Weekend Itinerary for Highway 1 and Big Sur
LA -> PIsmo Beach -> BIg Sur
This post provides a great weekend itinerary up the California Coast on Highway 1 to Big Sur.
What an absolutely DREAMY weekend! Thursday afternoon Jason and I left LA after work. We had a wonderful chill drive up to Pismo Beach watching the sunset over the ocean as we drove through the mountains. Once we got to the hotel, we enjoyed some beers on our balcony and took in the view of the pier.
Friday after work, we hit the road for Big Sur. The work stress went away as we took in the coastline views and lost cell phone service. So refreshing. Our first stop was (of course) stopping to see the elephant seals. We then continued to our campground in the redwoods. These tall giants always amaze me. We realized the sites were kind of on top of each other, but we didn’t mind and we got lucky with some nice neighbors. We had tacos for dinner in the cast iron over the jet boil.
Day 1: LA -> Pismo Beach
- Drive time: 3-4 hr
- Lodging: Vespera Resort Pismo Beach
- Activities: enjoy sunset on the beach and our ocean and pier view
- Dinner: homemade sandwiches
Pfeiffer Beach
Sunset was at 8:13 pm. After dinner, we headed over to Pfeiffer Beach to watch it. I absolutely love this place. We walked out to find a spot on the slightly chilly beach. After we got settled, we watched the waves. Then, Jason gives me a 4-year anniversary gift. It was a book he made that celebrates our story in pictures over our past 4 years together. After that, he surprises me by proposing!! Now, we are both happy crying and are just so incredibly happy. I love our love SO much.
Day 2: Pismo Beach -> Big Sur
- Drive time: 3 hr
- Lodging: Fernwood Resort
- Activities: Morning beach walk, drive up Highway 1, Set up camp in the redwoods, and enjoy the sunset at Pfeiffer Beach
- Breakfast/Lunch: at the hotel
Dinner: Homemade tacos
HIking and Lunch with a View
We spent the rest of the weekend in pure bliss. Saturday morning we went on a simple nature walk by the river at our campground, made coffee, had breakfast, and headed out to explore.
Partington Cove was our first stop. This shorter hike down to the water is a great one. Next, we ate lunch at Nepenthe which is a MUST DO if it’s your first time in Big Sur. This restaurant sits up high overlooking the coastline and the views are stunning. Not to mention, great food and drinks too. Afterward, we hiked to Andrew Molera State Beach. This is a flat hike out to the beach. All throughout Big Sur and on this hike, be sure to look out for Poison Oak. We saw it frequently throughout our day.
Day 3: Big Sur -> Carmel
- Drive time: 1 hr
- Lodging: Vagabond Bed & Breakfast
- Activities: Slow morning at camp, hike Partington Cove, explore Andrew Molera State Park, check into B&B
- Breakfast: overnight oats
- Lunch: Nepenthe (GREAT ocean views)
- Dinner: Labalena (delicious Italian spot)
Carmel-by-the-sea
We spent the rest of Saturday evening in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel is a quaint, romantic town where you can spend hours wandering the streets. We ate at La Balena, a delicious Italian restaurant. On Sunday, we had a slow morning with breakfast delivered by our B&B and more street exploring. We didn’t want to leave the Vagabond B&B – this is the cutest boutique hotel that felt like a little villa. It had boho modern decor with very nice bedding, our own fireplace, heated bathroom floors, an antique free-standing bathtub, and 2 vanity sinks!
Day 4: Carmel -> LA
- Drive time: 6 hr
- Lodging: Home
- Activities: Explore Carmel and downtown Paso Robles
- Breakfast: Vagabond B&B
- Lunch: Carmel Belle
Sunday afternoon we started our drive back home. Along the drive, we stopped in Paso Robles to grab pizza and pasta. We planned to visit a winery but didn’t want to overwhelm our drive back to LA. If you are considering planning a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur (and maybe a proposal), I hope this helps you plan your trip!
If you have any questions feel free to reach out on my Contact Page!