Want to do one of the all-time great road trips? Hop in your car, let's drive Pacific Coast Highway for a long weekend.
Give yourself a 4-day weekend. If you want high-end digs in Big Sur, the northern spot on this trip if you leave from L.A., make reservations in advance because they're the hardest to come by. Famous upscale places include The Post Ranch Inn and Ventana Inn and Spa. I stayed at Deetjen's cabins, cozy and rustic, nestled among the trees. It's still pricey but not as much as the other two.
On a budget? Consider making a camping reservation at one of the campgrounds like Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Depart from L.A. and do not be traveling through Santa Barbara during evening rush hour--it's guaranteed to be a slow slog. First stop, Pismo Beach. If you do this between October and February you'll be able to catch the amazing sight of millions of Monarch butterflies hanging out there. They'll be in a grove of trees just off Pacific Coast Highway, also known as Highway 1, a half mile south of Pismo's North Beach Campground.
Go for a flat walk along the bluffs at Montana de Oro State Park near Los Osos, CA, or camp there for your first night out. Out on the sand spit you might see the endangered snowey plover. Alternative: get a cute little motel room just north of there in the charming oceanside town of Morro Bay (famous for its big rock formation). Stop in the Morro Bay State Park (just south of town) and do some bird watching.
Day Two. Hit the road early and swing up to Hearst Castle. William Randolph Hearst had too much money on his hands and you can see what it wrought. The castle has many jaw-dropping features, including the indoor Roman pool and the outdoor "Neptune" pool. You can book a tour reservation ahead of time (recommended) or take a chance on getting in (I did).
A few hours later you'll be back on the winding black ribbon of PCH heading up into sublime scenery.
Check into your room or pitch your tent. Then head over to Deetjen's for dinner, the food is world-class (reservations needed). Their breakfast fare is also mouth-watering.
Day three. Go hiking in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Head over to the ocean side of PCH and fall asleep on the sand listening to the waves crash.
Day four. Head back to L.A. but absolutely positively stop and do my all time favorite hike. It's the Ewoldsen Trail at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, 12 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur. It is the quintessential Big Sur hiking experience, as you climb through shady oaks and towering redwoods with a cascading creek running right next to you. It's a moderately strenuous hike, a 4-mile lolly pop loop with a gain of 1200 feet.
Wind your way back down PCH, snap pictures of the coast and arrive back in L.A. refreshed and relaxed.
