With beautiful coastal views that stretch between 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, California, through Highway 1 in Big Sur, Monterey County, you will find one of the most scenic road trips across America. While traffic can cause a bit of a holdup, and lane closures due to rockslides and mudslides are not uncommon, you may find yourself too caught up in the surrounding natural beauty to care. Inspiring writers such as Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller, and Jack Kerouac, this road trip may have you stopping at the Bixby Bridge Vista Point just to enjoy the sights.
A Woodland Nymph Welcomes You
Herbalist Micha Merrick offers herbal healing rituals at the Post Ranch Inn and the Esalen Institute.
This woodland nymph will guide you toward an earthly connection, harvesting dozens of native herbs and flowers that have been used as medicinal plants for centuries by the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. You can gather gem marigolds, mugwort, rosemary, yarrow, bay laurel, lavender, and various types of sage as Merrick guides you through smelling and exploring each one.
“You wouldn’t just run up to a human friend and cut off their hair,” Merrick said. “When we meet our plant friends, approach with appreciation. Be kind and grateful like you would treat a human friend.”
Surrounded by Natural Beauty
Surrounding Post Ranch Inn’s 100 acres are plenty of charming hiking trails, but just a short drive away are more state parks, waterfalls, and beaches ready for you to discover.
In Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is Partington Cove, a quick and easy hike where you can enjoy a scenic picnic on the rocks or potentially spot otters swimming and endangered condors soaring across the sky.
“There were zero condors in the wild until the late 1990s,” said hiking guide Everitt Keneipp from Big Sur Guides. Everitt estimates that roughly 90 condors visit Big Sur now, all of which have been tagged and nicknamed by locals.
Culinary Cusine in Carmel-by-the-Sea
After immersing yourself in nature, you can head back to civilization to take advantage of the delicious dining scene in Carmel-by-the-Sea in Monterey County.
As the only restaurant between San Francisco and Los Angeles with two Michelin stars, Aubergine is a jewel box dining room that houses just six tables. With cuisine whipped up by award-winning Chef Justin Cogley, the tasting menu here is a masterpiece, including a collection of bite-sized canapés, a dry-aged rack of lamb, and ribeye bursting with bold umami.
Just a short distance away, Chez Noir, also a Michelin-star restaurant, is run by a husband-and-wife team, Jonny and Monique Black, who live upstairs. Executing flawless Escoffier recipes and delectable bites like grilled avocado topped with sustainable local caviar and finger lime, the full menu is always available, along with à la carte snacks such as Monterey Bay abalone basted in liver butter.
Boutique Hotels to Rest In
Just a block from Carmel Beach and the pristine air are several boutique hotels that have opened in the past couple of years, such as the 16-room Villa Mara and the 26-room Carmel Beach Hotel.
The lovely landscape of Villa Mara invites you to relax at this bohemian bed and breakfast. With a cozy plant-filled lobby, you can enjoy a locally sourced complimentary breakfast each morning beside a wood-burning fireplace. Carmel Beach Hotel invites you to relax in luxury and serenity throughout its seven historic buildings. You can take pleasure in deluxe amenities here, like a spa that offers caviar facials and an oasis sea salt scrub.
This tiny beach town is home to more than just boutique hotels. There are plenty of high-end shopping opportunities mixed with quirky collectibles stores and wine-tasting rooms.
Stretching across Carmel’s charm and Big Sur’s majestic nature, California’s Central Coast is one of those rare places that makes you feel safe and sound.
