Travelogue

Day 1 - Drive to Carmel, Walk around town, and Dinner at Treehouse Cafe

Carmel BeachSince this was our first trip down the coast in our self-driving Tesla, we had to plot where we would charge up. It turned out to be quite easy - a stop in Gilroy, and then a final top up in Monterey.

After checking into the Carmel Bay View Inn, where we had stayed twice in the past, we set off for a stroll through town, stopping at several photo galleries along the way. Carmel is quite the up-scale community, with every other storefront being either an art gallery or a fancy clothes boutique.

Fairy tale cottageIn less than a mile we arrived at Carmel Beach and the 3.5-mile Scenic Bluff Path that runs along scenic drive, starting at Carmel Beach’s northern end and winding along the ocean around Carmel Point all the way to Carmel River State Beach.

Not having kids of school age anymore, we totally forgot about Easter Break, so we were surprised to find the beach crowded with families on a weekday. We retirees get pretty spoiled with not having to deal with mid-week crowds, but we love kids so I had a lot of fun just watching them.

Dinner at the Tree House CafeWe walked along the sand for a while before realizing that the houses along Scenic Drive were the real points of interest, including one near Carmel Point that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1950s.

I just love Carmel’s charming, eclectic architecture, where each home is a unique work of art in its own right, ranging from whimsical “Hobbit-like” fairy tale cottages with stone chimneys and pitched roofs, to Mediterranean villas with stucco walls and red tile roofs, to modern, sustainable designs featuring rustic stone and large floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the incredible views.

After our stroll, we had a lovely dinner at the Treehouse Cafe, which has become our go-to restaurant when in Carmel. Despite only being able to get an indoor reservation, we managed to talk our way into a table on the lovely rooftop patio, right next to a heater, which made Herb very happy. The food and the ambience were wonderful as always.

Day 2 - Drive to Big Sur, Garrapatta State Park, Nepenthe Restaurant, Carmel Meadow Trail and Hike to Bird Island in Point Lobos

Garrapata State ParkThe main reason we chose to come to Carmel was to revisit the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, probably the most beautiful and photogenic section of the California coast, which is saying a lot.

However, when we checked in yesterday, we were told that it was Spring Break week, so the Point Lobos parking areas fill up by 8:00 am, and they stop letting cars in. Our only chance would be to try to get in around 5:00 pm when most people had left for the day. We liked this time best anyway, because that was when the lighting was best.

Garrapata State ParkSo instead, we decided to head out on a road trip down Big Sur, the rugged stretch of California’s central coast, bordered by the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

The non-stop beautiful scenery along narrow, winding Route 1 (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway) is breathtaking, making it hard to keep your eyes on the road.

Fortunately, there are dozens of pull-outs to safely enjoy the scenery.

You could spend days, if not weeks, exploring this section of the coast, but since we had only day, we had to be selective in our stops.

Nepenthe BrunchOur first stop was in Garrapata State Park, or at least a tiny piece of it. The entire park is nearly 3,000 acres of rocky coastal cliffs, beach, redwood canyons, and part of the Santa Lucia Range, but we just explored a tiny, but very pretty, piece of it along Highway 1 called - Soberanes Cove.

From a pull-out along the road, just south of Soberanes Creek, we took a short walk along a path overlooking the rocky outcrops and sea stacks of Soberanes Cove. Eventually, we came to a picturesque wooden bridge over the Creek, with a lovely two-tiered waterfall beneath it.

Nepenthe BrunchContinuing on, we stopped at several more pull-outs, obviously placed for their scenic vantage point above more jagged cliffs and rocky beaches.

A little further down Highway 1, there is a very popular restaurant called Nepenthe, perched high above the sea, with a lovely outdoor patio overlooking the Pacific. Since we were a little early for lunch, we decided to have brunch on the lower patio, which also had good views. Herb and I are on a bit of a healthy eating kick, so we avoided the temptation of bacon and eggs benedict with Hollandaise sauce and each got a very large Cobb Salad instead. I wonder how long this good behavior will last.

Carmel Meadow TrailFrom there we headed back north up Highway 1, hoping to stop at Pfeiffer Beach, but that too was closed off already because all the parking lots were full. Not having kids in school, Herb and I were very much clueless to the fact that this was a very big family vacation week.

It was only 3:00 pm when we got back to Carmel, too early to be able to get into Point Lobos, so Herb looked on Alltrails and found the Carmel Meadows Trail, which was sure to be a much less crowded choice than anything in Point Lobos.

Carmel Meadow TrailThis trail, also referred to as the Carmel River State Beach to Monastery Beach hike, was short but had a lot of bang for the buck, as it showcased the transition between the Carmel River and the jagged Pacific coastline, all in less than a mile. Plus, as promised, there were no other people.

By now it was almost 5:00, so we drove to the Point Lobos Gate and were able to get in.

Unlike our past visits here, the weather wasn’t all that great, so we didn’t really expect to get the Golden Hour we had experienced before. Still, even on a cloudy day, it is one of the most beautiful places along the California Coast, with 550-acres of dramatic rocky coastline, coves, and rolling meadows.

Carmel Meadow TrailAs usual, we headed directly to our favorite spot in Point Lobos - lovely Weston Beach, named after Ed Weston, the famous early to mid-20th century photographer, best known for his beautiful landscapes.

He was a friend of Ansel Adams and with him, one of the founders of the f/64 club, a group of 11 San Francisco Bay Area-based photographers that shared a common photographic style, based on precisely exposed, sharply detailed, un-manipulated images of natural forms.

Ed Weston lived (and died) in Carmel and spent much of his time photographing this beach.

