Last Friday my husband, parents-in-law and I set off south of San Francisco in a hire car. We drove back up via scenic Highway 1, visiting Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Monterey and Santa Cruz. Along the way I shared snippets from the trip on Twitter, just like I did earlier this year with Scotland. This time we were travelling with an iPhone so I took the opportunity to crowd-source some of our travel planning – with wonderful results. Thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge!
October 23
Me: Any restaurant recommendations for Monterey or Carmel, California? #food #travel
LunaticAtLarge: @niltiac Aubergine in Carmel–it’s one of the best restaurants in the country. Monterey not so much known for food, but Duck Club’s good
umarket: @niltiac If you’ll be in Monterey on Tuesday, there’s a great farmer’s market w/ lots of goodies. Went to grad school there – great place!
October 24
Me: Any recommendations of places to stay near Hearst Castle? Not sure if we will stay there tonight or Big Sur. #travel
TravelingAnna: Any recommendations of places to stay near Hearst Castle? Not sure if we will stay there tonight or Big Sur. #travel (via @niltiac)
quirkytraveller: RT @TravelingAnna: Any recs of places to stay near Hearst Castle? Not sure if we will stay there tonight or Big Sur. #travel (via @niltiac)
JulieinNYC: @niltiac @TravelingAnna YES! There is an AMAZING Best Western right in San Simeon. PERFECT hotel on the water! HIGHLY recommended by me!
Me: @JulieinNYC @TravelingAnna Thanks but Best Western San Simeon was charging $300 a night for the room. Staying in functional Motel6 for $50.
JulieinNYC: @niltiac @TravelingAnna Sorry it did not work out. But it has to be a nice Best Western if they can charge $300 a night, right? Have fun!
Me: I’m a bit bored of cheap-midrange motels. Looking for something with character for next 2 nights in Big Sur then Carmel/Monterey. #travel
marilyn_res: @niltiac check out Treebones Resort in Big Sur
treefroggirl: @niltiac if you’re rich, vantana. . .
treefroggirl: @niltiac Place I forgot to mention that’s good if you don’t have the cash for 500 a night (and who does anymore) is bigsurriverinn.com
Me: @Marilyn_Res @treefroggirl Thank you for the Big Sur recommendations. I’ll report back on where we stay.
October 26
Me: Admiring stunning views at Point Lobos. Now back to Monterey / Carmel, looking for lodging.
marcygordon: @niltiac: there is a B&B called the Gosby House on Lighthouse Ave in Pacific Grove that has good mid-week rates. Walking dist. to everything
Me: @marcygordon Thanks. We got a special at the Cannery Row Inn for $69. Rooms very comfortable. My mother-in-law not keen on B&Bs.
Me: I’ve admired the seahorses and jellies and watched the sea otters fed at the Monterey Aquarium. Time for my own feeding soon. #travel
CarolyBurnsBass: @niltiac I could watch the jellies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for hours. They are beautifully hypnotizing.
Me: @CarolyBurnsBass There are some lovely sea jellies at the Academy of Science in San Francisco as well. I LOVED the sea horses and dragons!
Me: The Big Sur coast is as spectacular as they say. Wonderful drive from San Simeon to Monterey, staying overnight in Big Sur. #travel
Me: Highlight was the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park where you can see a waterfall tumbling down to a beach and aquamarine blue sea. #travel
Me: Hearst Castle was amazing – but not for reasons William Randolph Hearst envisaged. Weird seeing it after extensive travel in Europe. #travel
Me: I wish I could swim in either of the two amazing pools at Hearst Castle. Apparently castle employees & volunteers can once a year. #travel
pussreboots: @niltiac I know… aren’t those pools amazing! I’d love to swim in them too.
@niltiac they shot one of the scenes from the movie Spartacus at the pool
Me: @EverywhereTrip So I heard… the other pool with the gold leaf inlay was pretty amazing too. Spanish influence striking throughout castle.
Me: Sea horses exhibit at Monterey Aquarium is worth trip. Leafy sea dragons are cool. Also dwarf sea horses length of finger nail. #travel
Me: We took the Carmel Valley Road south from Monterey toward San Simeon. Slow but scenic – pretty rural valley with autumn leaves. #travel
October 27
Me: Morning in Monterey. Hoping for time to walk along waterfront and visit Maritime Museum before the driver decides we need to leave.
