Photo Ops Near or on the Way to Big Sur?

sapphire73

We will be heading to a nephew's wedding (on the coast) in the Big Sur area in January and will have a little time Thursday and Friday to see some sights and get some photos. Will be driving from San Francisco and staying near Pfeiffer Beach but probably won't have an opportunity to catch the sunset there.

We will be traveling with relatives who might not be up for a lot of hiking but would be happy to stretch their legs a bit for good scenery and the possibility of seeing otters, sea lions, grey whales, etc. Any suggestions of where to go? Is there a good spot to catch the sunset on our drive from San Francisco to Big Sur - perhaps at Point Lobos?

Any special tips for this time of year? And suggestions of where to skip due to the recent wildfires?

Thanks,
Gretchen

sapphire73

sapphire73 wrote: »

We will be heading to a nephew's wedding (on the coast) in the Big Sur area in January and will have a little time Thursday and Friday to see some sights and get some photos. Will be driving from San Francisco and staying near Pfeiffer Beach but probably won't have an opportunity to catch the sunset there.

We will be traveling with relatives who might not be up for a lot of hiking but would be happy to stretch their legs a bit for good scenery and the possibility of seeing otters, sea lions, grey whales, etc. Any suggestions of where to go? Is there a good spot to catch the sunset on our drive from San Francisco to Big Sur - perhaps at Point Lobos?

Any special tips for this time of year? And suggestions of where to skip due to the recent wildfires?

Thanks,
Gretchen

Google has helped out quite a bit, but welcome your thoughts on this especially since we won't have lots of time (or energy) for hiking around.

tmayo

Hi Gretchen,

That was a problem we ran into a while ago, so we created www.getbango.com to make it easier for people to find places to take photos in the United States. No ads, no gimmicks, and it's free.

We're still in the early stages of the website, but you can see where we're going with it. Make sure to take a look at our map of photo locations in California: http://www.getbango.com/photo-locations-in-california

Hope you find it useful, and we look forward to any feedback.

Thanks,
Tim Mayo

ian408

sapphire73 wrote: »

Google has helped out quite a bit, but welcome your thoughts on this especially since we won't have lots of time (or energy) for hiking around.

Rocky Point, Bixby Bridge and many of the pull-outs along the hwy. Although you say you won't have time, I would urge you to stop at Pfeiffer Beach. Winter time offers easily one of the most spectacular sunsets ever.

sapphire73

Thank you! Our flight was cancelled today due to engine trouble. Drove from Philly to Baltimore so we could still get a flight today. Arriving 12 hours later than planned but got out before the snow! Looking forward to our time in Big Sur!

ian408

sapphire73 wrote: »

Thank you! Our flight was cancelled today due to engine trouble. Drove from Philly to Baltimore so we could still get a flight today. Arriving 12 hours later than planned but got out before the snow! Looking forward to our time in Big Sur!

The weather here has been almost summer like. There is some chance of rain next week but hard to know whether it will hit or not.

Don't forget McWay Falls.

Not sure where you're coming from. I'll assume SFO/SJC. If you're in a hurry, come down Hwy 101 and either over to Hwy 17 or continue down 101 to the Monterey Peninsula exit. The coast is no less spectacular from north (near SFO) but it becomes more remote as you pass the Monterey/Carmel area. For me, that rugged remoteness is what attracts me to the area. If you are willing to travel a little farther south on Hwy 1, you will come to the hamlet of Lucia. You can find a bite to eat the Lucia Lodge along with a view to die for. If you cannot venture that far south, Nepenthe also has a great restaurant-there are two. One inside with service and the other, outside which is less formal but also has a great view of the coast.

Have a great trip!