Big Sur by Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

My first week in California and I've already taken planes, trains and automobiles up and down the West Coast. One of my best friends, Katherine, and I went on a road trip to Big Sur, slept in yurts, had an incredible Omakase sushi experience overlooking the Pacific and indulged in an unexpected St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Monday. It was a rainy day in LA so I unpacked, picked up some beauty essentials and had dinner with friends.

Tuesday. I took the Amtrak train from LA to Santa Barbara to meet my friend and designated travel companion of 12 years and about 15 locations. We planned to road trip up the coast to San Fran, with a 2 day stop in Big Sur to stay at the gorgeous Treebones Resort. Katherine rented a car, grabbed me from the train station, and we hit the road.

To give you a little background, Katherine and I always plan last-minute, half-baked trips that would induce anxiety attacks on most others. We know where and when but how, what and why are always discovered along the way. We're both terribly optimistic and flexible while traveling together and even when things get rough, we find humor within the situation and figure it out. I'm lucky to have traveled to so many amazing places and created insane memories with her and remained friends... some things you can't unexperience.

We drove up Highway 1 from Santa Barbara toward Big Sur, listened to 90's pop and considered the many aspects of our lives we were currently working through. After about 2 hours on the road, we found ourselves at the Heart Castle. Unfortunately, we never actually saw the castle or fancy pool due to the construction... but hell, we were there if anyone asks. I am told you should check it out though.

As we were getting back on the road, we were met by a flashing sign informing us of a road closure in 5 miles. New to California and mud slides, this confused us terribly. We were 25 miles away from our resort, but like most things in life, we had to find another route to get to our destination. Undeterred, we took a 3 hour detour around the mountains to come down Highway 1 from the north. As the sunset, we found ourselves on the outskirts of Big Sur with empty stomachs and limited dining options.

We treated ourselves to dinner at Nepenthe, a staple in Big Sur's dining scene since 1949. Perched on the side of the Santa Lucia Mountains high above the ocean, the Nepenthe restaurant was our haven after a long day in the car. Warmed by the big fire in the middle of the restaurant, we had a much needed bottle of red with our cheese plate and filet mignon. This was the beginning of our week long "treat yo' self" mentality.

Happy and satiated, we hopped back on the road to find Treebones Resort. And then another hurdle was placed in front of us... the 1 was closed from the north due to rock slides. There we were, on the windiest road on the edge of a mountain in the pitch black with an almost empty tank in desperate need of gas, cell phone service and a place to stay for the night.

As I mentioned, we are optimist and aren't strangers to experiencing kinks in our trips... however we both were nervous in this situation. Naturally, we faked positivity and reassured each other everything was going to be fine. We drove back up the road and luckily found a gas station right before our luck ran out. Feeling more at ease, we drove another 30 minutes and found ourselves at the Fernwood Resort. The bartender at the "resort" found us a room and saved us from sleeping in the car on the side of the road. We love the Fernwood Resort for that.

Fun fact, they are the only bar in Big Sur. We met every local at the village watering hole that night.

Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant pastries. Chocolate Banana Strudel all the way.

Wednesday. We woke up early to get on our way. In need of caffeine, we headed to the Big Sur Bakery for cappuccinos and the best chocolate banana strudel I have ever had. It was loaded with butter, bananas and brown sugar, another of our many "treat yo' self" moments. We watched the rain through the windows of the bakery and asked what there was to do when it rained. The man behind the counter said in the most unbothered tone, "anything you do when it isn't raining". It was so wise, so simple, so Big Sur.

Pfieffer Beach in Big Sur, CA

We went to the beach and hiked in the rain to embrace the Big Sur way of life. We stopped at Pfeiffer Beach first. Due to the rain, we drove across a small stream and felt heroic in the feat. The beach was picturesque, we even created a dance in appreciation of the beauty. It was the warm up to our hike... oddly enough, the other beach goers seemed unenthused while watching us shimmy toward each other.

After a short hike and another hour in the car exploring, we found ourselves at the entrance of Treebones. It was clear that this place had been worth all the trouble. Gorgeous green hills dotted with yurts, nests, flowers, and an organic garden appeared upon arrival. We checked in with the lovely staff and found our ocean view yurt next to the pool. It was beyond dreamy. After touring the grounds, we hot tubbed and got dressed for dinner.

We were lucky enough to snag a reservation at The Sushi Bar at Treebones. It was tremendous.

It's limited seating with about 8 seats, with two services, at 4:30pm and 7pm. We had an Omakase inspired meal with an elaborate, paced out tasting menu, in the most gorgeous, intimate ocean view setting. The chefs prepared the sushi in front of us with an enormous glass window behind them framing the sunset.

It was a pre-fixe menu of about 9 courses (I lost count) with wine and beer options. We bought a bottle of saki and did the damn thing. It was one of the best sushi dinners I have ever experienced, with incredible colors, textures and nuanced flavors.

Thursday. We packed our things, took one final lap around the grounds and checked out. We drove up to San Fran, stopping at In-N-Out for a much needed hangover burger. Along the way I figured out my last-minute flight back to LAX.

For those headed to Big Sur, I suggest checking the road conditions and bringing a map before getting on Highway 1. You will not have service to check your Google Map or make phone calls, and the road closures seem to change daily. I would use the Highway 1 website to check highway conditions before venturing out.

Friday. Day of rest and recoop from the long roadtrip.

Saturday. We weren't planning to do much for St. Patrick's day, but inevitably we found ourselves at an Irish bar in the middle of the day.

And this happened.

We started off at Santa Monica Seafood for lunch with a friend that also rides. Then we went for an Irish Coffee at O'Brien's Irish Pub around the corner. And then stayed for another... and then 3 car bombs, an Irish Mule, and a Fireball shot.

Sunday. One of my best friends from New York was stopping over on his way back from New Zealand, so we spent the day cruising down Venice Beach. I met him up at Atmosphere Café for a coffee, then rode down to the beach. Venice Beach is quite an experience! I didn't do any research so I'll describe it as the more iconic version of the Jersey Shore.

The highlights of the excursion included Muscle Beach, the outdoor gym Arnold Shwarzenegger made famous during his body building years, the skatepark, Small World Books, a questionable sushi roll, and the biker gang blaring Kid Rock music as onlookers took photos.

We ended the night at Hatchet Hall for dinner. It was a quirky restaurant, think your grandmother's house, meets a lodge, meets taxidermy enthusiast. The food was top notch though. We had southern inspired small plates and bespoke cocktails. Don't miss out on the cornbread, octopus or dates. Apparently there was a hidden bar in the back as well, another reason to go back and check it out.