Things to Do on the Central California Coast

Things to do on the Central California Coast with kids: including Big Sur, Monterey, and Santa Cruz.

I took so many photos in Central California this is really Part 2 of our time there. You can see part one HERE.

Big Sur

We’ve dreamed of driving Big Sur for years and we felt this was the best time to take our kids, at 13 and 9 years of age, they’d always remember this trip. My husband is used to driving very winding narrow Cornish lanes so I made him drive. We left Cambria and allocated a full day to Big Sur.

Before I go any further I must tell you I don’t have good luck with weather. On our wedding it poured and everyone said, “It’s raining riches,” my first (and last) Vintage Market it poured, and a neighborhood yard sale I tried to put together – the yard sale was in the rain. Okay, you get the idea.

This is what Big Sur looked like when we arrived:

The ocean is right there. Can you see it?!?

We got a coffee / hot chocolate and waited for the fog to lift a little. We stopped at the Ragged Point Inn and I also picked up the Big Sur Guide which I highly recommend. It’s a free magazine put out by Big Sur California and has detailed maps and camping information.

We tried to make it down to the beach at Ragged Point but it was just too steep for flip-flops!

Ragged Point

Some Tips for Navigating Big Sir

Dress in layers so you can plan for all different kids of weather.

Wear comfortable shoes, if sandals, ones that strap on.

Bring your camera!

Pack lots of water and snacks. We had nuts and energy bars, along with canteens of water.

There are plenty of places to stop and park – so you can hike or take photos.

Have some cash on you as some of the parks charge for parking.

Try not to over-plan, so you can enjoy your time. We tried to stop at each point of interest.

Salmon Creek Waterfall

This was a lovely walk through the woods to a beautiful waterfall. A great way to start our day at Big Sur.

I did the above two with my phone and I love the black and white!

Sand Dollar Beach

What a stunning and beautiful beach! There’s a park here with plenty of parking and you can walk down to the beach. It is steep if you’re not able to walk far.

It was quite amazing to see the fog hang over the mountains.

We enjoyed lunch on the beach while watching the surfers.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and McWay Falls

We parked the car and it was a short walk to McWay Falls. It was beautiful but smaller than we thought.

We heard amazing things about Nepenthe but it was just too foggy. The cafe is supposed to have amazing food and views. Henry Miller Memorial Library was an interesting stop with a book shop and giant red woods. They hold different events at the library.

The most amazing thing was the experiencing the views once the fog lifted. I made Luke pull over for these shots.

Bixby Bridge

You might be familiar with this bridge if you watch Big Little Lies. It’s gorgeous in person! The fog lifted at just the right time.

Monterey

We stayed two nights in Monterey at Hotel Pacific. This hotel had a great location and we had an enormous room. A continental breakfast was included, which was nice.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

We spent the entire day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and our boys loved it. It’s so much bigger than the New England Aquarium. John’s favorites on this trip were the San Diego Zoo and this aquarium. We loved seeing the Sea Otters and the Octopus and Jelly Fish. When you buy tickets through the hotel, you can get two days for the price of one.

To be honest with you, I was trying to be present and enjoy the short amount of time we had in each place that I didn’t take too many photos. Instead, we were mesmerized by the sea life all around us.

The seals were just laying on the shore in Monterey Bay.

17 Mile Drive

This was a very picturesque ride that our family enjoyed. We paid $10.50 for the car and we had access to a beach and beautiful scenery. This is the lone cypress.

I know my dad would have loved to see Pebble Beach Golf Course, he was such an amazing golfer and golf enthusiast.

Carmel

That night we walked around Carmel by the Sea and had such lovely seaside homes. Would love to see more of that little town.

We had a fabulous Indian dinner at Aabha Indian.

It reminded us of living in England and the wonderful Indian curry there. Wish this restaurant was closer to our home in Massachusetts.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is known for their amazing boardwalk and amusement rides. We walked down near there but it was jam-packed with people (it was a hot Saturday). So we decided to get a coffee / gelato and then hike in the woods. Our boys really love nature and aren’t big amusement ride kind of kids so this made more sense for our family.

We stayed outside of Santa Cruz and Chaminade Resort. I highly recommend this resort. We were only there one night but we could have stayed many more. Would love to go back! Our room was lovely with gorgeous views of Red Woods. Here’s the view from our deck:

The hotel had a gorgeous pool and tennis courts and we got to enjoy a wine tasting before heading to dinner.

We dined al fresco and this was the view! Such an amazing end to a fun day.

It was so nice to see my husband so relaxed. Important when you’re on a sabbatical! Dinner was enjoyed fireside.

Well, that was our favorites from Central California! What are your favorites from this region? I’d love to hear for when we go back.

Next up I’ll be sharing things to do in San Francisco and Sausalito.

If you missed any posts in our California Road Trip you can see them here:

Planning A California Road Trip | Things to do in Southern California | Visiting Central California with Kids