this sounds like a question for tumbles...

you should go look at the elephant seals along the coast. There is a good taco place in Ventura (have forgotten the name of it).

And we could wait our lives
before a chance arrives
before the passage

From the top you can see Monterey
or think about San Jose
though I know it`s not that pleasant

And hey Jim, a Kerouac, a brother of the famous Jack
or so he likes to say, lucky bastard

He's sitting on the cafe Xeno's steps with a girl I'm not over yet
watching all the world go by

Boy you are looking bad
Did I make you feel that sad
I'm honestly flattered

But if she asks me out
I'll be hers without a doubt
on that big dipper

Cigarettes and carrot juice
and get yourself a new tattoo for those sleeveless days of June

I'm sitting on the cafe Xeno's steps
I haven't got the courage yet, I haven't got the courage yet,

I haven't got the courage yet

madonna inn

in Cambria. Peep the handrails, they double as the plumbing.

Cambria is a nice town. I think the bridges are the gems. Pull over and take a look at some of them. They're quite nice.

Don't venture far from Cambria's town center (cue banjo).

i've been through rural georgia, alabama, and mississippi. trust me. cambria and the environs are tame.

My lady recommends:

[i]The easy answer is Big Sur... Maybe stop at Piedras Blancas, near San Simeon, to see elephant seals.[i/]

http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/elephant-seals.html

and Hearst Castle

oops

Ha. I trust you, ACfA. I've been in the woods 5 hours north of Toronto.

(more banjos)

why would you ever go 5 hours north of toronto. i don't go 5 minutes east of the 110.

westsiiiiide!

bixby bridge. everyone stops here.

Me and my high school band mates went to a remote lake for a little song writing inspiration. I think it was 1996. Three houses/cabins on a mile-long lake. All use the same phone line, so we never answered it. The water has never seen powerboat. Three loons live on the lake.

It was a grand ol' time.

I agree that bridge is stop worthy. And keep your eyes open for whales.

Cambria is a great coastal country chill town (far from hicksville). I grew up spending my summers there...lot's a good forest hikes, surfing, and lazy afternoons. Although, many of the early settling retirees have passed on, resulting in a influx of semi-posh elitist baby boomers. My grandparents purchased a 2,000 s.f. hillside home for $50k 30 years ago. The BB's have pushed that value up to a cool million.

I second tumbleweed on Salmon Creek.

If your into beaches, there are a few really nice secluded ones in Big Sur. About an hour north of San Simeon, and a 1/2 hour north of ragged point is Sandollar Beach, with a nice long stair trek hike to a large crescent shaped beach. Light crowds and day use parking is $5, but the pass is good at any of the Big Sur beaches.

About 30-45 min. north of Sandollar make sure to stop at the Lucia restaurant. There is an outdoor wooden patio with a long bar style counter from which to eat your meal and enjoy the amazing panoramic views. I had a surprisingly good hamburger and salad there for lunch a few months ago. You can even picninc down on the lawn if you bring your own.

Another great beach to visit is Pfieffer Beach (north of Julia Pfieffer State Park). You turn west onto Sycamore Canyon Road (a very easy to miss exit) and drive down 1-2 miles to a parking lot. The walk to the beach is scenic, and the beach itself is very unique.

Make sure you have plenty in your tank before heading north of Ragged Point.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Anyone ever actually been to the Esalen baths? I mean, from a scale of 1 to 10, how likely would it be that I'd find myself sitting in a hot tub with these guys?

http://snl.jt.org/char.php?i=683

god. a hot soak and a massage are exactly what i need right about now...

BTW, ACfA, where'd you get that sweet picture?

Wesssiide!

was trying to find images of bixby bridge for this thread on flickr. i have a few myself but none as nice as the one posted... i've got it flickr favorite'ed if you want to check it out...

I've been to Esalen on a moonlit night and I highly recommend it. The place is a little cult-ish. We showed up at 1:00 am, a guy led us through the compound and wouldn't answer any questions about the place because he claims he is is not allowed to. When we got to the baths we were the only ones using them and they are quite big. The guy who who took us down left and never even checked on us or showed up to lead the way out. It was weird but great. Also nearby if you want to camp is Lime Kiln campsite. I also recommend Sycamore springs near San Louis Opispo, they have private tubs in the woods.


Before I forget, make sure to wear flip flops walking through the showers, I got a nasty planters wart from there.

regarding Hearst Castle's current tour offerings - can anyone recommend which of these would give the biggest bang for your buck? It seems that the tours all cover different interior areas of the complex, though all seem to include the baths and gardens. What are the most significant and/or spatially interesting rooms?

http://hearstcastle.org/tour-h...

Carmel by the Sea, of course!  Great little charming coastal town, with many great commercial buildings from the 1920’s, and many lovely houses.  The Cypress Inn is a little gem of a Spanish Colonial hotel from the late 20’s.  Great place to stay for a day or two, nice restaurant and bar, dog friendly.  The courtyard there has a big fireplace and is just beautiful.  Spend an afternoon walking around town, and go for drinks or dinner at The Cypress.

There’s a Frank Lloyd Wright house south of Carmel on the ocean that’s in great shape and is very nice.  And take the 17 Mile Drive to see lots of wonderful coastal landscape.  George Washington Smith’s Crocker House is an all-stone Byzantine house from the 20’s, right on the water that’s pretty stunning.