I remember seeing an article in National Geographic 7 years ago about Big Sur. The images were breathtakingly beautiful. Since then, this coastal route has been high on my destination wish list. Finally, during our USA road trip we hit the A1 from L.A. to Monterey. This whole road is fantastic, and with cute little villages, giant seagulls and even zebra herds – that once belonged to the largest private zoo at Hearst Castle – it almost feels like an open-air safari. Take your time, this route is no racing track and with a zillion photo opportunities you need more than one day to enjoy this ride. Even though we didn’t follow this advice ourselves – leaving Santa Barbara at 3 ‘o clock in the afternoon and reaching Big Sur when it was amost dark – I fell in love with this fairytale landscape where soft mossy rocks almost become one with the foggy skies and roaring waves.