Big Sur, California - August 27th to 28th, 2024

We headed back to the coast one last time for the season. This time it was the Big Sur area, with its stunning coastline. The Bixby Bridge is the iconic view that most people have seen pictures of, even if they didn’t know the name of it.

Tuesday was an expensive day. We drove from Portola Redwoods State Park to Fernwood Campground and Resort in Big Sur. Google Maps took us a different route from Portola than on the way in. When we reached the end of the state park road, we went the opposite direction on Alpine Road which took us up to route 35, then north to return to route 84 to get back to California Highway 1. The portion of Alpine Road heading northeast to 35 was shorter, wider and not as sharp of turns. It was two lanes the whole way, as opposed to mostly a single lane to the southwest. Even though it added about 15 miles to go to Portola via 35, we would recommend it. It may even be faster, despite the additional miles. It was definitely less stressful.

As we drove along the coast, we were surprised by how many farms were right near the shore. We didn’t realize that the coastline was so good for growing crops.

Our main stop for the day was Monterey, in order to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium website recommended purchasing tickets ahead of time. When we started getting a cell signal again, Ann tried to purchase tickets online. It was a rather lengthy and involved process, requiring creating an account. With our cell service drifting in and out while we were driving, we gave up and decided to buy our tickets at the door.

We found a surface parking lot that allowed RV’s right past the parking garage for the aquarium. Most of the lots said no RV’s allowed. The other option was to park along the street, but it was posted as having a four hour limit. We weren’t sure how long we would stay, so we pulled into the parking lot. It was $20 for all day, except RV’s were twice that. So we paid our $40.

When we reached the aquarium, they still were encouraging people to purchase their tickets online. However, the staff person at the entrance looked at Ann’s Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta hoody and must have determined we were from out-of-state. She directed us to a cashier, where we promptly paid with a credit card. No lines, no waiting. No email address nor account creation required. Perhaps they want you to create an account so they can get you on an email mailing list.

It was lunch time, so we headed straight to the aquarium’s cafe to order food. Ann had the falafel plate and Keith had the salmon Banh Mi, both accompanied by fresh strawberries and blueberries. The food was pretty decent.

While we ate, we studied the map so we could get a lay of the land, or the lay of the water if you will. We sat at a table by the window, where we had a wonderful view out over the bay. There is a large kelp field right outside the aquarium. A few people were kayaking through the kelp field. Birds were perched on some of the rocks just offshore. We spotted a few seals or sea lions along with a couple of sea otters in the bay.

The aquarium is built on the site of an old cannery. There are some artifacts from the cannery on display inside the aquarium, but we spent our time with the animals instead.

The aquarium is laid out well and it flowed naturally from one area to another. There are several very large tanks with large windows, so there was plenty of room for everyone to watch the fish and animals on display. There are several touch tanks where you can feel different sea creatures, such as pet a ray or touch a sea urchin. We found the exhibits interesting, as they drew us in. Interactive displays for young and old alike illustrated different concepts. Feeding time in the large Kelp Forest tank involved a scuba diver in the tank with the fish.

The location of the aquarium is ideal. Outdoor decks along the aquarium allowed you to venture outside and view the kelp fields with animals in the wild. Scopes were provided on some of the decks, so people could get a closer view of the wild animals they might see. It was a nice integration with captive and wild creatures all in one place.

After a few hours, we returned to Red Tail (our Winnebago EKKO). Keith’s shoulder had started bothering him again, so we hung out in our RV for about half an hour. Then we explored Cannery Row. The aquarium sits at one end of Cannery Row, with shops and restaurants lining the street for several blocks from aquarium. We strolled the street. There were a few interpretative signs, statues, and some historic houses along Cannery Row, but the rest is shops.

The Ghirardelli Chocolate and Ice Cream Shop pulled us in. Ever since we had a hot fudge sundae at one in Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco several years ago, Ann cannot pass by a Ghirardelli Shop without stopping (California Zephyr: Denver to San Francisco - Jan 17th to 21st, 2022). Of course we had their World Famous hot fudge sundaes. There is no other choice. We sat at a table out back, enjoying the views of the bay, while we enjoyed our treat. A couple of scuba divers were out in the water.

