Luna doesn’t sleep well in new places which in turn means that I don’t sleep well in new places. This actually seems to be worse in houses than the camper, thankfully. However, this means that for the last three nights she didn’t sleep well since we slept in Tracy two nights and in San Francisco one night. As a result, I was feeling a little run down and not up for a long drive to the next destination. So, I decided to make an little alteration to the plan of going right to Yosemite from my cousin’s and opted for Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur instead. Fantastic idea, if I do say so myself.
It only took us about 2 hours to get there. The campsite was pretty d, but we weren’t going to spend any time there so I just set up quickly and off we went to find some lunch. We first headed to Carmel-by-the-Sea, which I LOVED. We found a cute little place, Bistro Beaujolais to grab lunch on a patio and they even had a dog menu.
We walked around the adorable downtown before heading out to Big Sur. We drove down CA-1, which was stunning! Every turn provided another breathtaking view. Due to the wildfires, a lot of the Park was closed but the drive itself was amazing. We stopped at a number of overlooks and took a short hike to the top of a peak. 
I was warned that the Pacific Coast Highway would be pretty scary. It wasn’t not scary, but definitely not the worst I had been on. Definitely glad I didn’t have the Airstream, but was doable with just the Jeep.
We then decided to take the 17-Mile Drive to Pebble Beach. This is EXACTLY what I needed. It was a slow winding drive, mostly along the coast. Luna got some beach time, which she needed and had a blast.
Near the end of the 17-Mile Drive, there is a golf resort called Pebble Beach Golf Club where we decided to stop for dinner. It was pretty perfect. They allowed dogs on their swanky patio which overlooked an amazing golf course and bay.
We did have to eat at a firepit, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Luna was forced to sit on the ground, but they brought her a little doggie bed, which was a nice gesture. She wasn’t thrilled, but dealt with it pretty well. We ate too much, but it was a fabulous ending to a pretty great day. The drive was only about 30 minutes back to the campsite.
I highly suggest the CA-1 drive and the 17-Mile Drive. I’m a little bummed the parks were closed, but we were able to see quite a bit of the coast. It was very relaxing and a nice start to the trip with Mom.
Lesson of the Day: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Even the swankiest of golf resort restaurants may allow your pup to join you for dinner.
L&K Take America 