We stayed in Morro Bay, CA for two nights and headed back up the Pacific Coast Highway so that we could see Big Sur and Monterey.

On the way to Big Sur we stopped at the Hearst Castle, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Again, poor planning on our part meant that all tours were sold out for several hours and we could not go into the Castle for a guided tour. And again, there was unexpectedly an influx of tourists!

We drove a little further up to Big Sur Park, asking directions for where “Big Sur” actually was. We took a narrow, and I mean narrow road where you have to pay $5 to park so that we could enter the beach. We walked down a modest shaded trail and came across the Pacific Ocean at its strongest, smacking its large turquoise waves against jagged rocks. The wind was whipping sand in our faces, the bright California sun shining down, and there was a quietness that each person there possessed as if they knew they stumbled upon something special.

There were a few brave surfers but we weren’t that brave…there are warning signs everywhere stating that the tide rises often unexpectedly and so we kept safe up  on the beach and far from the waves. There are also two tunnels formed out of the rock which the waves break through every few minutes or so.

After our relaxation we drove up to Monterey in hopes to go to the oft-reviewed Aquarium, but we arrived a bit too late and did not want to be rushed. Not to mention meter parking is several dollars per hour! Instead, we grabbed a coffee, saved a few dollars and headed home after a nice day of driving Highway 1.

More pictures located in the Northern California album on flickr.