Roadtrip Along the California Coast: San Francisco to Big Sur

For the past couple of years, Sarah, my best friend from college, and I have planned a girls trip in the winter months to escape the seasonal depression of Denver and Chicago. It's one of my favorite weekends of the year filled with self-care, shopping, fresh air, and copious cups of tea. We intentionally plan this weekend to have little to no plan so we can be more present. There's no better place to unwind than along the California Coast. Everything in this guide has been tried and vetted by yours truly! As always, I'm happy to help you plan a custom itinerary for your trip to Big Sur! Just reach out to me directly (:

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San Francisco, CA

We opted to fly into SFO Thursday afternoon and spend just 1 day and 1 night here to explore a few select sights of the city before picking up our rental car Friday morning and driving south toward Monterey.

WHERE WE STAYED

Kimpton Alton Hotel-Fisherman's Wharf

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We stayed at Kimpton's Alton Hotel near Fisherman's Wharf and it was absolutely perfect for us. The room was so comfortable, the bathroom was stocked with Malin + Goetz products (our new favorites) and there was even a record player in the room with vinyls in the lobby you could borrow. There was a daily happy hour with free cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages in the trendy lobby.

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WHAT WE DID

Golden Gate Bridge

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We took an Uber to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center and walked around for 30 minutes or so before dinner. There were lots of great photo opportunities

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The Painted Ladies

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As we both watched Full House growing up, we wanted to check out The Painted Ladies! They were more like the muted ladies because the paint was very faded haha. Alamo Square Park across the street is on top of a hill overlooking downtown San Francisco.

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Palace of Fine Arts

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After brunch we ubered to the Palace of Fine Arts! It was SO cool to walk around and admire all the architecture, details and landscaping around. We didn’t think it would be worth visiting but we’re happy we stopped by! After we had enough, we decided to walk along the beach close by that had other views of the Golden Gate Bridge!

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WHAT WE ATE

Boudin Bistro

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We stopped by the Boudin Flagship location by the Fiasherman's Wharf for a late lunch after arriving in San Francisco. Downstairs you can see the bakers at work and shop around the Bakers Hall for all your sourdough needs. We sat out on the balcony on the 2nd floor of the Bistro Boudin that overlooked the Wharf and Alcatraz Island. I had the Ribeye Steak Sandwich and Sarah had a Margherita Sourdough Pizza.

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Wooden Spoon

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This was a perfect brunch spot in San Fran about a 16-minute walk (.8 miles) from The Painted Ladies! They don't accept reservations but we were seated immediately on a Friday morning. I got their Morning Bowl, Sarah got their Granola Crunch French Toast and we shared a side of the potatoes.

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Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea & Big Sur

We stayed the remainder of the weekend (Friday and Saturday nights) in Monterey as it was slightly cheaper than Carmel-by-the-Sea. We spent our days exploring Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and the coastline along Big Sur. It was around 2 hours (123 miles) from San Francisco to Monterey..

We had so much fun shopping in Carmel-by-the-Sea. We particularly loved Xandra Swimwear and Girl Boy Girl boutiques. The girls working at Xandra were SO kind and so helpful, and I would've

WHERE WE STAYED

If you take ONE thing away from this guide, you HAVE to stay at the Old Monterey Inn.

Old Monterey Inn

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We stumbled upon this amazing B&B called the Old Monterey Inn. It was literally the highlight of our trip. I couldn't recommend it any more! The rooms were so quaint fitted with a gas fireplace, an en-suite bathroom, and the softest bedding we’ve ever slept on! We asked the innkeeper where they got the sheets from haha. Their breakfast menu changes daily and is posted downstairs at the front desk. You can opt to have breakfast in your room or in the dining room. We did one of each and had Strawberry & Vanilla Yogurt Parfait and Buenos Dias Eggs on the first day, and Orange Marmelade French Toast on the second. It was out of this world-- the best breakfast I've EVER had. The whole experience was so charming, and like that wasn't already enough, every evening they serve a cheese board and wine for happy hour!

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A Sneak Peek of our Perfect Room

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WHAT WE DID

There's so much to see along the Big Sur Coast. We did some research on specific things we wanted to see/do but in the end, we found ourselves driving slowly to admire it all and pulling over along Highway 1 when we spotted a great vista point.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

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I'm not a "hiker" by any means and was a little intimidated by the trail map at first but walking around Point Lobos State Natural Reserve was one of my favorite things we did all weekend. There were guides at the entrance to advise if you wanted help but we just took a picture of the map and set to wandering around. We probably spent the better part of an hour and a half here but you could easily have spent way less or way more.

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Bixby Creek Bridge

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The Bixby Creek Bridge was INSANE! This was probably the most crowded vista point and pull-off we encountered but it was worth waiting for your turn to snap a picture. It's one of the highest single-span bridges in the world.

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Carmel Beach

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You have to go to Carmel Beach at least once! We went twice because we loved it so much. There was a stunning sunset on Saturday night and it felt like the whole town came to watch it set. Sunday morning we took a little stroll with our morning teas and I even went for a morning dip in the Pacific.

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A Sneak Peek of our Roadtrip Along the California Coast

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WHAT WE ATE

Water + Leaves

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Since we got breakfast at the Inn, we only wanted an iced tea and coffee ahead of our drive down the coast. Water + Leaves was a quaint little shop located on the Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey.

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Dametra Cafe

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We stopped for a late lunch at Dametra Cafe in Carmel-by-the-Sea after an afternoon of exploring Big Sur. It's a highly rated restaurant, top 1% in the world to be exact, and the food lived up to the hype! We got the Hummus and Pita to share, I got a Chicken Schwarma Sandwich and Sarah got a Greek Salad.

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Rise + Roam Bakery and Pizzeria

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On our last day in Carmel-by-the-Sea, we grabbed teas to go at Rise + Roam to enjoy at the beach. I regret not getting their pizza (it was 9:00 am after all) but everything looked and smelled amazing.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maeve Cutts

✈️ a 20-something-year-old third culture kid always plotting her next trip 🛂 32 countries, 35 states & counting 🤍a lover of tasty foods, slow travel & a nice cuppa tea I was born in London to an Irish (🇮🇪) but American-born (🇺🇲) mother and an English (🇬🇧) but Singaporean-born (🇸🇬) father. I lived in the UK, the US, and Hong Kong all by the time I was 13. My first flight was at 2 weeks old and I've been on the go ever since. I frequently travel around North America, Europe, and South East Asia but truly no place is off limits! I'm based in Chicago with my fiance and 2-year-old English Springer Spaniel! I've always loved documenting my travels with photos and videos, and sharing my recommendations and tips for traveling. From visiting varioius friends and family around the world, I have a local's insight to many great places. I can offer custom itineraries, city guides, food guides, travel consultations, and more! DM me on Instagram (@maevecutts) or email me (💌 maeve.cutts@gmail.com) to set up your consultation today! - Custom Itineraries: $15+ - 30-minute Travel Consultation: $30 Don't forget to subscribe to my Thatch profile and download the app to keep up to date with my travels all over the world!

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