If you haven’t driven any of Highway 1 in California, you really should. We recently did a short adventure up to Ragged Point with picnic in hand. The views from Ragged Point are priceless. You are high atop the Pacific Ocean surrounded by hills, mountains and forest. Stunning. The drive up is quite scenic as well. If you get car sick it may not be the best drive but it’s not too bad.
Unfortunately, when we went this last time the major courtyard area with views of the ocean was closed for a wedding. We went ahead and had our picnic there at a different spot with views and decided to head down to San Simeon to that hiking trail I wrote about recently.
The San Simeon trail is currently my favorite spot in the county. If you’ve done this trail you know why I say that. If you haven’t done it…well, you’re missing out. This is a great spot for a picnic as well but if you happen to forget food head a minute down the road to Sebastian’s and eat at Ian McPhee’s “other place”. Of course, Ian is most known for McPhee’s Grill in Templeton. You will not be disappointed with the food.
In the same building is Hearst Ranch Winery. A little wine with lunch never hurts. We’ve been in here a few times recently and really enjoy the rustic, quaint building…creaky wood floors and all. Just another gem on the central coast of California.
One thing I forgot to mention is that we stopped off to see the elephant seals prior to going up to Ragged Point. The vista points where you can pull off Highway 1 and check them out are south of the San Simeon Pier where that hiking trail is. So keep your eyes peeled and be sure to check out those freaks of nature.
No matter where you live, get out there and adventure. There’s so much to see in this world.
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