PCH – Pacific Coast Highway

The locals refer to Highway 1 as PCH—just a bit of trivia for your future reference.  The stretch of PCH known as Big Sur is heart stopping.  The road is a winding ribbon over a thousand feet above the surf in some places.  For the most part, the cliffs and hills are dry grass; but occasionally you pass through cypress and, surprisingly, a few redwoods.  Scary and beautiful at the same time.  The cliffs and large rocks in the ocean create enormous crashing waves.
 
The only downside to the stunning scenery was the heat wave hitting California the last two days.  When we stopped down near the surf, the temperature was a refreshing 70 degrees; but as you drive up the cliffs, the heat was a blasting 100 degrees.

When we reached the Nepenthe restaurant, located 800 feet, straight up from the sea, it was 100 degrees.  But we could not resist the view outside, so we sat in the shade to see the spectacular coast as we ate.  You sit on one side of a long table because the other side drops to the Keva Cafe (picture to the right).   I put my purse on my lap rather than next to my chair for obvious reasons.

The Nepenthe has delicious food, appreciated chardonnay and unbelievable views.  At one time Orson Wells and Rita Hayworth owned the restaurant—another piece of trivia.  It would have been amazing to watch the sunset from the deck, but driving home in the dark on that windy road is not something to we wanted to experience.