This week we're taking a road trip along the California Central Coast to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, nicknamed "mini Yosemite". With its hiking trails, towering coastal redwood trees, abundant wildlife, and lodging options (including camping and Big Sur Lodge cabins), this CA state park along Highway 1 is one of the top places to go in Big Sur. Read this travel guide for all the park details.
Read MoreToday we're heading out on a luxury motor yacht with Sanctuary Cruises for a private whale watching charter. This is one of the top orca and whale watching companies in Moss Landing in Central California, providing group and private tours of the Monterey Bay. We'll encounter all kinds of marine wildlife up close, including orcas, humpback whales, sea otters, dolphins, sea lions, and sea birds.
Read MoreThe Big Sur coast is home to several California State Parks, and they are all worthy of a stop on your next Highway 1 road trip. Check out this travel guide to explore the best hiking trails and what wildlife to see on your Big Sur adventure in each state park, including Garrapata, Point Lobos, Andrew Molera, Julia Pfeiffer Burns, Pfeiffer Big Sur, Limekiln, Point Sur, and Hearst San Simeon.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to hiking the Valley View Trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Located along the central CA coast on Highway 1, this easy to moderate hike takes you thru a redwood forest to panoramic views of Big Sur River Valley, Andrew Molera State Park and Point Sur Lighthouse. A short spur trail leads to Pfeiffer Falls, a waterfall in Los Padres National Forest.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide about hiking the Nature Trail & River Path Loop in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The trailhead is right next to Big Sur Lodge off of Highway 1, and this easy family friendly hike takes you along the Big Sur River, through an old growth grove of coastal redwood trees, and by old structures & cabins build by the CCC. This is an easy trail with great views.
Read MoreRead this full hotel review of the Big Sur Lodge and why you should book a stay here on your next Big Sur vacation. The property is located inside Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and is a short drive from many popular Big Sur spots, such as Pfeiffer Beach, McWay Falls, Bixby Bridge, Calla Lily Valley and Nepenthe. Big Sur Lodge also features the Homestead Restaurant, a great place to eat along Hwy 1.
Read MoreCurrently there are 16,000 western monarch butterflies at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove along CA Highway 1. If you're wondering where to see monarchs in California, this butterfly colony is one of the largest in the state and can be enjoyed every November thru February during the monarch winter migration. This is one of my top things to do in Pismo Beach & along the central coast.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide to visiting Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel, CA. Located near Monterey and Big Sur, this California State Park contains multiple hiking trails that take you along bluff tops, turquoise waters, and abundant wildlife. Some of the top things to do is to see the Whalers Cabin, China Cove, Sea Lion Point, Bird Island, and Cypress Grove Trail.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for hiking to Partington Cove along the central California coast. This short hike is one of the top things to do in Big Sur and leads to a cove with turquoise waters through coastal redwoods and an old logging tunnel. The trail runs alongside seasonal cascade waterfalls that flow into the Pacific Ocean where there is beach access at Partington Point.
Read MoreRead this Flying Dawn Marie travel guide for the best trips in California to take in 2023. Listed out in this article are 6 top road trips to take during each season, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. We'll explore mountain adventures in Yosemite and Lassen Volcanic National Park, as well as beach destinations in Big Sur. We'll head to the desert to discover unique landscapes in Death Valley.
Read MoreThis week we're celebrating the start of Spring by heading up the California coastline into Big Sur. We'll discover my top 12 highlights, including spots like Limekiln State Park, McWay Falls, Bixby Creek Bridge, and Treebones Resort.
Read MoreThis week we're hiking to a beautiful Big Sur waterfall along CA Highway 1. Salmon Creek Falls flows just north of Ragged Point, nestled at the edge of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range in Los Padres National Forest.
Read MoreMcWay Falls along Highway 1 is one of the most magical waterfalls in all of Big Sur, California. Located 35 miles south of Carmel inside of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park along the central coast, this 80 foot waterfall is actually a tide fall during high tide (meaning it pours directly into the Pacific Ocean).
Read MoreToday we’re heading into Big Sur in the Los Padres National Forest to the Pacific Valley Bluff Trail just 16 miles north of Ragged Point. Just north of Treebones Resort, Sand Dollar Beach, & Jade Cove, this easy hike provides fields of wildflowers and California poppies, as well as views of sea stacks and the rugged central coastline.
Read MoreToday we're hiking the steep trail down to Young Creek Beach to view Black Swift Falls near Ragged Point Inn and Resort. This short but strenuous hike offers magnificent views of the waterfall and California's Big Sur coastline.
Read MoreToday we're reviewing the Autonomous Tent at Treebones Resort on the southern edge of Big Sur. Treebones is a premier Big Sur glamping resort unlike any hotel you've stayed in. Offering unique accommodations, such as yurts, a human nest, and a treehouse, Treebones is truly an eco resort, honoring the coastal land and habitat it sits on.
Read MoreToday we're exploring Garrapata State Park along Cabrillo Highway in Big Sur, California. This central coast Highway 1 destination is filled with picturesque rocky shorelines, hiking trails, wildlife, and redwood trees.
Read MoreToday we're exploring sea caves below Dinosaur Caves Park and Margo Dodd Park in Pismo Beach, California. This rugged coastline in the Shell Beach community is perfect for kayaking, snorkeling, and bird watching.
Read MoreJade Cove is an amazing hidden gem located at the southern end of Big Sur along the California Highway 1 coastline. North of San Simeon and south of Carmel, this secluded beach is a perfect spot to avoid the crowds.
Read MoreToday we're exploring Sand Dollar Beach in Big Sur along California's historic Highway 1. We'll enjoy epic clifftop views perfect for wildlife watching, crashing ocean waves at your feet, and plenty of great picnic areas.
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