Big Sur, McWay Falls, and Monterey

While the trip to socal was okay, going it alone just isn't as nice when you know there's someone back at home who could make road tripping a lot more fun. So after a couple days of busy work for our reader's choice edition Mir and I packed our bags and headed out to the Big Sur Coast. Road tripping along the ocean should only be allowed if you're with someone you love, it is just too beautiful not to be shared together. Having a loved one there also makes for great 'i told you so' moments like when Mir declared "there are NO whales out there." Not 5 seconds after this proclamation, as if on cue, vindication was mine.

Not the most stunning whale photo, but to me, one of the most satisfying.

We headed first for Jade Cove in Big Sur. Mir's mom had big dreams of bountiful jade rocks free for the picking. There were plenty of rocks but no jade that we could find. Instead we found a few nice little seashells and this ugly dead fish.


After the unsuccessful jade hunt we headed back up to Julia Pfeiffer Burns state park and McWay Creek Falls. The falls had been on my 'to do' list for some time and it was nice to finally have someone there to see it with. Our timing was perfect, too, arriving just before sunset.

Our nice european friends took our photo. We called them our friends because we ran across them again the next day some 40 miles away. Still wish we would've gotten a photo of all 4 of us together just to be creepy. Some friends, though, in the photo I took of them you could at least see the waterfall in the background.


We headed back to Monterey for dinner and to bed up for the night. We found a nice hotel right next to the aquarium. A little pricey but it did come with a 6 inch deep balcony overlooking the bay that was big enough for two if we kept the door open.

It also came with a crappy $17 charge for self parking. Meh!

After a grand slam breakfast it was off to Point Lobos State Reserve. It's a beautiful park with plenty of wildlife.

The native californian big eared tic-tac deer. They use the big ears to listen for the rattling of tic-tac's in your photo backpack.

The scenic view of the deer after I convinced it that its breath was fine and it should scurry along.


Midday isn't the best time to take photos but the area is just so photogenic

Even in the details it's pretty


Mir and I are planning a more ambitious road trip along the Oregon Coast this summer. Any recommendations?