Big Sur Tourist Traps

4 more images

Sometimes, in Portugal, when you hesitate about a wine, the waiter suggests you a “local wine” not listed.

That suggestion usually leads you to extreme sensations: either the disappointment of a bad wine, deserving the anonymity, or the surprise of something really good, that deserves to be served, but, being unbranded, couldn’t be listed.

One way or another that would always be the cheapest alternative.

It happened to me at Nepenthe. The girl kindly suggested me a “local Pinot Noir”, and I followed her. Yes, it was excellent, but also the most expensive of all. I didn’t complaint, but my wife still doesn’t understand how a man can accept to pay $15 for a small glass of wine.

(Please don't tell her that it was one of the best but not the most expensive I drunk in USA)

When in the Big Sur area everything will be expensive from gas to food.

Unique Suggestions: Stock up on Gas, food, water and firewood before entering the area.

Fun Alternatives: Stock up on Gas, food, water and firewood before entering the area.

The US is the land of cheap petrol right??? Not here in Big Sur it's not!!! At US$2.39/gal it was the MOST EXPENSIVE PETROL I HAD YET SEEN IN 20 ODD US STATES INCLUDING THE REMOTE DEATH VALLEY!!! For a comparison, the cheapest we saw was US$0.99/gal and the Californian average (an expensive petrol state!) was US$1.57. Remember Big Sur is about 100 miles long which is no small amount of distance!

Unique Suggestions: Just don't do it!!!

Fun Alternatives: Fill up BEFORE you get to Big Sur, preferably at a big town... We didn't pay on principle and risked running on empty than pay those heinously rip-off prices! Even when we got to the outskirts of Carmel and had to pay US$1.79 (cheaper than Hawaii!), I still filled up the minimum amount!