Because we were advised not to drive Hwy 1 with our trailer (good advice it turns out -Thanks Denis) we decide to backtrack to drive part of the infamous highway which will take us from Cambria to Monterey. Starting our drive from Morro Bay (South to North), not far along we pull off at an Elephant Seal lookout and are rewarded with an incredible show and a chat with a local Elephant Seal host who gives us a nice overview (with pictures from his album). In 2 weeks time the pregnant females will arrive. The reigning bulls will forms harems and protect the mothers and pups until it is time to make the long journey again as far as the Aleutians (4800 km).
The rookery has a permanent camera run by solar and the spectacles can viewed at www.elephantseal.org on the e-sealcam
Juvenile Elephant Seals honing their skills
Yawning
Soon after, we pass by Hearst Castle which we plan to do on our way back. It is set high on a bluff and from a distance it does look like a Disney Castle. The highway soon climbs higher, and becomes a curvy clifftop highway with sheers drops and stunning endless views. There is very little from Cambria to Big Sur other than a very large state parkland with hikes here and there and a couple rustic camping areas. The drive takes a lot longer than we anticipated – stopping a couple times for the views and picture taking as well as construction. Glad to be on the inside lane. We continue on to the ritzy towns of Carmel by the Sea (where we walked the main streets for a bit -full of artsy shops and trendy clothing stores) and Monterey before taking the inland highway 101 back. Never did make it to Hearst Castle – it closes at 4p.m. and we ran out of time.
Bixby Bridge at Big Sur
The highway goes for miles and miles along those cliff tops.
Oh how I remember those cliff drop offs … stunning views and terrifying at the same time. Glad you’re able to take your time and see all the sights. We missed seeing a lot due to a tight schedule.