My last day of work was Friday of last week, and Dan and I went on a weekend trip to celebrate! Dan’s parents very graciously offered to watch Mio for the weekend so that we could fully relax and enjoy our getaway, so it was awesome! 🙂 Although we have both been to Carmel and Monterey in the past, we had both never been to Big Sur, and we had talked about going for a while… so we decided this was the weekend to make it happen! We spent most of the first day at Big Sur, and then headed back to Carmel where we spent much of Sunday. Here are some pictures from the first day…

Looks like paradise.
Coastal view along the 17-Mile Drive... gorgeous!

 

Dan and I at the Bixby Bridge
By the Bixby Bridge

 

Shoreline at Bixby Creek
A haze above the waters

 

A closer look at the natural bridge
A natural bridge at the foot of the cliffs

 

"Can we stay here forever?"
It looked like paradise!

 

The highlight of Big Sur was definitely the McWay Cove at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park! It has the most stunning views, and I think it’s safe to say that it is the place most people come to see when they go to Big Sur.

At Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Arriving at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

 

Dan and I at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
Us admiring the view below.

 

The McWay Cove was probably one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen… it looks like something from a movie. (Dan and I agreed that it was even more beautiful than anything we saw in Hawaii!) Alas, it was almost like looking at a painting you couldn’t touch, because no one is allowed to go down there. It’s too dangerous, especially with all the rocky cliffs jutting out and strong waves that can pull you out to sea. Dan was itching to jump the rail and climb down to the beach, but I stopped him from breaking the law (and risking orphaning Mio) with my voice of reason. 😉

Perhaps more beautiful than Hawaii
McWay Cove... It doesn't get much more beautiful than this!

 

The waterfall runs into the sea
The waterfall running into the sea

 

So. Freaking. Beautiful.
Breathtaking shoreline... turquoise waters and sandy beaches.

 

Afterwards, we continued to drive around the area and stopped at trails here and there to check out more views. Thankfully (for me), the trails were all pretty short and never too rigorous, so a less-than-fit person such as myself could still hike them! 😛

Driving around Big Sur

 

Me by the giant rocks
At a rock quarry... this was also a really awesome view, with the waves crashing against the giant rocks.

 

Enjoying the view
Enjoying the view and breathing in the sea breeze.

 

Dan at the end of the tunnel
Dan walking through a tunnel. (I took this photo... looks kind of neat, doesn't it?)

 

Golden hills meet azure waters
The view at the end of the tunnel. Golden hills meat azure waters.

 

After doing a fair share of hiking, we drove back to Carmel and checked in at the Carmel River Inn. We chose to stay here because they have cute, individual little cottages. I love how cozy and private it is!

Our own private cottage at Carmel River Inn
Our own private cottage #22

 

Arriving at our cottage in Carmel
Sitting outside the cottage

 

Tranquil view from the cottage.
The little meadow outside our cottage... it would have been perfect for some picnicking, had we more time!

 

The inside of the cottage
The inside of the cottage was cute, too!Â

 

We freshened up at the cottage, and then headed back out to drive over to Monterey, where we had dinner at The Fish Hopper in Cannery Row. (Thank you Katie for the recommendation!) It was pretty busy, but we were able to get seated surprisingly quickly.

We had dinner at The Fish Hopper!

 

The food was impeccable! But instead of describing just how delicious it was, I’ll torture you all with drool-worthy photos of it…

Lobster bisque with creme fraiche as an appetizer
Lobster bisque with creme fraiche... so rich and just amazing. Just what I'd been craving!Â

 

Stuffed jumbo prawn pasta
Stuffed jumbo prawn pasta... the crab stuffing was perfect.

 

Dan's dungeness crab and seafood platter
Dan got a seafood platter with half a dungeness crab.

 

Bib on, ready to dig in.
Bib on, ready to dig in.

 

Two of my favorite foods - seafood and pasta!
Two of my favorite foods: seafood and pasta!

 

After dinner, we spent the rest of the evening walking around Cannery Row and leisurely exploring the stores.

Spending the evening at Cannery Row

 

Candy!!!
"Candy!!!"

 

Trying on an Angry Birds hat
Trying on an Angry Birds hat

 

We came upon a froyo place called “myo,” which reminded us of our dear Mio My-oh that we had left with Dan’s parents. We were able to rest easy and have a great time because we knew she was in good hands, but she didn’t leave our minds for a moment during the trip!

This place reminded us of Mio My-oh. She never left our minds!
Don't worry Mio, Mama hasn't forgotten about you!

 

That concludes Day One of our weekend trip. I’ll post Part Two soon, so stay tuned for more of our adventures! 😀