big sur has my heart

i love big sur (the stretch of coast basically from hearst castle to carmel). i love it so much.

after packing up camp, we stopped at mcway waterfall. it’s just unbelievable. but it’s real! i like the view from the other side of the bluff as well:

the color of that water! and there’s just something so magical about a waterfall dumping right onto the beach and into the ocean. our pictures were shadowy as the morning sun hadn’t made its way over the coastal mountains, but our views were truly breathtaking.

our next stop making our way up the pacific coast highway was cafe kevah, which is connected to the restaurant nepenthe, perched on a cliff overlooking this:

we shared a delicious breakfast burrito and enjoyed the sunshine and the views! (which are so hard to capture!)

then, we headed out on a 8.8 mile loop hike along the ridge of the hills up high and the bluffs closer to the water. it was so so scenic and sunny and super. there were so many wildflowers, which i wish i would have taken more pictures of!

we took one last vista stop at this spot where we could see the cliffs and waves and bixby bridge:

and then as we were approaching carmel, i felt that i just had to introduce the boy to the cottage of sweets, one of my favourite little shoppes in all the world. we got some gummies and bonbons to go for the rest of the drive home.

it was a pretty fantastic farewell-to-california road trip tour! forests, desert and the coast! now we are frantically packing up and making last preparations for our trip. in every prayer we are earnestly thanking heaven for all the experiences, miracles, memories and growth we’ve had here in the bay area, both together and separate. and for the incredible opportunity and privilege to travel so much in the next few months! it’s really going to be an epic adventure.

love you, california. love you and am going to miss you like crazy.