Hot diggity. Big Sur River Inn is awesome.
Really, it's just another inn along CA-1 along the Big Sur coast. Although I find, with each stop I make along Big Sur on different seasons throughout the years, that there is no such thing as "just another" here.
I liked Big Sur because...
- It is planted on the banks of Big Sur River.
- It is right on CA-1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and easy to find.
- They have a restaurant on site that has riverside dining.
- They have a gas station.
- They have a "General Store" that acts like a convenience store.
- They have a snack bar next to the gas station.
You're probably thinking, "doesn't sound like anything special to me". On paper, I agree. Sounds so boring and basic.
What I liked about this place is that though it is right on PCH, it is still, somehow, nestled under and among the trees. It doesn't offer cliffside ocean views. It offers something else, a different side of Big Sur - river and forest.
The "snack bar" I mentioned that was next to the gas station, which on its own is already convenient, is super cool. The snack bar offers sandwiches and other healthier options. For those of you who might be interested, organic and locally produced products. And an ice cream bar. Yup, half of one wall is an ice cream bar.
Did I mention that the exterior is made up of a small school bus that was cut to create to fit the structure? Yup. School bus.
If full-on sit-down dining is not your thing, or you are avoiding spending too much on lunch, or you feel too grubby from a morning of hiking and exploring, or it's a beautiful day and you do not want to be cooped up inside, or... you get the idea. Big Sur Inn's General Store has a burrito bar inside.
That's right, you read that correctly. They have a burrito bar inside the General Store. So you go up to the counter, tell the lady (it was a lady for me when I was there) what you want to go inside the burrito, and then she'll wrap that missile up and you take that to the cashier and pay for it. You can take that burrito with you as your pack lunch for the day's adventure, or you could do what we did...
We took that burrito and parked our behinds on some of the adirondack chairs they have placed in the river behind the buildings. That's right. The chairs are in Big Sur River. So you can soak the soreness of the morning or day's hike from your feet while eating your lunch.
The water was icy cold in April. Not sure how warm it will get in the middle of summer.
If camping is not your style, and who would blame you, Big Sur Inn offers lodging too.
Big Sur River Inn & Restaurant
46800 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920
https://www.bigsurriverinn.com/
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