This video may be the one I am most excited about, in California.
Because today we are doing a one-day experience of Big Sur.
You'll notice we aren't bringing the Airstream along.
We're leaving her safely parked in Monterey, about 45 minutes north of Big Sur.
We were told taking a 30-foot trailer down Highway 1 is not exactly a cakewalk. And it
also wouldn't be very easy to park in downtown Monterrey, which is our first stop this morning.
On a typical one-day adventure, if you've seen any of our other videos, like from Joshua Tree,
you know that we get up crazy early in the morning to hit the road and
started adventuring. But when you come to Big Sur it's a little bit different,
because you may have noticed the obnoxious amount of fog out here. We're coming here in the summer,
and that's pretty typical. So until that goes away a little bit later in the morning,
we're not going to be able to see anything anyway. So, crepes it is.
My favorite thing about this crepe place, they have coffee.
Turns out we were super lucky today. At the crepe place we were planning on coming to anyways,
they were having a car show. We'll definitely have to take a walk around and show you.
But first, breakfast.
Thank you so much. All right, there are two main types of crepes. There's sweet,
and then there's savory, like what I got. This one is made with Brie and caramelized onions,
and it looks delicious.
[inaudible 00:02:09] and latte.
Thank you very much.
Look at that. Oh yeah. This is incredible. My first question, when I heard about the name,
was who's Brittany? But Brittany is in fact a region in France. Fun fact.
One of my favorite things to do when we come to a local eatery
is to ask the staff what their favorite thing on the menu is. So for crepes specifically, I don't
do bananas, because Daniel's deathly allergic, and I don't really like chocolate. So they suggested
a strawberry cream cheese stuffed crepe, and adding blueberries on top, which are totally
my favorite so I'm pretty excited about this. It's almost so pretty you don't want to eat it.
It's like the best, lightest, strawberry eating waffle you've ever had. It's so good.
All right, last bite. What do you think? Should I lick the plate?
With bellies full of crepes it was time to wait out the June bloom and explore the car show.
How awesome is this? This right here, this could be my next tow vehicle. Wouldn't that be awesome?
Or maybe this one will be it. This is a 1979 Chevy Cheyenne, and it looks slick,
awesome, all the things that would go great with an Airstream. The
great debate, Chevy or Ford? Right behind me you have a Z28,
and a Ford Mustang. Which one's your favorite? Leave a comment below.
This is the Rock & Rod Festival behind me,
and because we're wandering local we just randomly stumbled upon it.
As beautiful as the classic cars are, today is all about exploring around Big Sur. So back
on the road we go, to check out the stunning scenic drives this area is known for, one of
which is the 17-Mile Drive, which hugs the Pacific coastline through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove.
So we're not going to do the whole 17-Mile Drive today,
but we did want to at least give it a little bit of a check out. Fingers crossed
we're going to be able to see something, because the fog is still pretty intense.
We just made it to Carmel Beach, and you can already tell the fog is starting to lift slightly,
but it is still a bit brisk outside.
This beach, what it's known for is its beautiful white sand and these incredibly beautiful trees.
Okay, you're not hearing me incorrectly, it is June. It's June and we're at the beach
of what is typically sunny California. Very cloudy, and it is so cold.
To be fair, it's technically foggy, not cloudy.
I love all the puppies.
I have to say, wearing hiking boots on the beach
is a new experience for this [inaudible 00:07:07] girl.
With the fog starting to subside, it was time to head toward Big Sur.
This famous part of California's central coastline showcases the beauty of the Santa Lucia Mountains,
which rise dramatically from the Pacific Ocean. It's known for its famous bridges, breathtaking
scenery, and one of a kind hikes. Which brings us to our first stop, McWay Falls State Park.
Pulling through the gate at McWay State Falls, and there's a sign right in the
front that says no RVs. So definitely don't try to bring your RV into McWay Falls State Park.
If you only have one day to explore Big Sur, McWay Falls State Park is one you don't want to miss.
The hike to the falls is quick, easy, and really pretty. And the views at the end
may make this one of the most rewarding hikes we've done in a while.
But of course the crown jewel of the park is McWay Falls, which is one of only three tide
falls in the US. What's a tide fall, you ask? It's a waterfall that goes directly into the sea.
After soaking in the stunning views of the fall it was time to continue exploring Big Sur. And,
since the June gloom continues to prevail, we figured we'd check out a Big Sur attraction that
doesn't depend on cliffside views, the Henry Miller Memorial Library.
Entering here feels more like stepping into Narnia than a traditional library.
It was created to honor Henry Miller, an American writer and artist born in 1891.
His most famous books were declared obscene, and banned in the US until 1961. Today the library
is a nonprofit sanctuary of sorts for artists and authors to create with reckless abandon.
It's a book lovers dream, as they are everywhere, even in the trees. It's almost as if you've
found yourself in a secret garden from the novel Fahrenheit 451. This place is special.
After exploring the library it was time to grab a bite to eat,
and right across the street from the library is a Big Sur favorite. Nepenthe opened in 1949,
and today is run by the children and grandchildren of its original founder. They're known for
breathtaking views of the coastline, which, unfortunately for us, is still covered in fog.
But they also have great local food and wine, and is there really anything those two can't fix?
There are tons of awesome looking food options here. We got veggie burgers, and they're tasty.
Every single table we passed had a basket of these French fries, so we had to try them.
Normally from the restaurant here the view would be spectacular.
Unfortunately there's a mist that's swept through for the last few days, and
now the view is completely obstructed. At least the food was awesome.
After a delicious lunch it was time to head over to Pfeiffer Beach,
which is famous for its violet-hued sand. But when got there we ran into a little problem.
Yep, the beach was totally full. And since we only have one day, it just wasn't meant to be.
But it does give us a darn good reason to come back in the future.
So we decided to head to visit the famous Bixby Bridge instead.
Two important tips for RVers for Big Sur. The first is that if you are going to tow
your Airstream or your RV out here, make sure it's so that you are stopping somewhere to camp,
because you really can't go into any of the state parks, or the other places that
you want to explore for hikes, with your RV. It's a no RV zone. The second thing is that
you want to make sure, especially if you're diesel, to fill up on gas before you go.
Thankfully we're doing fine on gas, we had almost a full tank when we started, but there's no diesel
at the one tiny gas station that's actually out here in Big Sur. Plus, if you are a gas vehicle,
the prices out here when you only have one gas station, probably a little bit higher than normal.
Legitimately, when I knew we're going to be driving the Pacific Coast Highway,
I had heard about this bridge previously and I was so excited to be able to
take some drone video to show you guys. And I thought today, today,
was going to be that magical day that I dreamed of for so long. We just got to the bridge...
Welcome to Bixby Bridge.
And you could hardly see it.
Let's just say the fog hasn't really recessed
since the morning. In fact, we think it's gotten worse.
I feel like I have to give it a shot. If we lose our drone, you'll know this was a stupid idea.
Well, it wasn't Daniel's dream flight, but we didn't lose the drone. So, that was a win. Was our
one day in Big Sur the day we expected, with sunny skies and stunning views? No, but we had a blast
anyway, and that's the beauty of wandering local. No matter the weather, it's good for the soul.