Me: Next stop is San Francisco but we’re driving the slow way along Highway 1. Not quite as scenic as Big Sur but more interesting than freeway.
Me: Anyone driven Highway 1 from Santa Cruz to San Francisco? Are conditions like Big Sur road or more like road north of Muir Woods? #travel
soultravelers3: Are you in my home town Santa Cruz @niltiac ? Hwy 1 Big Sur is one of prettiest places on the planet! I miss it most, esp Esalen!
soultravelers3: @niltiac Not at all like Big Sur, usually clear sailing.9:29 AM Oct 27th from web
AKNickerson: @niltiac It gets better the closer you get to SF. By better I mean fewer twists and turns. Closer to Santa Cruz — still rough going.
AirTreks: @niltiac What a great stretch of highway, near Big Sur! Always love that drive up the coast. Hope you’re enjoying it!
Me: @AKNickerson @soultravelers3 If it’s like Big Sur road or better then we’re fine. If it’s worse (like Muir Woods road) it’ll take a while.
Me: @soultravelers3 We are heading north from Monterey now. We passed thru Santa Cruz on way south, will do again.
Me: Is there anywhere for lunch on Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz or should we buy something in Santa Cruz? #travel
pussreboots: @niltiac If you can wait 2 hours… there’s Cameron’s Pub just south of Half Moon Bay. #travel
Me: Stopped at Swanton Berry Farm near Davenport and bought yummy jam. Self-serve honesty till. #travel #food
Me: Thanks to all for lunch recommendations. Stopped at Duartes Tavern in Pescadero for artichoke special – thanks to @bberwyn for tip. [via DM]
Me: Tried but failed to talk the gang into going to Moss Beach for nature reserve, smugglers’ cove and distillery as tipped by @bberwyn. #travel
Me: They preferred to press on to avoid rush hour traffic and give the driver a break. We are back in San Francisco early. #travel
Me: Our little house is still here and I am pottering around, opening mail, watering herbs, putting on washing. Ah home, sweet home. #travel
@overlanders: @niltiac The Overlanders are looking for ideas for our new travel series. Any suggestions for long distance overland travel on vintage bikes
Me: @overlanders We drove Highway 1 between San Simeon and Monterey (Big Sur coast) in a car but I was thinking how great it would be on bikes.
Me: It’s a busy road between Monterey and Santa Cruz, then rural again to just south of San Francisco. Continues north in Marin County.
Me: had a strange feeling of displacement on California coast road – I’d see a stand of eucalypts in a brown field and think I was in Australia.
TheTravelTart: @niltiac I’ve seen Eucalyptus trees over 6 continents! Australia’s weed to the world!
Me: @TheTravelTart Yes I’ve seen eucalypts in Europe, Africa & Middle East but usually the rest of the landscape gives it away.
Me: The weirdest thing is that gum trees are everywhere but no one calls them that. Outside Australia it’s always the formal Latin ‘eucalyptus’.
Me: The other weed lining Highway One on California Coast looks like pampas grass but brochure says it’s ‘fountain grass’ from Africa.
Me: Also, weird that California has so many eucalypts but you can’t buy eucalyptus oil. Walgreens girl asked me if it was cooking oil!
treefroggirl: @niltiac Try a Whole Foods or other health food store. They should have it.
Woohoo, can’t wait to hear more about your trip!
.-= Camels & Chocolate´s last blog ..Photo Friday: Sewanee, Tennessee =-.
I love Twitter too! Looks like you received a lot of great info for your trip.
.-= Amy @ The Q Family´s last blog ..Sugar Overload =-.
This is so cool. You gotta love the digital age. How else could we get friends and strangers involved in our travels, all in real time.
Thanks for sharing, and hope you liked SF! Hopefully you were able to stay for Halloween. San Francisco does that holiday like nowhere else.
Thanks for your comment. Actually, I’m living in San Francisco right now – Halloween was lots of fun! – Caitlin.