Our time in Monterey and Big Sur marks the coldest we have been since moving to California. Even though the daily January temperatures there appeared to be similar to those at our home in Marin County, the proximity of the ocean creates a damp cold that gets in your bones and stays there.
It was easy to imagine the place in the summer: the warm sun, the already buzzing beaches packed with even more people, the already long waits for tables at restaurants…well, you get the idea. Even with the chill, we were glad we decided to first explore this place in the off season.
Meandering down the gentle curves of route 1 with the majestic Santa Lucia mountains on one side and dramatic cliffs ending in the Pacific Ocean on the other was ideal for our first California road trip. Where we stayed, where we ate, and what we did after the jump.
Where we stayed:
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