starrsville- are you saying you did monterrey-hearst-17 mile-back to monterrey all in one day? That seems like a long day. I'm guessing you did the 17 mile drive first?
My concern with time constraints is being able to do the Hearst tour (and movie?), drive up the coast at a leisurely pace (time enough to see the seals, etc.), and still have time to do the 17 mile drive before overnighting in Monterrey. Possible? Or am I better off overnighting elsewhere, than getting up to do the 17 mile drive, the Monterrey aquarium, then up to SF?
Those are my only choices, as we fly out of SF the next morning.

It WAS a long day, but it was the only free day we had during the business meeting. Yep, we started out from Monterrey and did the 17 mile drive very leisurely. We ate lunch at the restaurant we all were stupid enough to enjoy (and a co-workers daughter remembered and raved about when I saw her 10 years later) made it to Hearst, did a tour and then headed back north. We ate dinner in Monterrey that night.

Before I get blasted, I am not recommending that anyone recreate that particular trip. We had a blast and enjoyed every single minute of it. We utilized the free time we had available.

Another GREAT memory of that meeting was kayaking in the Monterrey bay. FABULOUS!

I dare not describe the Napa, Calistoga spa and SF mini-vacation that preceded the Monterrey business meeting. It seems that whatever restaurant, hotel or sightseeing suggestion I make lately, certain someones will be sure to say I'm completely off my rocker.

I do know I have absolutely no memory of where we ate dinner anytime else on that trip - but we ALL enjoyed Nepenthe - and there was a WIDE range of folks with varied interest, ages, economic backgrounds, etc.

We did rent out the Monterrey Aquarium for a corporate event. I was not that impressed with the aquarium - or the food.

starrsville- I am certainly not knocking your recommendations, so please know I come in peace!
Any particular reason you did not like the aquarium? Have you enjoyed other aquariums more than this one, or are aquariums just not your thing? Just wondering if it is overrated.

"It seems that whatever restaurant, hotel or sightseeing suggestion I make lately, certain someones will be sure to say I'm completely off my rocker."

I hope you are not implying that you can share your experiences and other people cannot share there's. The two of us that offered differing views on Nepenthe never said anything about you being off your rocker, we offered our experiences that happened to differ from yours (shock, horror and dread), that's all. There's no drama here.

We visited the Monterey Aquarium last summer,my mum, my older-teen daughter and myself. None of us is a sea-life fanatic, but we all loved the aquarium. It is not over-rated as far as we are concerned. We thought we'd be there for a couple of hours at the most, but we ended up staying for about five hours. We had a very nice lunch in the restaurant-not the cafeteria. We were lucky to get a table right at the window and we really enjoyed watching the goings-on on the Bay. You might not stay as long with your baby, though. There were lots of toddlers and young children. It seems to appeal to people of all ages. You may be able to buy tickets at your hotel. This is good because then you don't have to wait in line to get in. If you go, go when it opens in the morning. Find out when the feeding times are, because you'll want to be close to the front to get a good view.

No, the comment was not specific to this thread.

aspalm..
I just saw your flippant comment about selling water to the likes of me for $15 a bottle and so I can tell everyone how much I payed for it..
Don't you realize that route 1 is probably the most scenic drive in the world and is NOT lined with fast food establishments and so when one suggests a restaurant with fab views and great food and you come back that you cannot afford that, I respect that but I do not feel that $15 pp which includes a Swordfish sandwich, drink and tip is not so out of line..
What is out of line is your last comment that "you come in peace"..

Tahiti- sorry I took offense to your "stick to the interstate" remark and retaliated in the like. Like I said, I always laugh at these boards when people start trashing other people and their opinions. cracks me up.
When I mentioned I couldn't afford it, you can tell by my post I was clearly not knocking the suggestion, and I don't think those that made the suggestion took it that way. I even have a little smiley face there!
That being said, I must agree that a swordfish sandwich, drink, and tip for $15 would be reasonable.
Unfortunately, at Nepenthe, the swordfish sandwich is $19. Add drink, tip and tax, and you're looking at a $30pp lunch at least.
There's a line that must be drawn somewhere, and despite breathtaking views and a spectacular setting, for me- that is beyond the line of reasonable. And I'm sure I'm not alone.
That doesn't mean I am relegated to the value menus, does it?! :0

Hey aspalm,
Thanks for the reply!
I just want you to have the best experience for as little money as possible..you know what is comfortable for you to spend..maybe you can split a sandwich and have the best of both worlds..a picnic sounds great too.
Have a great time and look forward to your trip report!

Nepenthe is worth every penny, imo, and I can be pretty jaded. You don't go for the food (which certainly is more than decent), you go for the view. And it is, without a doubt, one of the most spectacular views in the world. We always try to eat at sunset and we've never gone when it's an unusually busy time of year, nor when it's foggy. Cafe Kevah is a bit less pricey, and you get the same view.

Stop at a store in San Simeon and buy some lunch...picnic along the way. Nepenthe has fabulous views but the food is DREADFUL!! HORRIBLE! Ragged Point is a good place to stop along the way but if it's not in your budget...just pack a picnic.

I say take a picnic. We picnic a lot on our road trips and have a great time. And in a place like Big Sur - there is so much natural beauty that it is a perfect place. There are some accessible beaches you can head down to, you can picnic on a bluff overlooking the ocean, there are beautiful forests and nice creeks. Take your pick - no shortage of great spots. You can have that million dollar view without paying $15 for a burger.

And with a small child, this will give you the flexibility to eat when you want/need to - since as has been mentioned, there isn't a darn thing except breath-taking scenery between Ragged Point and Nepenthe.

Most grocery stores have deli counters where you can get sandwiches made to order and you can also buy your drinks, fruit, cookies, etc. Or you can buy lunch fixins and put it all together yourself. For the price of fast food, you can have some nice stuff. If we are on a road trip originating at home, then we bring our own ice chest, if we have flown somewhere, then we buy a small styrofoam one enroute.

I grew up along the CA coast, and when I was a kid, we didn't have much money at all. We had the necesities, but some months, meat was a luxury we could not afford. Even still - we went all over the coast. We just camped out and we brought our own food. It was fabulous. And let me tell you - I am eternally grateful to my parents that they weren't of the opinion that if you can't afford restaurant meals that you should stick to interstates and fast food or stay home. I had a very rich childhood despite the lack of restaurant meals And even though I can now afford to basically eat wherever I want, I still choose picnics, esspecially in gorgeous country like Big Sur.

Take a picnic. Have a blast.

At Ragged Point there is a "sort of fast food" place on site. The walk around the point is very nice, also, if I remember right, drinks are available in a small store. We ate on the patio and it was lovely but you can get the same view walking. Enjoy. The whole coast is great. CJ

lol, TTess, I'm curious as to when you might have eaten at Nepenthe. The last time we ate there was about 3 years ago, and though I wouldn't say our meal was particularly outstanding in any way, it was far from "dreadful!" I'm pretty discriminating, too, so I am genuinely interested in your experience. Perhaps they have a new management?

Yes, there is a burger joint at Ragged Point, or was the last time I was there. But it's nothing special, and the fries are awful. You'd do better to do the picnic thing, or wait till Nepenthe. The real restaurant at Ragged Point is another story, it's a five star place. All of Ragged Point is basically in the same parking lot, it's not a very big place.

Joining the fray here... I think Nepenthe is worth a stop anytime - it's so interesting and represents an artistic era. John F Kennedy made headlines when he stopped here WITHOUT SHOES. Stop for a lemonade and use the restrooms, browse the art shops. The food isn't bad at all, but with a baby you might prefer a picnic along the way when it suits you.