I have been dying to take the Pacific Coast Highway and travel up to Big Sur since I first moved to California. I finally got the opportunity when I drove up to Pinnacles National Park. I took the PCH all the way down and it was such a perfect day. Not being in any rush, stopping wherever I wanted, and getting to fly my drone over the Pacific Ocean. I loved the special moments of following the one lane highway bending around the cliff sides, feeling the salty wind in your hair and warm sun on your face, zoning out to music from Washed Out and Ondi Vil, and just being in a beautiful stupor gazing at the ever changing coastline unfolding in front of you.
Big Sur easily became one of my favorite areas in California. I would love more than anything to come back here and go camping. Find a nice spot where the sun kisses the ocean, watching it melt into the horizon, stargaze and contemplate how we all have the same kind of stardust in our souls. The only thing that could make it any sweeter is having a specific person by your side. You know, the one who mirrors you, is always on your same frequency, and whose soul is twins to your soul. Because once your soul finds its home, it never truly forgets.
Big Sur is a rugged section of Californias Central Coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The stunning views come complete with redwood forests, hiking trails, waterfalls, beaches, and tons of areas to just pull over to park and camp for the night.
McWay Falls
One of the stops that I was looking forward to the most was McWay Falls. It is an 80 foot tall waterfall that flows year round. During high tide, it empties directly into the ocean. There is a trail for it, but you are not able to get directly down into the beach. McWay Falls is part of the larger Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. This park is about 12 miles below Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. You can also find some redwoods here, some that are over 300 feet tall.
Elephant Seal Beach
It was mating season for the Elephant Seals, so of course I had to check out the beach. San Simeon was on my way down the coast, so I stopped and it was such a cool sight to see. There were hundreds of elephant seals just hanging out on the beach. There’s a huge viewing area for anyone that wants to stop. They weren’t very active either, mostly just laying around enjoying the warm sun on their bellies.
