Big Sur Road trip
This road trip was not our original plan. We planned to getaway for a romantic long weekend in April 2020 and stay at Ventana. Go ahead, click on the site and cry for me.
The whole resort is 18 and over. I love my kiddos but zero children in sight sounded amazing haha. Well…. Covid hit and that trip was cancelled. It’s ok, we’ll make it back.
Fast forward to life slowly opening up and our wedding anniversary. We thought why not still do Big Sur but make it a family trip. We knew we needed to find a new place to stay and break up the long windy drive.
I decided to break the trip up on the way there and back. First stop, Cambria. It’s actually the cutest little beach town near Hearst Castle. Unfortunately Hearst Castle was closed but more reason to go back. Cambria was quaint and easy with beautiful beaches and a wooden boardwalk. Cambria was 4 hours from Orange County and right before the windiness started for Big Sur.
We stayed at the Fire Stone Inn at Moon Beach
We walked on the beach looking for sand dollars then headed to the Hearst Winery for a little snack to hold us over for dinner.
It was the perfect afternoon. We had a glass of rose, Hudson drew the trees and Ella ran around. The winery is right on the water with a beautiful outdoor space. We would definitely stop at this little town again and hopefully do Hearst Castle. Cambria is the perfect overnight stop for a California coastal road trip. It’s actually the halfway point if you’re planning to go all the way to San Francisco.
Before we left we made sure to stop and sea the elephant seals
These guys are massive! It’s so cool to see them all out there. The kids loved it!
On to Big Sur!!!
Oh my!!! Like seriously just beautiful!
We stayed at Glen Oaks in one of their cute little cabins. It was perfect for us. It had a little kitchenette and the Roadhouse cafe on site was delicious. Great burger, which made Hudson my cheeseburger monster happy.
Glen oaks also has a hiking trail through the property along the river and offers s’mores kits at night. It’s great with or without kids. If you’re traveling with children make sure to call to book because they will let you know which cabins will accommodate you best.
Point Lobos
The first day we hiked Point Lobos. It has amazing tide pools and stunning views. Point Lobos was about 30 minutes north of where we were staying.
On the drive there you drive across the famous Bixby Creek Bridge
This hike is great with kids because the tide pools keep them occupied. We were there for hours.
For dinner we did the Big Sur River Inn
You can literally eat your dinner in an Adirondack Chair in the river. It was great and they had some fun cocktails to try.
The kids played in the river while we ate and it was the perfect end to a long day of driving and hiking.
Pfeiffer Beach was on the agenda for day 2. It’s iconic Big Sur and just beautiful
It’s known for its giant rock formations and purple sand at certain times of year.
It’s amazing how the forest goes right up to the beach. The scenery is breathtaking and there was so much to explore
For lunch that day we did Nepenthe. The view is just gorgeous. I would either go at an off time or go not hungry and get a glass of wine while you wait and enjoy the view.
There are so many things to do in Big Sur that we didn’t get too or it was tough with kids and the Covid restrictions.
You want to stop at Big Sur Bakery for an almond croissant
I also wish we had time to do Andrew Molera State Park and Garrapata State Park. The poor kids just couldn’t do one more hike.
After Big Sur we decided to stop for the night at our favorite hotel in Santa Barbara to break up the trip home. Hotel Californian is a beautiful hotel located in the funk zone right by the pier. You cannot beat the location. You can walk everywhere.
Down the block is the cutest vintage store called The Blue Door with so many treasures. I love finding a cool piece for the house there and the kids had fun exploring
A must for dinner is The Lark but definitely make a reservation.
The Funk Zone is such a fun place to walk around. It’s full of tasting rooms, shops and restaurants right along the gorgeous Santa Barbara coast.
We did it! We turned our romantic getaway into a family adventure and we explored new places we hadn’t seen. We’ll do the adult version soon but the silver lining was showing our kids new places and family time together
