Lime Lilns State Park

A great first stop: Lime Kilns State Park near Lucia. A very family friendly one mile round trip unpaved trail will lead you through pristine woods to the location of a quarried limestone operation. Limestone was broken down, or smelted in four large wooden kilns that still stand. The powdered lime created in those kilns was taken out into the ocean and shipped to San Francisco for use in cement making. As fascinating as these huge chambers are for kids of all ages now, they caused some destruction to the redwood trees in the area, which were chopped down for fuel when manufacturing was at its heyday. Luckily, the operation didn’t destroy the largest and most beautiful of the redwoods in this area, so today’s explorers can enjoy both manmade and natural attractions. Note – this trail is not stroller accessible; carrying small children is advisable; our son was two and a half when he walked it on his own. 

An even easier trail that is stroller and babe-in-arms friendly, and with spectacular views is found at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park just up the road. Here a paved trail will take you three quarters of a mile through a short metal tunnel to grand vistas of sea, waterfall, and rock promontories. You’ll see more redwoods, stunning coastal images, and the only California waterfall – McWay Falls – that spills directly over one hundred feet – into the Pacific Ocean. This iconic postcard image is clearly visible from several easy overlooks. The short Waterfall trail is supplemented by another short trail, the Partington Cove. 

Seagull at Sand Dollar Beach Big Sur California

You’ll see the terrace of Waterfall House, all that remains of a once privately owned structure. You’ll also see a still-turning water wheel, and in the winter months you may get a glimpse of migrating whales. 

Another forty-five picturesque minutes of driving will take you to the turn off for Pfeiffer State Beach: rock arches dominate a long, sandy and windy beach, with several nicely separated coves. There’s a short, windy walk from the parking lot onto the sand, which offers fine stretches of hard packed sand for running, some small streams and rocky coves. Stay away from the rough surf itself here though, as rogue waves can find their way onto the shore. It’s a great picnic spot further up on the sand, and you can purchase the appropriate fixings or excellent sandwich creations at the Big Sur Deli just north of the Pfeiffer State Beach turn off. There are wonderful Italian sandwiches and salads including vegetarian options. You’ll also find some general store type supplies if you need them. 

Golden hour view from Ragged Point Big Sur California

For a different dining experience, visit Nepenthe restaurant: go at an off hour, when there isn’t a wait, or you’ll have hungry children, as peak hours offer half to full hour waits. An outdoor patio has splendid views and excellent family snacks to share such as the middle eastern plate of taboule, humus, and pita or the fruit and cheese platter. Full lunches and dinners are available too, and portions are generous enough to share. At twilight, an open air fire pit creates a cozy ambiance. Lucia Lodge, further south, also features a restaurant with an open deck area as well as indoor dining, and features seafood, and pasta dishes with homemade sauces. 

Continuing south again to return to Ragged Point, you’ll come to Sand Dollar Beach, with the longest sandy beach in the Big Sur area. You’ll find great beach combing here too with jade stones present on the soft sand. The .7 mile trail from the parking lot includes a set of stairs, but once down on the sand you can let the little ones run. Behind you, the Pacific Valley setting is verdant, and if you want to avoid the stairs, a simple bluff trail will let you admire the view. It’s a great spot for a sunset, although we try to return to Ragged Point for the sunset show which often includes applause from the viewers along the lookouts and on the grassy lawn.

Big Sur South Ragged Point

Big Sur, California covers an almost 100 mile stretch of striking rugged Pacific coastline. With its scenic, fog shrouded and spectacularly rocky coast, this is an ideal spot for a romantic weekend. But how about for a family? Indeed with some advance planning, travelling the Big Sur can be a wonderful family adventure. 

The Big Sur region is approximately 3 hours South of San Franscisco, or 4 hours North of Los Angeles, so if you’re flying in to either of those cities you’ll definitely need to rent a vehicle. Big Sur is both about the destination and the journey. Driving spectacular Highway One gives you a chance at a huge array of look out points with expansive views of hills, ocean, rocks and cliffs. You’ll find easy to reach forest trails, pristine streams, sandy coves, deserted beaches, and rolling pasture land – plenty of beauty and plenty of it easily accessible. 

Big Sur is a great spot for experiencing not only the vast sweep of nature but the small things too, like bird song, monarch butterflies and clumps of purple lupine. 

As a base camp, we like the Ragged Point Resort. While there are some rooms with hot tubs and fireplaces, we like the simpler, motel-like rooms with expansive views, porches or patios showing you ocean, sunsets, and the flower filled property. Simple strolls down pine lined tar paths past flower beds or across an expansive and great-to-play-on lawn are enhanced by the sea and sky views. We’ve spent hours in the Adirondack chairs on the lawn, sipping hot chocolate, juice, or tea, reading aloud to the kids. There’s a pretty gazebo with a telescope through which you can view the stunning, rocky beach far below. 

Ragged Point view

There’s also a fascinating, rough cliff side trail all the way down to the water, but this is not for kids under the age of ten. 

Great fun for all ages – the patio seating at the hotel restaurant. Hummingbird spotting by the minute, pretty fountain, nicely prepared American style food including kids meals. 

When you’re ready to go off property there’s a host of sights to see as you drive either north or south. Looking south, there’s the world famous Hearst Castle with a variety of tours available. While little ones may not understand the history of William Randolph Hearst’s eccentric masterpiece, they’ll enjoy seeing the fountains, pools, gardens, and ornate architecture. Docent led tours are an hour and fifteen minutes, so bear your kids’ restlessness in mind. We’ve toured the castle beginning when the kids were two years old, but every child is different. There are also self guided tours in place, allowing for a leisurely pace. The feeling of being in a fairy tale type structure will fascinate the kids and give you a wonderful dose of magnificent architecture. 

Also to the south, the sea elephant colony at Piedras Blancas (white rocks in Spanish), just off highway one, and only a few miles from Hearst Castle. A short walk on an easy boardwalk trail over low dunes allows you and your kids to see hundreds of elephant seals. Depending on the time of year, there may be babies, males, females, or all three present. Volunteer docents from the Friends of the Elephant Seals are almost always available to answer questions. 

Hours of beach combing fun at Moonstone Beach, Cambria

San Simeon State Beach offers a great pier and plenty of long sandy expanses for running and exploring. The town of Cambria has a real prize in Moonstone Beach – an easy to stroll boardwalk spans the length of the coast revealing the beautiful rocky cove; flowers, trees, and easy to relax on benches dot the way. It’s also a simple walk on to the beach for hours of shell and pebble picking. Bring some bags and fill them with the beautiful, multi-colored stones; making a game out of how many colors you can find or how many stones of one shade can fill a very pleasant afternoon. When the tide is out, the tide pools reveal beautiful starfish, sea anemones, crabs and tiny shrimp. 

In the town of Cambria: galleries and shops to browse, and the fine home cooking of Robin’s restaurant with a variety of excellent vegetarian dishes supplementing more standard fare. For pizza and casual Italian, there’s Moustache Pete’s across the street. 

Also in town – another sort of castle as a fascinating book end to Hearst’s – Nitwit Ridge. This now privately owned home was built almost entirely of junk and sea shells and is an excellent example of folk art. Now a California State Historic Landmark, this structure was built over a period of fifty-one years by Arthur Harold Beal. Beal used rocks, cans, abalone shells, and even old auto parts to shape his “Hearst Castle”. The friendly owners offer tours daily if you give them a call at 805-927-2690. 

Next up, we’ll give you some great activities heading North into the true heart of Big Sur from Ragged Point.