Day 138 of Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
I started the day out taking a quarter mile walk to a beautiful overlook in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Not only was there a fantastic view of the California Coast and Ocean, but a waterfall shot out of the rocks onto the beach below. It was a lovely spot.
Afterward, I continued north, pulling off at a few vista points along the way until I finally got to the Big Sur Bakery where I got an Internet connection, so I sat on the side of the road a few hours to blog and, of course, respond to all my wonderful birthday wishes. I also coordinated with Nicole and Kyle to meet up later in the day.
Riverside Campground and Cabins
Just up the road, I arrived at Riverside Campground and Cabins where Nicole reserved a cabin that sleeps four….perhaps a family of four. The cabin was one room with a queen size bed and bunk beds with the top bed hanging perpendicular to the bottom bed. Three people and three big dogs were going to be a bit of a squeeze, so I opted for VANilla later in the evening.
Buzzards Roost Trail
In the meantime, we took a hike on Buzzards Roost Trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The 1.5 mile loop took us through the forest to a vista on the hilltop where we could see the ocean below. We enjoyed a variety of wildflowers and redwoods that lined the trail.
Ventana
My birthday dinner, compliments of Nicole and Kyle was at Ventana, a terrific restaurant with a wonderful view. We all three ordered different appetizers, entrees, and dessert so that we could share! My scallop appetizer was amazing. Nicole’s rockfish entrée was mouth-watering. And surprisingly, the coconut, cranberry bread pudding was superb!
The staff was excellent and the restaurant was somewhat empty due to the landslides. The slide to the north of Big Sur blocked all the traffic from Carmel and above, and the slide that occurred this afternoon blocked the traffic to the south. Only one, round about way in and out of the area, kept the masses away. I feel blessed… I made it to Big Sur before the southern slide and get to enjoy the beauty without the crowds! Magnificent…ETB.
Map of My Road Trip Across the USA
For a summary about my road trip across the USA, click HERE. For the interactive map, see the below link.
When I moved to San Francisco in the late ’60’s (hippy stage) I visited Big Sur with some friends. We visited Nepenthe restaurant up on a cliff overlooking the ocean and had great hamburgers and salads with blue cheese. In 1988 my husband and I were traveling the Calif. coast and I remembered Nepenthe and by gosh it was still there!! You might give it a try!
Yay, it looks like you had a fabulous birthday! The tart looks amazing, yummy!
great day for you