THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509150066
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
What's in a name? The name Big Sur comes from the 18th century Spanish settlers who called the area south of Carmel El pais grande del sur - the big land to the south.
Getting there: The best way to get to Carmel is to fly into San Francisco and take the ``Coast Road'' (California's legendary Highway 1) due south. Highway 1 is a road like they used to be - two-lane and slow - but one of the most scenic in the world. Carmel is about 100 miles from San Francisco, but with all the scenic overlooks along the way the drive can easily fill a whole day.
A good stop-off point is Santa Cruz. On the pier at Santa Cruz, there's a restaurant called Stagnaro's that may serve the best shrimp louie in California.
From Los Angeles, the drive north along the coast can be a bit more grueling, but it, too, is spectacular north of Santa Barbara.
Getting around: A car is really the only practical way to explore the coast.
Accommodations: In Carmel itself are many small inns and hotels.
The Sunset House, a bed and breakfast just a block off the beach at Carmel, offers king-sized beds, fireplaces, ocean views and wonderful home-cooked breakfasts, including whatever fruit is in season. The Sunset House is operated by Dennis Fike and his wife, Camille, who moved from San Francisco to Carmel to open the inn. The prices run from $140 to $180, about the going rate in Carmel, and reservations are required. Info: (408) 624-4884.
Because Carmel can be chilly and fog shrouded, some people prefer to stay several miles to the east in the Carmel Valley, where the sun shines throughout the year. One of the most luxurious places to stay is the Carmel Valley Ranch, a former dairy converted into a series of two-bedroom suites with private balconies overlooking the Santa Lucia range. Each room in the suite has its own fireplace. The Carmel Valley Ranch also offers golfing and horseback riding, including twilight rides. Info: (408) 625-9500.
Big Sur Lodge, located in the tranquil redwoods, has 61 cottage-style guest units, some with fireplaces or kitchenettes. Info: (408) 667-2171.
Roughing it: Weather permitting, one of the best ways to see the coast is to camp in one of 17 campgrounds between Santa Cruz and Big Sur. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park has camping all year along the Big Sur River. Info: (408) 667-2315. Reservations are required.
Molera State Park offers hiking and bicycle camping along the coast where the Big Sur River flows into the Pacific. There's also a stable offering trail rides along the coast. No reservations are required.
For information on camping and hikes in the state parks around Big Sur, phone the state park area office, (408) 667-2315. Campsite reservations are advised, particularly in summer; phone the MISTIX reservations service: (800) 444-7275.
Information please: for the state, contact California Division of Tourism, 801 K St., Suite 1600, Sacramento, Calif. 95814; (800) 862-2543 (for a brochure) or (916) 322-2881 (for additional information).
For the region, contact Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 87, Big Sur, Calif. 93920 (send a 55-cent stamped, self-addressed envelope); (408) 667-2100. Also, Monterey Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau, P.O. Box 1770, Monterey, Calif. 93942.
For Point Lobos State Reserve, phone (408) 624-4909.
Homework assignments: There are dozens of guidebooks on California. Here are a few that are particularly useful:
``Hidden Southern California'' by Ray Riegert, Ulysses Press, $14.95. Good background on history and people, plus detailed descriptions of hotels and restaurants. Offbeat places and sights are singled out along with the more standard tourist itinerary.
For a trip around California's central coast region see the same author's ``Hidden San Francisco and Northern California,'' since Big Sur is roughly the dividing line between the two books' coverage.
``Fodor's Exploring California'' by Mick Sinclair, Fodor's Travel Publications, $19. This is a bright and breezy guide, packed with color photographs and maps, that gives an excellent, easy-to-use overview of the state.
``On the Loose in California'' and and ``Let's Go, California and Hawaii'' both are aimed at the budget traveler. Both are as irreverent as you'd expect something researched and written by college students to be. The ``On the Loose'' series is the product of the minds of Berkeley students, who in the California book clearly revel in their own back yard; it's packed with tips on everything from nude beaches to the best camping spots. The ``Let's Go'' series is largely produced by Harvard students.
- From staff and wire reports by CNB