Here's something from yesterday:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/18/BAT81IF03A.DTL

News reports a contract for a temporary repair to reopen the road by April 16.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/03/21/1531148/section-of-hwy-1-closed-by-slide.html#

bookmarking, as I'm planning to drive that stretch in late May.

latest update at: http://tinyurl.com/4m74e36

So this is an additional slide, right? We are planning to drive late May from Carmel to Santa Barbara in a day. And, part of the point of the trip was that I have not been on the section from Nepenthe to Santa Barbara.

Check here for official updates (use SR1)

http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi

hopingtotravel: same slide that occurred a couple weeks ago

They mention 'alternate routes'. Are there any alternate routes going south from Carmel that cut back over to the SR1 north of Moro Bay and the Hearst Castle area etc?

I think there was another slide on Sunday:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/03/28/third-mudslide-closes-highway-1-on-big-sur-coast/

An update from Nephenthe's FB page -

Nepenthe Big Sur
Another day of sunshine! Caltrans successfully opened the highway at LimeKiln, so wIth Nacimiento Ferguson Road open folks can come and go. What was a 45 minute drive to town now takes 4 hours, but it is a chance to enjoy breathtaking displays of wildflowers and some of Big Sur's most beautiful and under appreciated views. And yes, we are open for business!

4 hours from which town?

Probably Monterey/Carmel as the road closure is north of Nepenthe, which means the road south to Santa Barbara is fine.

So if it's still closed when we leave Carmel, we have to go over to 101 and down through Atascadero or something to get to Santa Barbara? Darn.

If you are going in late May, don't despair. It may all be repaired by then. Keep checking the link given by mlgb as you get closer to your trip. Even if there is a closure when you go, you can still drive south from Carmel for a few miles then turn around and come back to Carmel and continue your trip down 101. You will still be able to see some spectacularly beautiful coastal scenery even if you can only drive a few miles south of Carmel.
Have fun!

I'll be hoping its repaired. 12 years ago we stayed at Ventana and had lunch at Nepenthe. In 1969 we camped in a cow pasture near where the foghorn blows.

But I've always wanted to see the stretch south of Big Sur.

Four hours to get to Nepenthe from Carmel? Now there's a waste of time.

For some.
Not for others.

Latest estimate by CalTrans is end of April.

Yay for end of April! We're traveling from the Boston area to LA for son's college commencement mid-May and staying for a drive up the coast to SF as well as visits to state and national parks along the route, including several days in Yosemite.

It would be incredibly poor timing after waiting four years to travel for the road to be closed!

Can someone elaborate on the attraction of Nepenthe? We are driving from Monterey to Hearst Castle the 3rd week in June, so we hope roadwork is completed by then.

Remember that is an estimate--keep an eye on the CalTrans website ( SR1 Central Coast).

Nepenthe has a great view of the Big Sur Coast line and you can sit on it's deck and enjoy it rather then just pulling into a roadside pulloff. Some like the food, some like the history and make it a point of visiting. I'm one of those who would not make a special trip to Nepenthe, because I find the food mediocre and would rather sit outside at Cielo at Ventana and enjoy the view. Each to their own. However, If you have never been it is worth a stop for the view alone, especially if you are going on to Hearst.

Nepenthe is one of those places where the view is so good, the food can be overpriced and mediocre and they're still in business.

Nepenthe is worth a drive by if you've never been there...after lunch ANYWHERE else in Big Sur. The view from Cielo or from Sierra Mar are far superior. Others will disagree of course and that is their perogative.

As a destination on its own, it is not worth a 4 hour drive. I don't care how lovely the wildflowers are, LOL.

There are some of us that love Nepenthe. The view is indisputably gorgeous and some of us like the food too.
There are some that hate Nepenthe. Not sure why, but they pop up on a regular basis to say that they do.
There are some that think the food is just "okay" and not worth a stop.

One thing I've noticed over the past view years is that, time after time, someone will write in a trip report how surprised they were that they really enjoyed the food.

It's not a "foodie" stop, but I've never stopped there for a meal and been disappointed. I've traveled the coast with a wide range of folks (on business and leisure trips) and everyone in my party has had the same experience. IMO it's one of my favorite things to do in California. Slow down, take a break on the drive down the coast, sit out in the sunshine, soak up the sun and the scenery and enjoy a bite to eat. For some reason, some people don't enjoy that. Different strokes for different folks.

For those considering going (and are on Facebook) "like" them as a FB friend and just enjoy the daily updates - with pictures. What a spectacular escape during a work day at home

It is impressive that Caltrans may get this fixed by the end of April. Seems like a quick turnaround for them, especially given the location of the silde.

Bill, it's an estimate. I will be pleasantly surprised if the work is done by mid-May. I just know it won't be open this weekend for my long weekend in Carmel, but then again it's not my first visit (nor my only one scheduled this year).

Yes, Caltrans has their work cut out for them.

SAB, Have a great time this weekend!

We may be headed Big Sur way in the early fall. Either there or The Sea Ranch, our two favorite places along the coast.

Re: Nepenthe vs Ventana restaurant patio (Cielo). The former is my personal favorite. However, I would recommend looking at the patio at Nepenthe first. If it looks like a place you would love to eat, go for it. If not, then go to the patio at Ventana restaurant. Each is a whole different atmosphere so it depends on your personal preference.

So if one had to retrace from Carmel back to 101, then were heading south, but wanted to see as much of the Big Sur coast south of Big Sur as possible, where could you cut back west to Highway 1? Sorry that's so convuluted.

I have one of those service station maps. No roads at all.

