I am looking at kayaking the bay or the slough. I think we can hike too--Tuesday afternoon at Point Lobos. How long does the drive down to Big Sur take? Half day or whole? Could we drive down there in the morning and kayak in the pm??? Or something like that?

Easy traveler--please tell me you are kidding. eeeeewwwwwww. And I like wildlife

The banana slugs are kinda cute! And, of course, the UC Santa Cruz mascot!

But to answer your question, it takes 30 minutes almost exactly to get from Carmel to Nepenthe at the southerly point of Big Sur.

Since their lunches start at 11:30 a.m., sure, you could go down there in the morning, walk about, have an early lunch at Nepenthe, then head back up to Monterey, which is 10 minutes north of Carmel, or the Slough which is about 15-20 minutes north of Monterey.

To me, Nepenthe is more like the center of Big Sur which is a long stretch of coastline and not one particular destination but there's a cluster of restaurants and lodgings in the area near Nepenthe which is often what people mean when they refer to Big Sur http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/pdf/...Map2012-13.pdf

It has taken me more like 45 min to get to this part from Carmel. There's controlled one way traffic just south of Palo Colorado road from last year's landslide and there always seem to be some slow drivers ahead of me

It really depends on how many places you plan to stop and if you're planning to do any hiking. It can take a whole day or half day depending on your interests.

The Lone Cypress from the 17 Mile Drive is my screen saver. It took about an hour to complete the drive and it was a nice introduction to the atmosphere of this area. It didn't eat up a lot of time and I got some great photos. I see no reason to make it an 'either/or' proposition and there's nothing pedestrian about Pebble Beach!

The suggestions on this thread have been outstanding and I've saved them all for our next trip, so Thanks!

Yes, you can do the Big Sur scenic drive in a half day.

I'm not kidding. I had one almost fall on my head once - that's why I always wear a hat nowadays.

However, if you are going to hike Pt Lobos, then no worries. Your head will be mostly out in the open.

At Pt Lobos I can recommend the Allan Grove circular trail as well as the much longer South Beach Trail. You'll have to look between the rocks and boulders to see the amazing sea life there.

Of course the first trail that you'll probably be on is the Sea Lion Trail due out west from the parking lot. You'll naturally head that way as you hear the sea lions bark.

Do encourage you to schedule in Big Sur during one of your days. The hiking in Pfeiffer Big Sur is entirely different from that at Pt Lobos. You'll be among the giant redwoods at Pfeiffer Big Sur. This time of the year, there may not be much water at Pfeiffer Falls, but it's still a nice short hike among the redwoods there and back (about an hour?).

Sounds like a great trip wherever you go. Enjoy!

Don't eat at the Fishwife! It is so dirty. Locals eat at the Fish House in Del Monte in Monterey reservations are a must or Mazzaro and Santos on the Coast Guard Pier NOT the Wharf.

I am going to make a similar trip and would like suggestions on a good place to stay in the area - not a high end place but clean and comfortable- Carmel, Monterey or anywhere close by is OK

Sunbum-------- the Portola Hotel in Monterey is very nice and in a great location.

The Portola is very nice, but it is expensive - more so than the Marriott across the street.

You can get good deals (and free parking!) at Casa Munras in Monterey.

For low end, but clean and comfortable, I'd recommend the Surf Inn on Munras, which also includes free parking, wifi, and a little continental breakfast.

We love the Portola, but it is on the pricey side - we only stay there when we can get a deal.

Casa Munras is great also.

thanks for recs- we are not looking for high end as we will not be in room much- will check out the Casa Munras