For our honeymoon, we flew to San Francisco and drove down the 1 to Monterey Bay. I’ve split up these posts because they would be really long and maybe monotonous if I didn’t. I’ll add days 3 – 5 in a forthcoming post. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend visiting Monterey and Big Sur. A friend of mine went about a month ago, and she said her experience was magical. So it’s not just me! 🙂

We visited Baker beach after we landed and found our rental car. It was gloomy and chilly and perfect. Though we waited a while for the fog to dissipate, it hung low while we sat on a log in the sand. Rain drops encouraged us to move on.

Malcolm wanted to see the painted ladies that were iconic from the 90s. We didn’t stay long because a plethora of humans meant a dearth of parking and patience for us. Before heading down the 1, we we grabbed a late breakfast at a local crepe shop.

The next day, we stopped for coffee at a fun place called Captain and Stoker. Their drinks and brioche pastry were *chef’s kiss*. I recommend it if you’re in the area. We sipped our coffee near the bay. Seagulls squawked overhead while the tumultuous ocean roared beneath us.

To explore Big Sur, we drove down the 1 from Monterey. We made a pit stop at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

We then continued down the highway towards Big Sur. I had heard from friends who have lived/visited the area that the scenery is some of the most beautiful in the world. Every time we rounded a corner, the view literally took my breath away.

Sarcastically holding the scenery like people do with the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Then we arrived at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. To get to the gorgeous, hidden coastline, we payed the fee and hiked through some ancient trees tall enough to brush the sky.

The path gives way to blonde beach sands not long before you spot the coast. This is where all of the famous rock formations live. On a windy, cold hideaway.

The kelp fascinated me. Someone on our whale tour, (covered in days 3-5) caught the attention of our guides to tell them she sees bones in the ocean. He politely explained that those are the bases of the kelp plants. They are bulbous and sort of look like bones from far away, except they were maroon and purple. You can see one in the photo below:

They remind me of tentacles. They feel firmish on the outside, much more so than I imagined. I guess I thought they’d be squishy.

We made our way back to the Monterey Bay wharf for wedding/Halloween dinner. I ate one of the best meals of my life at the bar and grill on the wharf. The entrance is tucked back into the end of a small stairwell. The decor is mostly 70s nautical. All of it combined felt whimsical. I had a California red blend, and Malcolm ordered his usual beer. We splurged and went for the fresh seafood – Malcolm with his crab and me with my scallops and mushrooms in a creamy sauce. I haven’t stopped thinking about this meal ever since. The scallops practically melted in my mouth. Ugh!

Want to read part two? It’s full of whale and ocean photos 🙂

xMae