Andrew Molera State Park (CA) Spectacular hiking trails, great fishing locations, and beachcombing await visitors to this state park. Relatively undeveloped, this park is a welcome side trip for visitors wanting to escape the city. In the spectacular Big Sur area, this park is still relatively undeveloped and offers visitors great hiking, fishing and beachcombing. Miles of trails wind through meadows, beaches and hilltops. A primitive walk-in trail camp, popular with hikers and bikers, is located approximately one third of a mile from the parking area.

Photo Credits Public domain. Photo by Martha Alejandre

Big Sur (CA) Though recognized as a town on most road maps, Big Sur is really more of an area than a town. It contains a large camping area, while many inns, restaurants, and other small shops are found up and down the corridor.

The Big Sur area encompasses more than just a town. It includes miles of beatiful coastline, craggy mountain ranges, and scenic valleys. Much different than the warm sunny beaches of southern California, beaches in Big Sur are chilly even during the day, often draped in fog, or raining.

Bring jackets and blankets for romanitc evenings on the beach, when the views are magical and the temperature drops. Watch for Blue, Gray, and Humpback Whales in the distance, and see Elephant Seals, Califonia Condors, Sea Otters, and Mountain Lions all enjoying the ecosystems of the Big Sur area as much as the travelers.
Photo Credits © 2001. Big Sur Coast Highway

Bixby Bridge (CA) The Bixby Bridge is a marvel of engineering that spans a large canyon along the Big Sur Coastline. Every day it looks different, whether there are clouds resting themselves on it, or sun reflecting off of the gleaming white structural supports.

The Bixby Bridge, completed in 1932, is a marvel of engineering and one of the top ten highest single span bridges in the world. The bridge spans across a large canyon along the Big Sur Coastline, about 18 miles south of Carmel.

The weather conditions can have a noticable impact on the bridge's appearance, whether there are clouds partially hiding it, or sun reflecting off of the gleaming white structural supports. That quality, combined with the massive appearance of the bridge, brings countless people to photograph the bridge.

Carmel (CA) The city of Carmel is situated in a forested area just off Highway One. Carmel is about five miles south of Monterey and 26 miles north of Big Sur.

Carmel Mission and Basilica (CA) The second in the chain of California's Historic Missions, Mission San Carlos Boromeo del Carmelo has been a haven for artists and writers for over a century.

Directions: Just north of the recognized byway, travel north along Hwy 1 into Carmel, turn left on Rio Road. The mission is a short distance, and is on the left side of the road.

The Carmel Mission, located on Rio Road off of Highway One, was the second of California's historical missions, built in 1771. At that time, Father Junipero Serra founded the Basilica of Mission San Carlos de Borromeo, one of only two basilicas on the West Coast. It is considered the jewel of California missions, and was Father Serra's favorite. He is buried near the altar. Mission San Carlos Boromeo del Carmelo has been a haven for artists and writers for over a century.
Photo Credits © 2000. Martin Brown

Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument (CA) Above the ocean at San Simeon lies the creation of two extraordinary people, William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan. Their collaboration, which took nearly 30 years to complete, transformed a hilltop campsite into the world-famous Hearst Castle.

Directions: The monument is located on Highway 1, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is a few miles south of the FHWA recognized byway, but the drive is well worth the time.

The Enchanted Hill

In the Santa Lucia Mountains of California on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, craftsmen labored nearly 28 years to create a magnificent estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways. Rooms were furnished with a magnificent collection of Spanish and Italian antiques and art. Called La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill), it is better known as Hearst Castle, once the home of newspaper publisher, art collector, and builder William Randolph Hearst.

La Casa Grande

The main house itself, "La Casa Grande," is a grand setting for Hearst's collection of European antiques and art pieces. It was also a most fitting site for hosting the many influential guests who stayed at Hearst's 250,000-acre San Simeon ranch. Guests included President Calvin Coolidge, Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, Charles Lindbergh, Charlie Chaplin, and a diverse array of luminaries from the show business and publishing industries.

From Campsite to Castle

Hearst Castle, high above the ocean at San Simeon, was the creation of two extraordinary individuals, William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Their collaboration, which began in 1919 and continued for nearly 30 years, transformed a rugged hilltop campsite into the world-famous Hearst Castle -- a magnificent 115-room main house plus guesthouses, pools, and 8 acres of cultivated gardens.