Deetjen's Big Sur Inn

Nestled in Castro Canyon in the middle of the redwoods and across the street from the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur. About a mile down the road from Nepenthe. I stayed in the Van Gogh room and it exceeded every expectation I had. It was quiet, mind you, you have to share the bathroom, but that's cool, surrounded by beautiful scenery, and just an absolutely gnarly experience, period. The staff is amazing. They are very friendly and helpful about everything, trails to hit, restaurants to try besides their own. You get free coffee and tea and the super awesome, lovely hostess will give you some local wine samples before you settle in on an actual glass. The Santa Pietra Pinot was quite good.

Unique Quality: Amazing character. Nothing else like it. Unpretentious, artsy, beautiful, well-landscaped, again, amazing staff, super-friendly.

Directions: Mile Marker 43 Pacific Coast Highway, you can't miss it.

The quintessential Big Sur lodge, there’s no place like Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, a vintage-1930s compound of rough-hewn redwood lodges listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Covered with flowering vines and surrounded by towering trees, they look like fairy-tale cottages, each one an odd shape and size, and furnished with mismatched carved wooden antiques, rag-wool rugs, and antique curios. Read more here: http://71miles.com/destinations/big-sur

Helmuth Deetjen arrived in California In the early 1930's, on the run from the authorities of his native Norway. He discovered the outstanding and secluded beauty of Big Sur at a time when Highway 1 had just been built.

He and his wife acquired land in Castro Canyon, which offered the privacy and isolation they were looking for.

Initially Helmuth constructed a redwood barn to contain livestock and a workshop, with used material obtained from along Monterey's Cannery Row. This building is now the centrepiece of Deetjen's, as it is a restaurant with an extraordinarily romantic setting, offering hearty meals and a roaring fire!

Deetjen's became a Mecca for Hollywood, for it's inspiration and privacy and people could come for weeks to hike, write or sleep in the certain knowledge that they weren't going to be disturbed.

We happened by Deetjen's on our drive up the coast and stopped for a quick drink in the restaurant, warming ourselves by the fire. It really is a beautiful spot, but you have to wonder just what it is that 'Grandpa' Deetjen's was on the run for - perhaps we should be grateful, because without that reason, Deetjen's Inn might not have been built!

Unique Quality: Over the years with the help of prison labor, more and more rooms were added in the style of Helmuth's native Norway, and each of them was given a unique personality and name to match. All of the rooms were built from scavenged, locally milled redwood.

Check out the website for an insight into this magical place!

Directions: On the 'Land' side of Hwy 1 in a heavily wooded canyon.

Unique Quality: A historic inn, located in Castro Canyon. Rustic cabins, and no luxuries, only beautiful, natural surrounding with nothing but nature around.