Wife and I are headed out to the Big Sur area at the end of May. We have no interest in seeing LA or San Francisco so we'll fly into Monterey and stay in that mid coast area. Looking for tips on places to stay, eat snd see. Things we know we want to do: downtown Monterey, Carmel, 17 mile drive around Pebble Beach, drive the PCH down to San Luis Obispo..also go see Sequoia NP. Any other recommendations? We'll have 7 to 8 days out there. Is Tahoe worth the drive over? Yosemite NP? TIA

Yosemite is gorgeous and would be great to visit that time of year (peak waterfall viewing), but you're looking at prob a 5 hr drive one way from the coast where you're planning to stay.

If you really want to visit, I would recommend staying in Mariposa one or two nights and flying out from Fresno.

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17 mile drive around Pebble Beach

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Meh. Dated houses getting in the way of great views.
Point Lobos State Natural Preserve was much nicer IMO.
JMO.

Go to the Monterey Aquarium and plan to spend an entire afternoon there. It's amazing.

Don't overlook Point Lobos. I haven't actually been to it but have heard great things and want to see it next time we go out that way.

Monterrey can be a bit of tourist trap IMO. Carmel is way better.

Went to a conference in the fall there for the first time, but here's my opinions.

One of our favorite days was the drive down the PCH to Big Sur and Andrew Molera state park down there. We grabbed sandwiches to go at Compagno's deli and ate them at the park

I liked 17 mile drive and thought it was well worth the $12.50 (or whatever it was). I thought it was neat to compare the natural beauty of PCH to the manmade beauty of 17 mile drive.

We were disappointed in Monterey Aquarium. It's $65 for adults. My only free day was a Saturday, so I'm sure that skewed some of my perspective because it was so busy it was uncomfortable to move around some of the exhibits. Someone told us that the county might have had free admission to county residents that month, so maybe that's why it was so busy though.

One of our favorite brunches was The Grill at Point Pinos, which is a golf clubhouse but really good food and it's pretty around there as well.

Rosine's in old Monterey was decent and I'd go again. The Monterey pier is very touristy feeling but there were a lot of sea lions there if you want to see that.

The Sardine Factory in Monterey - Still my wife's all-time favorite restaurant. We also enjoyed the Hurst Castle and seeing a huge colony of elephant sea lions along the way. Beautiful country you will enjoy.

We lived in Pacific Grove 10 years ago. Big Sur is my happy place.

Walk the wharf for free clam chowder samples. I like Old Fisherman's Grotto. Gianni's pizza was down the street from our house and we loved it. Last time we were there was for a wedding, the rehearsal dinner was there. But it's pizza. We liked Petra in PG for Mediterranean. And Red House in PG was always good.

Driving Big Sur. Where does it start? Some say Carmel Highlands, but the Beach Boys sang "have you ever been south of Monterey?"

Probably won't be able to drive all of it. Came from the south a couple of years ago, couldn't go north of Limekiln. South, should be able to make it to Julia Pfieffer Burns, this is the epic waterfall into the sea.



When you get there, or really any state park in Big Sur, don't pay to park. Just park on the highway, but it's a tight fit.



The River Inn is a great stop. You can eat in the restaurant, get food from the shop and picnic by the river, or get ice cream from the bus. Hang out in the grass by the river though behind the inn.



Never explored Point Sur light, but they do tours every so often.



Garrapata is a good beach, lots of hiking.

Pfieffer Beach, not to be confused with Julia Pfieffer Burns, is hidden, but worth going to. No sign, just make the sharp turn at the narrow road sign. Has a cool arch and purple sand.



At the beaches, be careful! Sneaker waves can get you. We were at a beach once and our kids were climbing on a rock. Big waves washes in and strands them 50 yards out. Luckily the rock didn't get completely awashed, but could have been disastrous.

The road closure. Been closed asking few years due to winter storms causing slides. They are putting in some tunnels to prevent it. Don't think it is complete yet. So you'll need to find a way from PCH to 101. In Kings City, you can cut back to PCH via Fort Hunter Liggett.

Why cut back, well the Beach Boys also sang "have you ever been north of Morro Bay?"

