26 Nov San Francisco to LA, Taking Carissa to Pepperdine… the long way Part 4 of 5

Mornings along the coast here in Big Sur are glorious. The cool fog laden air engages in a beautiful dance with the sun, with each a little confused as to who is leading, the sweet smell of flowers and pine trees complete this beautifully orchestrated morning ritual.

Returning to Deetjens Big Sur Inn for breakfast was an essential part of our overnight stay in Big Sur. Cloaked in vines and surrounded by the redwood forest, Deetjens is quintessential Big Sur and has ben since it’s inception in 1930, little here has changed. With the fragrance of woodsmoke emitting from their old stone fireplace we enjoyed our Eggs hollandaise and blueberry pancakes. Fortunately for us there is a lovely hike from Deetjens that affords stunning views of the Pacific ocean and allowed us to work off some of the mornings indulgences.

Deetjens Big Sur Inn

Deetjens Big Sur Inn

Eggs Hollandaise at Deetjens Big Sur Inn

Blueberry Pancakes at Deetjens Big Sur Inn

Hiking with Carissa to the Ocean overlook on trail from Deetjens Big Sur Inn

Carissa and I enjoying great views of the pacific ocean

McWay falls

Stopping again at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to hike to McWay falls allowed us to linger in Big Sur long enough to have brunch at Big Sur Bakery. Despite the name, this is a full-fledged restaurant in the truest sense. I quote from a story about this temple of goodness –

Tucked behind a gas station off California’s legendary Highway 1, the Big Sur Bakery is easy to miss. But don’t be fooled by its unassuming location—stumbling across the Bakery, as countless visitors have done on their way up and down the Pacific Coast, will make you feel as if you’ve discovered a secret: a gem of a restaurant where the food, people, and atmosphere meld together in a perfect embodiment of the spirit of Big Sur.

The three restaurant owners, chef Philip Wojtowicz, baker Michelle Wojtowicz, and host Michael Gilson, escaped the Los Angeles food scene to create their version of the ideal restaurant, nestled in the heart of some of the most beautiful country in the world. This is simple, wood-fired American cooking at its best, executed in a way that lets the ingredients—seasonal and often locally produced—shine. Weekend brunches feature thick, nine-grain pancakes and savory breakfast pizza topped with crisp bacon, fresh herbs, and pasture-raised eggs. At night, Phil offers classics like Grilled Prime Rib Steak with Red Wine Sauce along with twists on traditional favorites like Venison Osso Buco or Rockfish Scampi. And every meal should end with one of Michelle’s great

With out Gastronomical Indulgences behind us we settled in for a full days drive from Big Sur to Ojai. OjaStopping again at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to hike to McWay falls allowed us to linger in Big Sur long enough to have brunch at Big Sur Bakery. Despite the name, this is a full-fledged restaurant in the truest sense. I quote from a story Big Sur Bakery -iOjai is nestled in the hills just south of Santa Barbara and just 1 hour shy of Malibu CA. This was a new destination for Carissa and I, yet one that we had always wanted to visit. Our Airbnb accommodations proved to be a winner and shortly after our arrival Carissa had us engaged in interesting conversations on the back porch with fellow guests, one of which was Grand Prix race car driver, Renger Van der Zande and his fiancé.

Ojai Airbnb

Ojai Airbnb

View out of the bedroom at our Ojai Airbnb

Carissa befriending one of the horses at our Ojai Airbnb

Juice bar in Ojai

Santa Monica Airbnb

Santa Monica beach

Santa Monica beach

Spending the last several days drifting down the coast with Carissa along highway 1 has been such a memorable experience and has allowed us to write yet another chapter in our book of travels together. Ever since we took our first ‘father daughter” trip to the American Girl store in Chicago when Carissa was 10 years old we have enjoyed our tradition of traveling together immensely.

Tomorrow we pick up Carol from LAX airport as she joins our travel party and keeps us focused on checking Carissa into school 🙂