BIG SUR in California
#rvlife #travel #bigsur #california
2022-03-27
Things To Know BEFORE Going to Big Sur
The seventy mile stretch of Pacific coastal highway between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Cambria California, also known as Big Sur, is world renown as one of the most beautiful drives in North America. After spending a full day exploring the area we understand why it has inspired artists and filmmakers for generations.
Before visiting, there are a few things to know:
- Dress in layers
The weather on the coast can change quickly. One minute it could be foggy and cold, the next it could be sunny and warm. We made good use of all of our layers that day, which included a t-shirt, sweater, jacket, and I (Mel) even had a vest. We did not bring multiple types of footwear, but looking back it would have been wise to have both sneakers and sandals on hand.
- Have motion sickness remedies on hand
The roads in two particular sections of the highway are very windy with a lot of hairpin turns. Even as the driver, I was feeling a bit off from it all. Having carsick remedies on hand is always a good idea in the event that yourself or one of your passengers is unexpectedly affected.
- Parking can be limited at most stops
The majority of the places we visited had either road-side parking or small parking lots. Be patient and something will open up, but we even had trouble maneuvering in and out of these spots a couple of times with our half-ton truck.
- Give yourself enough time
We spent an entire 12 hours doing this road trip and a couple of the stops seemed a bit rushed to us. It was a long day, but well worth it. We would likely plan to stay longer and stretch it over a few days next time so that we could do some of the off-the-beaten-path stuff, too.
- There is very limited mobile coverage
We only had a cell phone signal on this trip if we stopped in the little towns along the coast and that was it. They were few and far between, and we talked a few times about how unfortunate it would be to run into car troubles between towns and not be able to call for help. Thankfully that didn’t happen to us until after we went to Big Sur (more on that next week).
Until next time, keep on living the life you’ve imagined!
Mel, Jay & Benny