Trail to Bird IslandThere is no sand on this beach, but rather very unique rock textures that provide for very interesting foregrounds. It is also known for its tide pools.

Unfortunately, today the light was just not cooperating, and the usually brightly colored rocks at sunset were a dull beige.

Bird IslandWhat did intrigue me though was what looked like snow-covered mountains right off the shore to the south of us.

I had been to that mountain on previous visits, and knew that it was Bird Island, and that the glimmering white was not snow, but bird poop. Still it looked beautiful.

So, we set off on the South Shore Trail towards Bird Island, the trail for which began from the parking lot at the end of the road.

China CoveFrom there we took the Bird Island loop trail, where we passed between Monterey pine woods and the ocean.

At the end, we were treated to a view of China Cove, as well as views down onto the larger, white-sand Gibson Beach. Gibson Beach is accessible via a staircase, but China Beach has been closed off since 2015.

Weston BeachThe sea pounds the cliffs along this section, enlarging the cracks and faults in the granite cliffs, creating caves, which slowly become arches, and eventually isolated rock croppings such as Bird Island.

Spring and summer is definitely the best time to do this hike, because that’s when the harbor seals are pupping on China Cove Beach, and a large seabird colony of cormorants, Western gull, and black-crowned night herons take over Bird Island. Today, all we saw were a few hundred cormorants.

After finishing the Bird Island Loop, we headed back north on the South Shore trail to Weston Beach. Despite the clouds, Herb was able to find a little bit of golden hour to photograph the glow on the rocks.

Then, just like that, the light was gone. So we ate our sandwiches in the car and then headed back to our hotel.

Day 3 - 17-Mile Drive, Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row, and Point Lobos

Spanish Bay Vista PointThe next morning we decided to head over to Pacific Grove and drive along 17-Mile Drive, a private toll road through a ritzy neighborhood that includes the famous Pebble Beach golf course and some incredible scenery. At the gate, we paid our $11.75 per vehicle.

The drive began though a lush forest before quickly opening up to the Pacific Ocean. From there we drove along the rugged shoreline, stopping at various beaches, coves, and rocky shorelines along the way.

Cormorants at Spanish BayThe most beautiful stop was Lone Cypress, a Monterey Cypress tree standing atop a granite headland overlooking Carmel Bay - one of the most photographed trees in North America.

It is believed to be about 250 years old, which means it began its life when this area was part of New Spain, grew up as part of Mexico, and finally became part of the United States in 1850.

Lone Cypress TreeAfter completing the 17-Mile Drive, we drove the short distance to Monterey to take the obligatory walk out onto Fisherman’s Wharf, which reminded me a lot of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf in its touristy kitsch - the kind of place where you never find a local.

What we did find, however, was a very good restaurant called the Old Fisherman’s Grotto. Considered a classic Monterey institution, this restaurant is highly regarded for its upscale atmosphere, commitment to sustainable seafood, and award-winning clam chowder.

Its white tablecloths and dark wood walls, covered with movie posters and photos of celebrity patrons, had an old-school elegance.

Fisherman's WharfWe started off with a huge Pear & Gorgonzola Salad, topped with Candied Walnuts, which would have been enough food for me.
But there was more. I had the petrale sole and shrimp piccata, and Herb had the rock cod. Both were delicious.

To be honest, I hadn’t expected to have such an upscale, elegant experience on such a touristy, somewhat kitchy, wharf.

We were stuffed.

Cypress Grove TrailWe stopped back at our hotel room before heading out for another evening at Point Lobos.

We got back to the Point Lobos entrance around 4:00 pm but the entry was still blocked by cones. Finally around 5:00 enough cars had left to allow us to enter.

The weather was still pretty cloudy, so instead of heading to Weston Beach, we stopped at the parking lot where the Cypress Grove Trail began. With its old-growth cypress trees, bright orange/red moss, and stunning coastal views, it is considered one of the most beautiful trails in the park - and that is saying a lot.

Cypress Grove TrailWhen we came to the beginning of the loop in the trail, we went left which took us into the cypress trees, one of the last of two naturally growing stands of Monterey cypress trees on Earth. The other grove is across Carmel Bay at Cypress Point.

Thousands of years ago, these cypresses extended over a much wider range, but climate change has forced these trees to withdraw to these fog-shrouded headlands.

Cypress Grove TrailFearful that they would be lost forever, the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve was created to protect them.

After hiking through the trees, the path opened up to a stunning view of coastal rocks - my kind of view!!! We spent a bit of time photographing there, trying to do it justice.

Tearing ourselves away from the coastal view, we re-entered a grove of trees, noticing that many of them were covered in a velvety orange-colored moss. Ah yes, we were on the north-facing side of the loop.

Cypress Grove TrailI later found out that this colorful moss is Trentepohlia, an algae whose orange color comes from carotene, a pigment which also occurs in carrots. Like Spanish moss, its growth does not harm the trees. It just makes them look prettier.

We were now hiking above Pinnacle Cove. Across the cove there was a beautiful cliff, with half a dozen tiny waterfalls popping up and disappearing with each wave that entered the cove.

Cypress Grove TrailBefore we knew it, we were back at the parking lot. From there we continued along the Sand Hill Trail which led us out to a rocky point on the south side of Sea Lion Cove called Puna de los Lobos Marinos. From here we looked down at the churning waves known as the Devil’s Cauldron.

South Shore TrailOnce back on the South Shore Trail, we walked together for a bit before I volunteered to go back and get the car and meet Herb at Weston Beach.

Weston Beach was still not aglow because of all the clouds, so we called it a day and headed back to the hotel.

Although the weather could have been a little better, it was still a wonderful 3-day getaway.