Catch Hwy 46 between Paso Robles and Templeton and drive west to Hwy 1.

hopingtotravel, that's why I posted the Nepenthe status update (NOT to stir up the old (boring) anti-Nepenthe comments. As described in one of the links above they (and other Big Sur businesses) need customers. Their FB status message gave a new route to get to them (vs. going further down the coast to cross over).

Use Google Maps to "see" this.

Enter -
Carmel - normal starting point
Bixby Bridge - point of road closure
48510 California 1, Big Sur, CA 93920-9549 (Nepenthe) - now open
Cambria - reference point on 1 further down the coast
Paso Robles - reference point on 101

Now x out Cambria and add in -
Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, CA

You can cross over to 1 (from 101) further north now (than 46).

I'll repeat their status message -
An update from Nephenthe's FB page -

Nepenthe Big Sur
Another day of sunshine! Caltrans successfully opened the highway at LimeKiln, so wIth Nacimiento Ferguson Road open folks can come and go. What was a 45 minute drive to town now takes 4 hours, but it is a chance to enjoy breathtaking displays of wildflowers and some of Big Sur's most beautiful and under appreciated views. And yes, we are open for business!

The point of my adding that was as an FYI as a different/shorter route to the area cut off by the road closure. It's a lot of driving, I don't know of another way to get over to that part of the coast. My guess is that Nepenthe was providing a route option from Carmel that they know of to their location - but perhaps someone here knows better/different/something they (Nepenthe) don't know. Just an idea if you are trying to get over to Big Sur.

Add in Big Sur on the google map if you despise Nepenthe

Hope that helps, hopingtotravel.

OT - Starrs, I went to a panel discussion among three "memoirists" last night -- one of whom is the granddaughter of the founders of Nepenthe and grew up there. She wrote a book called, oddly (LOL) "My Nepenthe". Thought you might be interested.

http://www.amazon.com/My-Nepenthe-Bohemian-Tales-Family/dp/0740779141

That looks very interesting. I love the Amazon option to take a look inside the book. I was going to order it on my Kindle until I saw the pics and realized there were recipes. I just ordered in on Amazon. Thanks sf7307!

Yes, the trip using Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd. is a shorter route than using Hwy 46. Sorry I missed this option.

Thanks, Bill. Not staying in your favorite place, but a house in Carmel Meadows is pretty nice also.

Carmel Meadows is very nice indeed! I love that area.

Each year the house rental seems to move further south and away from the center of the village. This is the first year for Carmel Meadows, which has become a favorite areas over the years.

OK - where is Carmel Meadows??

Stu Dudley

OK, thanks--Naciemento Ferguson Road. I had read all the messages on here, but didn't have a point of reference on that road. Now I do.

Still hoping they get the fix done.

Yes, I have eaten at Nepenthe. I don't think I ever qualified as a flower child or hippie, but since I was married in 1969 and spent that summer in the San Francisco Bay area, that whole piece of coast has huge nostalgia for me.

Stu--its just on the other side of Carmel River, before you get to Monastery Beach. If you have ever been to Carmel River Beach, Carmel Meadow is the area on the bluff to the south.

Hi sf7307, the book arrived today. It is a delight!
It IS mostly a cookbook but one with lots of pictures (including Richard and Liz) and family memories. I look forward to reading and using it. It's a beautiful book.
Many thanks for the suggestion!

Glad you're enjoying it!

Update via Nepenthe's Facebook page -

Nepenthe Big Sur
Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last 7am pedestrian escort across Rocky Creek. According to Caltrans, one way will be open for cars starting at 5pm tomorrow evening and continuing til 8am Sunday morning. Then 8pm to 8am one lane alternating access will be the new norm until April 21, when 24 hour a day one lane access will (presumably) commence. May I say "yippee?"
12 minutes ago via iPhone ·

Note: the above is not posted to recommend Nepenthe. It is posted as a recent (12 minutes ago) update on the road closure situation.

http://www.mercurynews.com/central-coast/ci_17859626?nclick_check=1

Starrs, thanks for the update. So, if one had been hoping to drive all the way from Carmel to Cambria and Alder Creek is still closed on May 26..... I assume one could drive to circa Lime Kiln then take that Naciemento-Ferguson Road over to the other highway?

I read on some website that to tackle that road one needed good local maps which of course we wouldn't have.

Yes, tiy can go over on that road to Hwy 101. You can print out maps of whatever you want online, so having good local maps isn't a problem.

OK so the good news is that the slide at Rocky Creek has been temporarily repaired and the road has opened to alternately traffic i.e. they opened one lane. The bad news there is a slide area 50 miles further south which will take another 3-4 weeks to fix. So you still cannot drive down 1 to Cambria and beyond from Carmel.

But you can get to Nepenthe now I believe.

Yep. So says their FB page.

SAB, How was your long Carmel weekend a few weeks back?

It was great Bill, thanks for asking. The weather was absolutely fabulous and the views from the house in Carmel Meadows were sublime. Lots of lovely walks with and without the pup (who discovered the joy of chasing bunnies in the meadow). Carmel River Beach was completely carved up by the river, and not really accessible except from the stairs down from the Point, but the river marsh was huge and had lots of birds.

Of course 1 was still closed then, but that wasn't really an issue for us as we could still go to Rocky Point and sit outside and have their great burgers. Speaking of Rocky Point, we saw a grey whale heading south really close to shore. Of course no one around us believed us, wrong time of year and wrong direction. But then there is was again. Also saw a pod of dolphins heading in the same direction, so we thought maybe there was a food source just south (near the slide). When we were at Rocky Point I was surprised by the number of visitors who did not know that 1 was closed and that they could not drive further south.

It was just a little to early to see any seals hauled out with babies at Point Lobos, however Point Lobos was lovely, even if it was somewhat crowded later on in the day. It was a beautiful day, so naturally lots of people were out taking advantage of it.

All in all a great long weekend.