If you aren’t familiar with Big Sur, you might need some info about how to get there and stuff. I can give you that info!
If you’re flying in you can fly to Monterey Peninsula Airport, San Jose, or San Francisco and then rent a car to drive a bit to the central coast.
If you live in LA, you should probably just suck it up and enjoy the scenic drive, unless you like going to airports and waiting in security lines, dealing with the TSA, paying for parking, and then having no choice but to rent a car just to DRIVE the additional time it takes to get to Big Sur from whatever airport you land in (I’m talking to you, weirdo-Lorene). Below are some general directions from nearby landmarks to Big Sur. I figure that if you’re web savvy enough to have found this site, you can probably find the directions to suit your liking in a matter of clicks.
Airports
From Monterey Peninsula Airport
Approximate driving time one hour
• When leaving the airport on Olmsted Road, turn right onto Highway 68
• Follow the signs to Highway 1 South, Big Sur
• Stay on Highway 1 through Carmel,
drive about 30 miles to Big Sur
From San Jose Airport
Approximate driving time 2 hours to 2.5 hours
• When leaving the airport, follow signs to Highway 101 South
• Follow 101 South to Highway 156 West, Monterey Peninsula Exit (50 miles)
• Highway 156 will become Highway One South
• Follow Highway 1 past Carmel into Big Sur
From San Francisco Airport
Approximate driving time 3 hours to 3.5 hours
• Take Highway 101 South (approximately 1.5 hours)
• Follow 101 to Highway 156 West, Monterey Peninsula Exit (95 miles)
• Highway 156 merges into Highway One South
• Follow Highway 1 past Carmel into Big Sur
From Southern California
307 mi – about 5 hours 21 mins, up to 6 hours 20 mins in traffic
• Merge onto US-101 N for a couple hundred miles
• Take the CA-1 N exit toward Morro Bay/Hearst Castle
• Turn right at CA-1/Toro St
• Continue to follow CA-1
OR IF YOU HATE LOOKING AT THE OCEAN AND WOULD PREFER TO STOP AT SOME WINERIES IN PASO ROBLES...
308 mi – about 5 hours 34 mins
• Merge onto US-101 N
• Slight right at CA-170 N/Hollywood Fwy (signs for Hollywood Fwy
• Merge onto I-5 N for about a 130 miles
• Take exit 278 for CA-46 toward Lost Hills/Paso Robles
• Turn left at CA-46/Paso Robles Hwy
• Turn left to merge onto US-101 S
• Take the CA-46 W exit toward Hearst Castle/Cambria
• Turn right at CA-46
• Turn right at CA-1 for about 80 miles
Dave swears that the latter route is faster, but I think the wine that we buy on that route usually speeds up the drive in his mind. We're driving up this weekend, so I'll let you know.
Accomodations
Hotels book really fast during the summer on the California coast, so book your rooms quick. We have blocked off rooms at the Big Sur Lodge, near the site for you, so snatch 'em up. Big Sur Lodge
It’s in the heart of Big Sur, close to tons of nature and hiking and all of that hippie shit. They’ve even got a heated pool for those of you nature haters. It’s got a grocery store and restaurant onsite too if you’re not in to playing Survivorman in the woods. And it’s even got a gift shop for all those sweet postcards and dream catchers you know you wanna buy. Go look at the website, dudes.
The Big Sur River Inn is also pretty awesome. It’s by the river (duh) and has a sweet little restaurant (that has live bands and serves drunks so you can feel at home, you lushes) and gas station and free wireless.
The Ventana Inn is a delightful hotel on the mountainside of Highway 1. It’s got a rad restaurant there and pretty scenery and is all high falutin’ and stuff.
This place is interesting as well. And there're cool yurts at Treebones if you feel like roughin' it a little.
Carmel is lovely city by the sea that used to be able to boast Clint Eastwood as its mayor. It doesn’t have Clint Eastwood anymore, but it sure does have hotels with beds for you to lay your faces on! Woohoo! Beds! Aren’t beds awesome?
Monterey is pretty nice too. It’s got a sweet aquarium and a John Steinbeck museum.
And Pebble Beach. I don’t know nothin’ about Pebble Beach, but if you stay there, you can tell me all about it. Here are some hotels in those areas, separated by price.
I’ll add more stuff regularly now that Dave finally gave me the password to this website, but you know… I figured you’d want to get things goin’ by now.
P.S. We’ll be in Big Sur from June 19th – 23rd, in case you feel like extending your stay. If you really wanna stretch it out and wanna hang out, it won’t be hard to talk me into vacationing even longer.
P.P.S. for all you breeders out there, our wedding is totally kid friendly so feel free to bring them. Just keep 'em away from the cliff's edge, because we're probably not hiring sitters to do that for you. Sorry. *sad trombone noise*
