Today, we headed down on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH, or Highway One) towards Big Sur and the cluster of state parks south of Monterey. William had to work, so it was the three of us, plus Anna and the Pinkerton kids.
Breakfast
First thing in the morning, I made a run to ACME Coffee Roasting in Seaside. This was a very strategic stop, because I got to conduct a triple food review! ACME also sells some baked goods from two Monterey businesses: Parker-Lusseau (French pastries) and Red’s Donuts. The coffee was very good, but roasted a little dark for my taste. If you like slightly darker roasts, you’ll probably love it; it was very good as far as that style goes. I got a pour over of their lightest roast, a Mexican that was on the darkest side of medium-roasted. Points deducted for spelling my name wrong…
The donuts were very good, although the maple was much better than the old-fashioned. I’ve yet to consume a better old-fashioned than Daylight Donuts. The ham and cheese croissant from Parker-Lusseau was outstanding.
Red's Donuts
Monterey, CA
Very good donuts with all the classics
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Parker-Lusseau
Monterey, CA
This is a quintessential French patisserie, with excellent croissants. I regret I didn’t get too try more of their selection.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Loading up the car (and the trailer-hitch cargo carrier) to the brim with five kids, three adults, several bags of picnic food, two strollers, and several backpacks, we started the drive south. Little did we know, the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance car parade was making its way down Highway One, and we were right in the middle of it. It was somewhat comical to see hundreds (maybe thousands) of people lined up on the side of the road taking photos of all the cars. We decided to just play along and wave to everyone as we drove by.
Finally clearing the persistent morning fog and the slow cruising traffic, we arrive at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and after some confusion as to where the trailhead was, we started the short hike to the viewpoint.
After emerging from the tunnel, we were greeted with an unbelievable view of the beach below, where a waterfall dropped straight onto the sand next to turquoise water.
Back in the parking lot, we decided to go ahead and eat lunch, and had a picnic in the shade. It was a lot of fun, and it was a nice stopover after being in the car for a while.
Pfeiffer Beach
Leaving lunch and driving back north, we stopped at Pfeiffer Beach, a semi-private area that required driving an extremely steep, winding road to gain access. This beach is famous for Keyhole Rock and for having patches of purple sand, which were not particularly visible today. Speaking of sand, the wind was blowing so hard it was constantly pounding sand into your face/eyes, and stung terribly.
Finding refuge from the wind in an alcove by the creek, the kids spend a while building dams and playing in the sand. It was a lot of fun, but a long drive home awaited us, so we decided to hit the road after a couple hours.
Pacific Coast Highway
Continuing north on the PCH, we saw some more beautiful views, including Point Sur Lighthouse, and and Naval Facility Point Sur, a decommissioned Cold War era listening station.
Bixby Bridge
We arrived back at the famous Bixby Bridge, this time in full daylight with no fog. The dirt road that winds behind the bridge was open, so we pulled off and snapped a few photos.
The bridge has an iconic arch structure, and was completed in 1932 at a cost of just $200,000.
After fighting more traffic in Carmel, we finally made it back to Monterey, and immediately headed to the park for some more outdoor fun.
Chowder
As soon as William got home from work, he and I headed back to Old Fisherman’s Wharf to pick up a half-gallon of chowder for dinner. Anna had made homemade sourdough bread and a salad to accompany it. It was a wonderful dinner. The chowder was just as good as when Faith and I had it yesterday, and best of all, we didn’t have to split a single portion this time!
Old Fisherman's Grotto
Monterey, CA
The best clam chowder I’ve ever had.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Evening
After dinner, I took Walker on a stroll around the neighborhood, and then continued the walk myself for a while once he was in bed.
After all the kids were in bed, we decided to break into the Revival ice cream, and split the two flavors: dark chocolate and Bee’s Knees (caramelized honey, beeswax and house-made “honeycomb” candy). Both were outstanding.
The Best Things we Saw Today
Isaac
The best thing I saw today was… “driving down the Pacific Coast Highway”.
The best thing I ate today was… “chowder with homemade sourdough”.
Faith
The best thing I saw today was… “Pfeiffer beach”.
The best thing I ate today was… “clam chowder and homemade bread”.
Conclusion
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Tomorrow, we’re headed back to Big Sur to continue exploring some spots we didn’t have time for today.
– Isaac, Faith, and Walker
One Response
Amy