Day Six: North to Big Sur (or Madame)

We knew the day would come when Joe and I had to re-pack our things, pet O & K (aka, The Vineyard Dogs) one last time, be pampered with our final cups of coffee and three course breakfast, and depart Seven Quails Bed & Breakfast. Never before have I used the words beautiful, lovely, wonderful, and perfect and sighed so contently so often in my life. And never before have I fallen in love so deeply with a bathtub than I did with the one in The Room with a View booking at Seven Quails. The only thought that consoled us was the prospect of twisting north along Highway 1 to take in vast ocean vistas complemented by the dramatic green hills of Big Sur.

We started our journey at the junction of Highways 46 and 1 where we turned right through Cambria and San Simeon, skipping the Hearst Castle and stopping along the coast to peep at elephant seals lazing in the warm sun. As we neared Gorda, the landscape the changed – the fog cleared, the hills became taller, the cliffs steeper and the turns tighter. Traffic moved slowly through Big Sur past road repair crews and sharp twists around the hills.





We landed at the bohemian Nepenthe Restaurant for a late lunch. Perched atop a steep hill overlooking the ocean, Nepenthe - once owned by Orson Wells and Rita Hayworth - has breathtaking views of Big Sur along with an ample wine selection and reasonably priced menu. Afterwards, we drove five miles north to check into the Fernwood Motel at the edge of Pfeiffer State Park. We took a five-mile hike from the motel into the park, tramping past redwood trees and up to Buzzard’s Roost where we looked out over the Pacific Ocean.







In the evening we hung out in the Fernwood Motel Restaurant & Lounge, patronized by fellow travelers and local bohemians, watching the Discovery Channel and Women’s NCAA tournament on a large flat screen television. We returned to our room around 9:30pm and, yet again, collapsed in our bed exhausted and content.