just make another master post of things to do in Monterey, if you were mainly spending time in Big Sur and needed a day in town, here are the highlights you cannot miss: the Monterey Bay Aquarium, walking around Fishermans Warf and getting a bowl of the best clam chowder in America at Fisherman’s Grotto, make sure you hit Cannery Row and Lovers Point beach to catch a glimpse of some otters chilling in the water!
I am so stoked to be vaccinated and making my way back out into the world. Hopefully, there is more traveling in my future this coming year and going forward!
You wanted to see any more from the trip to Big Su, here is the vlog from the trip! See you guys tomorrow!
Madey