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te lezen tips kustroute Carmel--> Santa Barbara

Discussie gestart

Mikke

We vertrekken in juni voor onze rondreis in California. Onze Amerikaanse vriend Joe hebben we om wat tips gevraagd en Joe is een echte *kletskous* dus wie weet halen jullie er ook nog leuke tips uit!

Gr. Angela

Here's a "driving guide" going south:

As you go south from Monterey/Carmel, you'll eventually pass the Point Sur lighthouse on your right. A
littel further along you'll come to Andrew Molera State Park. There is a spectacular "cliff trail" here
that goes along the top cliffs about 100 feet high right next to the Pacific Ocean: nothing but
wildflowers to one side, 100-foot views of the ocean to the other side. (You have to walk about a mile
from the parking lot to get to the beginning of the cliff trail, but it's well worth it.)

A little further south of the Park, you get to the "village" of Big Sur. Stop by a hotel or store or
restaurant or gas station and ask someone where to find the following places (this list is in order going
south, and covers a distance of about 14 miles along Highway 1):

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Pfeiffer Beach Nepenthe Restaurant Deetjen's Big Sur Inn Partington Cove
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has trails that walk around enormous, 1000 year-old redwood trees.

A bit further south, a really-not-all-that-obvious sign on the right marks the entrance to Pfeiffer
Beach. (You'll find that there are a lot of *different* things named "Pfeiffer" in Big Sur. The Pfeiffers
were early Scandinavian settlers there.) You'll drive a couple of miles down Sycamore Canyon, arrive at a
parking area, and arrive at a beach so wild and unspoiled it looks like something a dinosaur might wander
out onto. Huge rocks as big as cathedrals with waves crashing through tunnels in the rocks. Pelicans
flying over head. Clothing is optional at the far end of the beach. This is a great late-afternoon or
sunset spot.

A little further south, on the right, is THE single place you should stop if you're just doing a one-day
drive down the coast: Nepenthe (831) 667-2345--and especially if you work the trip so you're in Big Sur
Village near sunset. It's a restaurant and bar, all wood and looking out over the pacific. Get a seat at
the "rail" on the porch in back, a glass of wine and the shrimp appetizer. Or maybe a Nepenthe burger.
Whatever you choose, linger and soak in the view as you sit and watch the sun set over the Pacific.

About a half a mile further south, on the left, is Deetjen's Big Sur Inn.  If you'd like to stay a night
in Big Sur, the single most evocative and atmospheric place is Deetjen's (831) 667-2377. They book WAY in
advance, and they're not cheap. But it's rustic, historic, beautiful, and incredibly romantic. If you
stay there, eat both dinner and breakfast at the Inn (FANTASTIC food). And when you guys are in your
room, look for the "journal books" that are in each room. Read the entries written by all the people who
have previously stayed in the room, describing their hopes and fears and dreams and paths in life. And
then write a story of your own!

I should mention that you won't find chain motels or McDonalds in Big Sur--or even many TVs or phones!
Big Sur is like a little world all to itself, wild and unspoiled and beautiful.

Leaving Deetjen's, about 5 miles further south, you'll come to a broad, open curve in the road and
there'll probably be cars parked on either side. This is Partington Cove. A metal gate on the right marks
the trailhead to a winding trail that goes down to the cove proper, a rocky crescent into which waves
rush, crash and leap tens of feet into the air. You'll find lots of little piles of stones there, a Big
Sur tradition: people pile up "spirit stones" as symbolic (or real, depending on your point of view)
homes for the spirits that reside there.

You'll find that at one point along the trail going down there's a small trail that branches off to the
left and goes over a little wooden bridge over a creek, and continues through a 100 foot tunnel carved
right into a rock outcropping. On the other side is yet another unbelievably beautiful cove where you
might see some sea-otters frolicking.

About a mile farther south (now about 14 miles south of Big Sur Village) you'll come to Julia Pfeiffer
Burns State Park. Pull off, park in the lot, walk along the walkway that goes through a tunnel under Hwy
1, and follow the trail to the right. You'll be treated to an amazing view of a fairy-tale cove with
turquoise blue water and McWay Falls, a freshwater stream that leaps off a cliff and falls down right
onto the beach.

As you go farther south, the road will become even more winding and spectacular, and I have to make a
conscious effort to make sure I'm looking at the road as much as over the cliffs and the ocean.

About 10 miles south of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park you come to the town of Lucia. As you approach
the town from the north, drive slowly and look on the left for a sign for the New Camaldoli Hermitage, a
Benedictine monastery located high up on a hill. You can drive up the winding road and walk around the
grounds of the monastery, taking in the spectacular views of the ocean and take a peek inside the really
cool chapel. (It's a cloistered monastery, so you won't see many of the monks around, although some
friendly brother will be in the bookstore, where you can also buy several varieties of really cool
incense--ask if they have the "negro" which smells great!)

About 35 miles south of Lucia (about four or five miles north of San Simeon) look for a parking area on
the right for the Point Piedras Blancas sea otter preserve. (It's just past a lighthouse.) Walk over to
the beach and see a carpet of sea lions (depending on the time of day, their mood, etc.) stretched out on
the sand.

San Simeon is home to the Hearst Castle, the former home of William Randolph Hearst, a big newspaper
publisher and a super-rich dude. The Castle is open for tours, and it's really is like a castle, with
amazing architechture, landscaping and art.

If you stay in San Simeon, the Motel 6 there is cheap, clean, and very nice for the money.

Further south, a good place to have lunch is the Big Sky Cafe in San Luis Obispo (1121 Broad St., (805)
545-5401). If you stop there, ask someone to direct you to "Bubblegum Alley." It has to be seen to be
believed. There's also an old Spanish mission church in San Luis Obispo that is really beautiful.

Further south, you can get into Santa Barbara. Check out the University of California at Santa Barbara
campus--if you've never seen the UCSB campus, it's well worth having a look...it's has the most
unbelievably beautiful location of any campus in the country, on a promontory surrounded by beaches.
(They even have their own LAGOON!)
#1 - 21-05-2005, 13:02 uur
Boston 1999, Florida 2003, Florida 2004 en dan eindelijk Westkust 2005!

KH

Hey Mikke, bedankt!
Wij vertrekken in augustus, ik heb alvast een afdruk van je tips gemaakt.... merci
#2 - 22-05-2005, 10:30 uur

Mikke

Hoi,
We wilden eigenlijk ook een beetje langs het stuk naar beneden "racen". Omdat we het zelf ook erg leuk vinden om de wat minder bekende hotspots te bekijken, hebben we nav Joe's tips besloten, om ietje langer over het traject te doen. Op deze manier kunnen we een aantal van die dingen zoals beschreven mooi ff meepikken!
#3 - 22-05-2005, 11:30 uur
Boston 1999, Florida 2003, Florida 2004 en dan eindelijk Westkust 2005!

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