This part of Big Sur is home to the elephant seals and zebras.

The elephant seals are at San Simeon state park. Don't know if they have reopened the pier, was damaged when I was last there at new years 2024.

The zebras are owned by the Hearst Corporation. Driving by their land, you'll see cows, zebras, and elk.



Can also tour the Hearst Castle. My then 19 year old daughter loved it.

Pierre's Blanco light also has tours. It is oddly missing its top.

Sand Dollar Beach is my favorite, has a sea cave if the tides are right. And the sign at it still says USSR.



Ragged Point is what most people consider the southern terminus of Big Sur. You'll notice a major shift in the ruggedness of the coast. Check out the portal there.



Last trip found a place that was my new favorite, Arroyo Hondo. South of Ragged Point and on private land, but they allow access.



Morro Bay we ate at La Katrina.

Sequoia, just a bunch of big trees! Only been there once, walked the Grove while heading to Kings Canyon to hike Raes Lake.

My son used to live in Monterey. I can vouch for The Sardine Factory. Great restaurant!

Appreciate all the replies. We ended up booking a cabin surrounded by some old redwoods in Aptos. Apparently there is some music festival going on that weekend so we thought staying out of town might be better. We'll still hit all the spots but have some quieter nights at the cabin. Also decided to fly to PHX from Monterey and drive-up to Sedona/Flagstaff for a few other days. Looking forward to it!

Only thing I know about that side of the bay is to listen to 107.5, KPIG.

Monterey is fantastic.

I'll also emphasize Point Lobos. We saw dozens of humpbacks breaching several hundred yards off the coast there. Probably 50 breaches in half an hour. It was awesome.

Mission Ranch Restaurant in Carmel was awesome.

A day we had that I would absolutely re-create if I went back was a few hours at Refuge (a silent spa, various hot and cold pools, fire pits, etc. - take a good book and just relax) followed by dinner at Folktale Winery & Vineyards. Food, wine, and vibe were all great.

Re: 17 Mile Drive, I recommend doing it on e-bikes. Stop at Pebble Beach and grab a drink someplace and watch a few folks come in on 18.

I wasn't a big fan of the downtown area in Carmel By The Sea. If you want to check it out try to do it on a weekday. Gets very crowded.

Double check if you need reservations to get into Yosemite or Sequoia/Kings

Go to Sunday Brunch at Mission Ranch.
Reasonably priced and best brunch we have ever eaten. Sit outside. Beautiful view of Carmel River coming into Monterrey Bay.

Hearst Castle is worth the drive and cost

Last time out we spent a night in Cambria. From the front of our motel, which was across the street from the beach, we could see whales.

Had to move our dates around. Now going at the end of April which actually works out better as it'll be on our 35th Anniversary. Flying into Monterey as there's a direct from DFW so we'll avoid SF. Booked the Embassy Suites and we'll do everything around Monterey/Carmel. 17 mile drive, drive south down the coast. Hit some wineries and olive oil farms in Paso Robles, drive over to Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP and then do whatever….looking forward to it. Appreciate all the suggestions!

If you want an excellent guide in the Seoquia NP email me. I travel extensively as a travel agency owner and our guide was one of the most informative I've experiences in a NP. Also Star gazing in Sequoia is fantastic.

harringtontravelco said:

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If you want an excellent guide in the Seoquia NP email me. I travel extensively as a travel agency owner and our guide was one of the most informative I've experiences in a NP. Also Star gazing in Sequoia is fantastic.

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Thanks Brooke.
Unfortunately we only have a day at Sequoia and Kings NP so not a-lot of time to explore. We'll hit the General Sherman and Grant trees and whatever else we can squeeze in.

