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Staycation O N T H E M O N T E R E Y B A Y 6 F A L L 2 0 1 9 I t has long been understood, if you live on the Central Coast and feel the need for a vaca- tion, simply step outside, and breathe. en exhale slowly, as you take in the clear light, clean air, and consummate natural beauty. is is particularly true of Big Sur, that hardy Brigadoon that always withstands beatings by Mother Nature to embrace its equally resilient inhabitants, and welcome guests to this "greatest meeting of land and sea." e next time you need a break, consider a "staycation," and make your way down the coast to Big Sur. Except, when it comes to Big Sur, there is no destination; no one-mile square with tree-lined streets and Murphy houses, no gallery tours and restaurant guides, and little public access to the beach. What travelers do discover as they make their way down the coast is that the journey is the destination. Don't miss it along the way. Heading South, Highway One is a scar on an otherwise pristine land- scape of mountainous terrain roll- ing down into the sea. It also is the innovation that enables drivers to experience the majesty of the Big Sur coastline. "Big Sur is the drive down the coast from Point Lobos to Nepenthe," said the late Cole Weston, photographer, son of Edward Weston, and lifelong resident of Big Sur. "us, Highway One, with its twin bridges and vistas, turns and grades, is an integral part in the Big Sur experience." And so you drive, your peripheral vision maintaining awareness of the yellow line but your attention capti- vated by the craggy coast guarding the edge from impossibly blue waters seducing her passersby by bathing and battering the vertical shores with her frothy spray. Start Early Hold off on coffee till you get to the Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant. e wood-fired bakery, housed within the home built in 1936 by members of the legendary Post family, opens at 8am. It takes about 50 minutes to drive from Carmel to the bakery, so climb into the car soon aer 7am. Start earlier if you plan to stop for photos in the turnouts just north of the fabled Hyatt Car- mel Highlands Inn, Soberanes Point, Garrapata Beach, Rocky Point Res- taurant – a consideration for dinner, if you make it back up the hill before 8pm – Bixby Bridge, or the Point Sur Lighthouse. While you can have breakfast, lunch, or dinner most days at Big Sur Bak- ery & Restaurant, be sure and start with a custom coffee drink or General Manager ierry Fassiotti's artisan hot chocolate, made with Valrhona chocolate lining the cup and finished with a pattern created with the tip of a toothpick. Pair it with breakfast pizza, avocado toast, almond croissants, ginger scones or blueberry strudel, all made with a blend of love and fresh ingredients. e long line moves fast, and it's worth the wait. Fortified, you head back up the road to Pfeiffer Beach. Just south of the Big Sur Station, Sycamore Canyon Road is a narrow, paved path that winds its way to the sand. It's unidentified, so look for the "Narrow Road" sign, in- stead. Once the road ends, you have to make the last few steps on foot. But the reward is the world-renowned "Key- hole Rock," an imposing outcropping through which frothy waves spray, and the last rays of sunlight illuminate the portal. You can spend some time sun- ning in the sand, or return at the end of the day, just before the sun slips into the sea. Just past noon, the sun streams through a pair of Sycamores, putting a spotlight on the riverside couple. e Big Sur River courses by, creating an underscore in concert with the music. A heron lis off and labors upstream. A woman sings. A wedding is in prog- ress on the banks behind the Big Sur River Inn. You are there, just in time for lunch, and the "I do." e Big Sur River Inn, north of Pfeiffer Beach, is a great place to stop for food and while away the aernoon in an Adirondack chair by the river – or in it. "What is most special to me about the Big Sur River Inn," owner Janet Lesniak has said, "is this nostalgic quality about it; this sense of history and familiarity in the setting. People walk in all the time and say, 'Oh, this reminds me of Canada, of Vermont, of Montana, of Germany,' as it flows into a place they used to go as a child." Maybe you have a bite to eat, or perhaps you simply relax by the river before heading south on Highway One, past the venerable Ventana Inn to the east and Post Ranch Inn to the west, where you reach Nepenthe in time for a late lunch. e legendary way station was estab- lished in 1947 by Bill and Lolly Fassett to ensure food and shelter for family and friends; a coastal enclave of good fun and great food, created by a cast of artisans and other characters who have come and gone or stayed behind. by Lisa Crawford Watson Big Sur T h E qu i N T E S SE N T ia l day T r i P Big Sur Bakery General Manager Thierry Fassiotti, making his Valrhona hot chocolate ...continues on 7

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