Of course, on the way to the campground, we had to stop at the viewpoint for the Bixby Bridge. It is one of the most photographed bridges in California and it is easy to see why. It’s graceful lines are in a stunning setting.

We pulled into Fernwood Campground and Resort about dinner time. We normally don’t stay at private campgrounds, but due to some road closures along highway 1, the nearby state parks were not taking reservations when Ann was booking our stay. Fernwood is rather expensive considering the accommodations. The sites are gravel and not very level. It is right off the highway, but sits down below it, alongside a creek (the Big Sur River), so we really couldn’t hear the traffic noise from our camp site. Wooden steps led back up the hill to a general store and restaurant.

So between the aquarium entrance fee, the parking fee in Monterey, our lunch at the aquarium, our sundaes, and the expensive campground, it was probably the most expensive day so far this season.

Wednesday was a relaxing day. After hanging out at camp in the morning, we went for a drive down Highway 1 in the afternoon. The highway was only open for another dozen miles or so. There was a section after that which was closed for highway repairs of the washed away road that was the result of a landslide.

There was no fog at the campground, but a thick fog bank lined the shore. So much for the beautiful views of Big Sur.

Our first stop was Partington Cove. A short one-mile trail leads down to two coves. There is a tunnel from the first cove over to the second cove. There are some parking spots alongside the highway and the trailhead is not well marked, so make sure you have it located on an app such as Google Maps in order to stop at the right spot.

As we descended down the trail, we emerged from the fog. Now that’s better! From below the fog, the view was pretty clear along the coastline and out over the ocean. The two coves were pretty. Thick kelp fields filled both coves. We were hoping to see sea otters again, but no such luck. However, we did see some jellyfish.

Our next stop was McWay Falls. It is one of only two waterfalls on the Pacific coast that falls directly into the ocean, called a tidefall or coastal waterfall. The other one is Alamere Falls in Point Reyes National Seashore, but that one requires a long hike to reach, over ten miles.

There are two ways to see McWay Falls. First, there is an overlook alongside the highway. We stopped there first, but we could barely see the falls through the fog. Then, on the other side of the highway, there is a trailhead for a short trail to another viewpoint, about 100 feet below the overlook. Parking at the trailhead is inside Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which is a fee area. However, as we were turning into the park, we saw a sign that said no RV’s. So we turned around and parked back at the overlook. We wish places would use vehicle length limits instead of just saying no RV’s, as our RV is not any larger than some vans and pickup trucks. In this case, however, it saved us $10 and increased our walk by half a mile. Those were both positives in our book.

The trail is less than half a mile long. It also goes through a tunnel. This tunnel was just to cross under the highway. It looked like the trail used to go a little further, but it was damaged and the gate closing off the rest of the trail looked like it had been there for quite some time.

The view from the trail was better than from the overlook, but there was still a little haze from the fog. The waterfall is a straight drop from the cliff. It’s probably even more impressive in the spring. We’re guessing it would have more volume then.

There was one more short hike we thought about taking called Valley View Overlook in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The trail was just under two miles long, with a view of Pfeiffer Falls. However, we figured there wouldn’t be much of a view with the fog and the reviews of the falls on AllTrails was not that favorable. So we decided to head back to the campground for ice cream.

We walked up the stairs to the general store at Fernwood and both had a waffle cone. Ann’s had scoops of mint cookie and chocolate peanut butter while Keith’s had one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of vanilla. The ice cream was tasty. They serve Lappert’s Ice Cream, which is based in Richmond, California. We saw the word Hawaii on the Lappert Ice Cream sign and were wondering what the connection was. It turns out that Walter Lappert, from Sausalito, California, stated Lappert’s Hawaii ice cream in Hanapepe, Hawaii back in 1983. A year later, the family built an ice cream factory in California. The two ice cream companies have been kept separate, but they are run by the same family.

Despite not staying in the campground we originally wanted, the fog that hid some of the views, the Highway 1 closures, and our short stay, we really enjoyed our stay in the Big Sur area. But we are those glass half full kind of people. Life’s too short to dwell on the negative.

Check out our related video: Big Sur, California

(Ann)