Half Moon Bay to Big Sur and What We Did In-Between
The California coast has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to visit lots of different areas in the state, but the coast is always where I feel the most happy. On my most recent trip, my husband and I flew into San Francisco and spent the week driving Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay to Big Sur. Since we didn’t land until after 3 pm, our first night really consisted of grabbing a quick dinner at In-N-Out (always a must stop), driving to Half Moon Bay to check in to our hotel, take a walk on the beach to catch the sunset and rest up for the next day.
I really wanted to stay on the water so I booked a room at the Beach House, Half Moon Bay. What a lovely place it was! Our room was spacious, clean and had a balcony overlooking the bay. We were greeted with sea lions doing flips in the water and the most beautiful sunset. We didn’t get a chance to explore the town of Half Moon Bay other than to grab a coffee, but I would love to spend more time there in the future. One thing I will say about our hotel was how amazing the breakfast was. Local bagels and pastries, house made jams and butters and delicious coffee. I would definitely stay here again.
Day two of our California adventure took us from Half Moon Bay to Pescadero. Not a long drive by any means but certainly a beautiful one. We stopped at Cowell Ranch Beach which is located only about 10 minutes from Half Moon Bay. It was a beautiful half mile walk to see the cliffs and we had the place to ourselves. It’s free to visit and is right on Highway 1 so you drive right past it!
The main reason we planned this trip to California was to attend our second Outstanding in the Field dinner. Outstanding in the Field is a unique dining experience that brings people together for a farm to table meal in unique outdoor settings such as farms, beaches, vineyards and even mountain tops. This year we chose the dinner that was being held at the Secret Sea Cove in Pescadero and right on the beach. We couldn’t have been gifted a nicer day. The sun was shining, the food was amazing and the conversation was lovely. There is no assigned seating (unless you have a larger party) and dinner is served family style at one long table! If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out their website. They have already started releasing dates and locations for 2025.
After our incredible dinner, we checked into the Costanoa Lodge in Pescadero. This property is absolutely stunning and offers camping sites, glamping, cabins and a hotel lodge. There is a farm to table restaurant on site with a fabulous drink menu, a spa, hiking trails, yoga and so much more. We stayed in the lodge in a wonderful room with a balcony overlooking the mountains. And unfortunately we were so tired after our dinner that I forgot to take pictures of our room! We had a fabulous breakfast at Cascade and then packed up. Next stop, Carmel-by-the-Sea.
On our way to Carmel-by-the-Sea, we made a pit stop at the Año Nuevo State Park to see the elephant seals that live there. There is a $10 fee to get into the park and you need a permit during most of the year. Check the website ahead of time if you plan on visiting! The wild life viewing area of the natural preserve is open for self-guided hiking and you can get your free permit at the entrance between 8:30 am and 3:30 p.m. No reservations are required. The hike to get to the seals is around 4 miles round trip with varied terrain and sand dunes. The scenery is beautiful and filled with ocean views and wildlife. This time of year the elephant seals are all juveniles and mostly male. There are docents on site to answer questions about the seals and if you’re lucky, you might even spot a whale in the distance.
After our hike, we finished the drive to Carmel-by-the-Sea! This would be our home base for the rest of the trip and I was so excited for this part. We had three nights booked at Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave, a super chic boutique hotel located right on Ocean Ave in the heart of town. We chose this hotel not only because of the location, but for the on site parking, champagne continental breakfast and warm cookies delivered nightly haha. We also loved the nightly cocktail hour! We finished our first night in town with dinner at Stationaery and it was incredible. We couldn’t stop talking about the Basque cheesecake! Something to note is that this town is very walkable and most restaurants close by 9 pm, even on the weekends.
It has been a dream of mine to return to Big Sur since I first drove through in 2011. All of the other times we were in California and could have visited, the roads were closed due to landslides. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit since we were so close. Big Sur is only about an hour south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. We stopped for pictures in front of the Bixby bridge and stopped at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to see McWay Falls. Just an fyi that at the time I am writing this (November 2024) Highway 1 is still closed just 5 miles after the park. McWay Falls is more beautiful than I imagined and the pictures don’t do it justice. We also made time to stop and have lunch at Nepenthe (it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had) and have a beer in the river at the Big Sur River Inn. The Inn was such a cool stop and I would love to go back and actually stay there. Another thing to note is that there is zero cell service in this area!
The rest of our time in Carmel-by-the-Sea was spent exploring, eating and shopping. We visited Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and of course took the famous 17 mile drive. We had lunch at The Bench with views overlooking the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, a fabulous meal at La Bicyclette, coffees from Carmel Valley Coffee and Cafe Carmel and an unforgettable raspberry cheesecake cruffin from Rise & Roam. There are so many great places to grab a meal or a drink in town! Some of the other places that we didn’t make it to but are definitely worth mentioning are:
Katy’s Place
Mission Ranch
Little Swiss Cafe
Pangea Grill
Vesuvio
There is nothing quite like a California sunset. They were the perfect ending to each of our adventurous days. Sunset pics are from Garrapata State Park, Carmel Sunset Beach, Half Moon Bay and a beach in Pescadero.
What a fabulous week we had exploring and making memories. California will always hold a special place in my heart. Is doing a California road trip on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments!
As always thank you for reading and I hope this inspires you to plan that next adventure!
x, Julie