Sounds like a really good trip. You will see a lot and not be too rushed.

Great plan, kdd!

This way you'll really have time to enjoy your trip rather than spending the majority of your time in your car!

Terrific planning! Good for you! ((Y))

Have a great, enjoyable trip! :)

Hi all, thanks very much for providing such valuable feedback on the itinerary! Your comments have been most helpful. I feel so much better and relaxed about the current plan.

And of course - don't forget to come back and let us all know how the trip went :)

I so wish we could spend another day in Big Sur. When I initially planned the trip I thought 2 days was sufficient time, but now that I know more about the place, I know I can spend a week easily!

Now that I have my heart set on Point Lobos, I have begun to fret that we may be turned away because the park can onlt take a limited number of visitors? We will only get there by 1 pm on Sunday (May 20), what are the chances of getting turned away? I probably should mentally prepare myself for possible disappointment :(

Does anybody know if you can still park out on the highway and walk into the park?

We were there about a year ago, and there were people parking along the highway and walking into the park--whether this is legal or not, I can't say, but there were a good half-dozen cars out there.

That said, in my experience, there are "shifts" at Point Lobos: the morning crowd and the afternoon crowd, with very few people spending the entire day there. Since we're late risers, we usually arrived there to find a stream of cars exiting. kdd, I think your chances of getting in are pretty good. If you don't, try again a bit later, if possible, or ask about parking along the highway.

It is perfectly legal to park outside the fence at Point Lobos and walk in. Almost every state park in California has somewhere where you can park for free and walk into the park without charge. Point Lobos only limits the number of vehicles in the park, so even if that quota is met you can still park outside and walk in. It is only a mile to the ocean from the entrance gate.

Yes, people park outside the park all the time, and hike in. We're too lazy for that hike and inconvenience and would rather pay and park.

Kdd - have a good time.

Hi All,

Just returned from a awesome trip to the Big Sur.

Monterey Bay aquarium - is amazing. We spent 2 hours and had to tear ourselves away from there. Could have spent an entire day easily.

Point Lobos - is indeed a special place. We went upto China Cove, Seal Lion Point and Whaler's cove. Amazing views. We were lucky enough to see 4 seals playing in the waters in China Cove near the shore!!

I am so glad we decided to stop for the night a Big Sur Lodge. We got there by about 5:30 pm. Loved our cottage which was an accommodation for 6 people, complete with kitchen, dining table etc. Perfect for families with small children. Also loved the mountain and woodsy feel.

Next day we drove the rest of Big Sur upto Ragged Point inn with stops along the way. We stayed at the luxury rooms at the inn which offer gorgeous views.

Day 3 - we drove down to Santa Barbara. On the way we stopped to see the Elephant seals. They were all along the beach, and very active. It was real fun watching them.

Overall, a wonderful trip. All the advice I got from Fodorites was absolutely on the mark! Thanks so much.

kdd: Terrific trip report! All your good planning made for a great trip!

Did you ever get to Julia Pfeiffer Burns? Or Nepenthe?

Thanks so much for sharing! :) And come back again soon!

Thanks for posting--after giving advice, I always wonder how the trip went. I'm glad yours went well!

Yes, we did go to Pfeiffer Beach, Julia Pfeiffer Burns and also Nepenthe. All were well worth the effort.

I'm glad you had a good trip :) And now you can see why we are all so opinionated - I mean passionate ;) - about this area.

Hi kdd,
Thanks for your report. Now you see why my family loves living here! Heaven on earth, isn't it? I'm glad you followed my advice on the aquarium - it's the greatest. Our oldest had to tour the Long Beach Aquarium this weekend, for a class. She called me after her tour and whined at how poor it is in comparison to ours. We're lucky people. ((h))