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ROAD TRIP

Pacific Coast Highway

The coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles is all about slowing down and swooning. Backdrops like this will bring out anyone's inner romantic
By Josh Sens, February 2006 issue |

  • Carmel River Inn Hwy. 1 at Oliver Rd., Carmel, 800/882-8142, carmelriverinn.com, from $89

    • Food

    California's legendary Big Sur coastline (Steve Giralt) [enlarge photo]

    FEBRUARY 2006 ISSUE
    • Table of Contents
    • Secret Hotels of Costa Rica
    • Europe on the Quick: A Long Weekend in Stockholm
    • Pacific Coast Highway
    • Trip Coach: Spain, Portugal, and the Azores
    • Shut Up and Ski
    • 40 Best Vacations

  • Arcangeli Grocery Co. 287 Stage Rd., Pescadero, 650/879-0147, loaf of artichoke bread $5

  • Gelatomania Café 110 Cooper St., Santa Cruz, 831/426-7117, gelato $3.75

  • Cafe Rustica 10 Delfino Pl., Carmel Valley, 831/659-4444, pizza $12

    • Activities

  • Bigfoot Discovery Museum 5497 Hwy. 9, Felton, 831/335-4478

  • 17-Mile Drive Pebble Beach exit off Hwy. 1 south, pebblebeach.com, car fee $9

    • Day 2: Carmel to San Luis Obispo

    We awoke at daybreak to visit Earthbound Farm in Carmel. An all-organic operation, Earthbound sells its own produce and freshly made foods from a quaint storefront. I got a Like-a-lada smoothie (made with pineapple, coconut, and banana), which I liked-a-sorta, but not as much as Sara's Mango Tango. We grabbed organic chicken sandwiches for the road, strolled through the aromatic herb gardens, and climbed back in the car, feeling refreshed and pesticide-free.

    It wasn't long before we arrived in Big Sur, once a magnet for beatniks, now a haven for artists and wealthy spa-goers. We turned right at unmarked Sycamore Canyon Road (the first paved road past the post office) and drove two miles to Pfeiffer Beach, where the currents have carved arches in the sandstone and greenstone rocks. It was just us and the seagulls.

    The Henry Miller Library, set in a shaded redwood grove a short drive south, was peaceful and meditative. "Library" is a misnomer, since you can't borrow anything. But you can buy books, read letters, and gaze at watercolors by the famous writer (and less-famous painter) who lived in Big Sur for 18 years.

    Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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