Big Sur in February: Still beautiful, but the pounding rain took some of the fun out. Friday night was mostly spent staring at the ceiling of the van waiting for either the rain or a tree branch to break through. Luckily, neither was determined enough. The rain was still coming down on Saturday morning which meant that setting up the stove to make breakfast would be miserable. We drove around looking for a breakfast spot and after two other restaurants we settled on the restaurant at Ripplewood Resort which is less than 2 miles north of the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground. It was just what we were looking for: small, cheap diner with huge portions. We would both recommend stopping by the restaurant Nepenthe, which is south on highway one from the Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground. Even if you don’t eat there, the patio behind the restaurants offers incredible views of the Big Sur coastline.

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The view from Nepenthe patio

The rain let up long enough for us to get some hiking in. An older couple at the diner recommended Partington Cove which isn’t marked by any signs, but once we got there we realized that we’d stumbled on it the year before when we came for Kaitlin’s birthday.

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Waves breaking over the cobblestone beach at Partington Cove

The weather meant that we had most of the trail to ourselves and the waves were much larger than the last time we were here. The larger swells were crashing forcefully against the rocks and causing huge sprays so large that we could occasionally taste the ocean water. Watching the waves was mesmerizing and we spent some time cuddling on a rock watching them together.

The following morning on our way back home we stopped at Bixby Creek Bridge because no trip to Big Sur is really complete without it.

The view of Bixby Creek Bridge from the north.

The bridge was completed in November of 1932 as residents would frequently be stranded in winter due to impassable conditions on Old Coast Road. The sign for the bridge washed away in one of the most recent landslides and they haven’t gotten around to putting up a new one yet so keep an eye out when you’re driving down highway one. The bridge is pretty hard to miss during the day though especially if you’re coming from the north.

If you’re planning to head out to Big Sur soon make sure to plan way in advance. The state campgrounds book up fast and private campgrounds can run upwards of 75 dollars for tent-only sites. The last time we were at the visitor center they recommended planning your trip, especially in the summer, starting 6 months to a year before you want to go. The extra planning effort is definitely worth it, though as there’s nothing quite like the sheer cliffs and beautiful redwoods of Big Sur.