Beautiful pictures

Appreciate all the replies. We got back home last night after spending six days in Monterey/Big Sur area. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Seaside the whole time and did day trips. First off we flew into Monterey Regional (MRY) directly from DFW. Very small but AA serviced with a Airbus so not too bad. Only about a 10 minute drive to Monterey so definitely a time saver. Great eats included The Monterey Fish House, The Sardine Factory (our favorite of the trip) near Cannery Row, Eastwood's Mission Ranch where the Prime Rib and scallops were top notch and From Scratch in Carmel for breakfast. Places we hit were Whale Watching (Princess Cruises I think?) out of Old Fishermans Wharf, very chilly two hours but we saw several humpback whales. Downtown Carmel, 17-mile drive around Pebble Beach, absolute gorgeous drive down to Big Sur on Pacific Coast Highway 1 to Julie Phieffer Burns State Park. Ate at Nepenthe's for lunch..food was ok but views made up for it ( think The Oasis on Lake Travis)..Drove up to Santa Cruz and saw the Redwoods at Colwell State Park. That to me was the highlight of the trip! Words and pictures don't do justice you got to see them with your own eyes…Santa Cruz boardwalk was surprisingly very very nice. Lowlight was the day we spent in Paso Robles…a lot of the downtown businesses were closed (Tuesday) and because part of PCH was closed we had to take Hwy 68 so nothing but miles of lettuce fields which got old quick! Overall just a fantastic trip. If we go again we'll stay in Carmel as we spent much our time around there.

AgRyan04 said:

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Double check if you need reservations to get into Yosemite or Sequoia/Kings

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They recently announced you need reservations for Yosemite to enter park

I spend a lot of time in Carmel and it is one of my favorite places. we usually rent a house near Ocean Ave, so we can walk to the beach and walk downtown..

Carmel (Things to do, not in order)

1, Mission Ranch - Clint Eastwood's place. Great place to grab a drink and small bit while getting a view of Carmel River Beach.

2. Carmel Beach - Beautiful Beach with views or the ocean, pebble beach golf course and the area. I love to swim and play in the water here during the summer, but warning the water is pretty cold. And in Carmel it is almost never hot. It can be cool even in the middle of summer. Always have a sweatshirt/sweater ready, even when on the beach. Can be a little windy, but most real beaches are. If you are here at sunset, the view is a must. Most people all go down to the beach every night to watch the sunset. Amazing views.

3. Carmel River Beach - this is on the south side of town, cannot swim in the ocean her the majority of the time because water is not safe, but is a nice place to spend day. If you don't mind cold water, where the river flows into the ocean is rally nice to wade into and swim around some. I enjoy the area.

4. La Playa Hotel - Lots of people walk here to have cocktails and great food. It was renovated like two years ago, very classic hotel feel. Perfect for afternoon, even stop.

5. The Mission - I like visiting the mission in California. Learning the history and how these communities started. Some people are into these spots, but I still like going to them.

6. Ocean Ave - lots of amazing shops and restaurants in this area. Great to walk into the art galleries, high end clothing, tourist shops, etc. If you like candy, go to Cottage of the Sweets, looks like a hobbit village. Great candy store. Carmel Bakery is also very good. Get the pretzel or a cookie. amazing

7. Dinner/Drinks - We love to go to Vesuvio and grab a drink on the rooftop and sit around one of the fire pits or fire places. Great drinks, good food. Usually good people watching. The are great places all over if you just walk around and see what fits your style. Some along the side streets. Love downtown carmel. If staying in the area, small little grocery store across the street for fresh meats and vegetables

8. Pacific Grove/Monterrey - Lots of places to go in this area. It is going to be a liitle more touristy. The Chart House here has amazing food, The freshest seafood and has some great views of the water.

9. Point Lobos - You must do. Get there early and avoid the crowds. Walk around and see every view. They are all unique and memorable.

10 If driving down to Big Sur and a little beyond. one of my favorite places is here Sierra Mar breathtaking views, amazing food. must check it out. Dine | Big Sur Hotels | Post Ranch Inn | Carmel Luxury Resort

Are you going to stay in San Luis Obispo or are you going to try and drive back? That can be a very, very long drive. Beautiful, but very long.. May want to stay downtown SLO or Pismo Beach if you do. I know places in each spot if that is what you choose to do.

Also think about what you really want to see. If you are going to want to see Yosemite or Sequoia, I would recommend like someone else did about flying out of Fresno and not driving back. Usually will take closer to 6 hours each way. Definitely not a day trip and need reservation to enter Yosemite.

I don't think Tahoe visits into your schedule unless you want to spend a lot of time in the car.