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A Slow Guide to Big Sur

By Ashley French
A Slow Guide to Big Sur
A Slow Guide to Big Sur

Chris and I just got back from a weekend together in Big Sur. It's my happy place and truly one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen. After years of being partly closed due to repairs, Highway 1 is fully open again, so it's the perfect time to visit.  

You don't go to Big Sur to be busy, but to unwind. It's one of those places where the doing matters less than the being. You'll probably arrive a little wound-up and leave feeling calmer than you remember being in a long time. This is how I like to experience Big Sur, from the redwoods overhead to the Pacific Ocean below.

Where to stay

For our most recent trip, we stayed at the very luxurious Post Ranch Inn. Their Tree House rooms feel ultra-private and almost unseparated from nature. The tree houses are suspended in the air, all glass and wood and quiet. You wake up with nothing but birds and trees between you and the day. From there, you can do morning yoga, relax with a spa treatment, or float in an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. 

Glen Oaks Big Sur is a little more casual, and still a beautiful place to unwind. It has a vintage-y motor lodge and cottages that sit close to the river. Some of them feel cozy while others are more contemporary. Or, for a more secluded feel, you can cross the water on a suspension bridge and stay at one of two cottages. You really can't go wrong here.

Where to eat
If I'm staying at Post Ranch Inn and want a fine-dining experience, I'll go to the in-house restaurant, Sierra Mar. The chefs source food from an on-site garden and from local farms, and there's nothing like having dinner while watching ocean waves. For lunch, I'll head over to Nepenthe. You can sit on the terrace, order breakfast or a burger, and let the view do its thing. Breakfast at Deetjen's is fun—the space is rustic, the gardens are gorgeous, and the resident cats are pretty cute. If you love coffee, I recommend keeping an eye on Coast Big Sur's instagram to see when and where their pop-ups are happening.

The best thing about Big Sur is that you don't need to do much. It's more about being in nature and taking it easy. And since cell service is spotty at best, it's an excellent place to unplug on every level.

If it's your first time, you have to drive Highway 1 and plan to make regular stops just to take in the views. Definitely visit the Bixby Bridge (the one from Big Little Lies) and marvel at how perfectly it fits in with the scenery. I highly recommend sunset at Pfeiffer Beach, but before that, there are plenty of hiking trails. The overlook trail at Julia Pfeifer Burns State Park is easy and rewards you with a view of a waterfall, or you could do the more challenging Ridge Trail for a hilly view of the Pacific. Rainy weather? Stop by the Henry Miller Memorial Library to pick up a book (despite the name, it's also a bookstore). Whatever you do, it's likely to be a trip you will never forget.

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