Between 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, California, and the rugged coastal views from Highway 1 in Big Sur, Monterey County may be the most beautiful road trip in America. Autumn is my favorite time to visit, with consistent warm, sunny days for outdoor adventures, and the winter Monarch butterfly season brings a happy hygge if you enjoy the occasional tempestuous storm. Traffic can be gnarly between Monterey and Big Sur, and lane closures due to rockslides and mudslides are not uncommon, but even when you’re stuck in traffic, you can just look outside and enjoy the views. This is a place that humbled and inspired writers from Robinson Jeffers and Henry Miller to Jack Kerouac. Many visitors spill out of their cars at the Bixby Bridge vista point, but I drove on, knowing the panorama would be just as impressive from my cottage at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. Here, rather than TVs, every room has a wood-burning fireplace and custom-made reclaimed redwood cabinetry and furniture. Tree houses built on stilts and ocean houses with grass-covered living roofs reminiscent of hobbit houses sprout organically from the earth. I arrived just in time for a quick shower with floor-to-ceiling sunset views and dinner at the in-house restaurant, Sierra Mar, where the fisherman’s catch is always a good idea. Botanical beauty The next day, I met Micha Merrick, an herbalist who offers herbal healing rituals at the Post Ranch Inn and the Esalen Institute. Merrick is a woodland nymph with loose braids, long, beaded earrings and a flowing brown dress and shawl. We began in the chef’s garden, harvesting more than a dozen native herbs and flowers, which have been used as medicinal plants for centuries by the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. At the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, every room has a wood-burning fireplace. (Kodiak Greenwood/Post Ranch Inn) “You wouldn’t just run up to a human friend and cut off their hair,” Merrick said. “When we meet our plant friends, approach with appreciation. Be kind and grateful like you would treat a human friend.” Together, we gently gathered gem marigolds, mugwort, rosemary, yarrow, bay laurel, lavender and multitudinous types of sage to bring back to the yoga yurt. Earlier that morning I had gotten lost meandering through the woods on the way to yoga, but I stumbled into a secret meadow with a family of black-tailed deer and ended up sunbathing by the heated lap pool instead, which was equally relaxing. We spread out our harvest of plants before us and Merrick guided me in touching, smelling and exploring each one. The plant I instinctively reached for first was pink yarrow, which I described as soft and delicate. Merrick told me that although it is indeed a feminine plant, yarrow is also a strong warrior plant that Romans used to treat soldiers’ battle wounds. I was also drawn to the uplifting qualities of white sage and the scent of Artemisia californica, or sagebrush. “There is strength in your femininity and delicacy. It’s OK to keep your heart open,” Merrick divined. “You can let that softness be held and protected.” Who knew that plant play could lead to prophecy? We tied our fresh herbs into bundles and Merrick cleansed my spirit by burning dried herbs in a locally harvested abalone shell, sweeping smoke toward me with turkey feathers collected on the property. I lay down and closed my eyes to receive a sound bath, and Merrick played tinkling chimes, a hide rattle and a heartfelt ballad on a red cedar flute that wavered between laughter and lament. Each strike of her elk hide drum was so powerful I could feel it reverberate in my rib cage. Somehow both lighter and more grounded, I stepped back into the daylight, ready to explore. Views of the Pacific and a farm-driven menu are offered at the Sierra Mar restaurant at the Post Ranch Inn. (Kodiak Greenwood/Post Ranch Inn) While there are many hiking trails around Post Ranch Inn’s 100 acres, there are even more state parks, waterfalls and beaches to discover a short drive away. Partington Cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is a quick and easy hike and a great location for a scenic picnic on the rocks. We spotted otters frolicking beyond bull kelp in the frothy waves and a few endangered condors soaring across the sunny sky. “There were zero condors in the wild until the late 1990s,” said hiking guide Everitt Keneipp from Big Sur Guides. He estimates that around 90 condors now visit Big Sur, all tagged and nicknamed by locals. Just across the road from Partington Cove, McWay Falls is another short stroll on a flat trail that’s accessible for all abilities, and the shimmery purple sand-streaked Pfeiffer Beach is lovely as well; just remember to bring cash for the $15 entry fee. Culinary delights in Carmel-by-the-Sea When you’re ready to re-emerge from communing with nature back to cell service and human civilization, a couple days in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea in Monterey County makes an easy transition. At Villa Mara in Carmel, guests can have a locally sourced breakfast beside the wood-burning fireplace. (Stephanie Russo) Several boutique hotels have opened in the past couple of years, and my two favorites are the 16-room Villa Mara and the 26-room Carmel Beach Hotel, both just a block from Carmel Beach, where the air is so pristine it feels like an oxygen facial when you turn toward the sea breeze. Carmel Beach Hotel has deluxe amenities like a spa and house car service more typical of larger resorts. Villa Mara feels like a lovingly landscaped bohemian bed and breakfast, with a cozy plant-filled lobby where guests enjoy a locally sourced complimentary breakfast each morning beside the wood-burning fireplace. The tiny beach town is home to only a few thousand residents but has plenty of high-end shopping mixed with quirky collectibles stores and wine tasting rooms. Cobblestone cottages with wooden gates and secret pathways downtown that lead to chocolate shops and art galleries could be plucked from a Disney movie set. Carmel-by-the-Sea has plenty of high-end shopping mixed with quirky collectibles and wine tasting rooms.(Michael Troutman/SeeMonterey.com) The dining scene punches above its weight, and Carmel’s Thursday-morning farmers market is a chance to taste fresh, regional produce and artisan treats from vendors like Zum Zum Tea and Ad Astra, whose sourdough is ubiquitous at local restaurants. For a special occasion, Aubergine is the only restaurant between San Francisco and Los Angeles with two Michelin stars, an award Chef Justin Cogley won earlier this year. The jewel box dining room has just six tables, and Cogley’s tasting menu is a tour de force. It begins with a bewitching array of bite-sized canapes, building from delicate flavors of tilefish with crispy puffed skin resting demurely on chawanmushi and lemongrass broth. And it crescendoes with dry-aged rack of lamb and ribeye bursting with bold umami. If you like bubbles, try Aubergine’s new Champagne pairing for a deep dive into grand crus and growers available at the same price as the standard wine pairing. A few blocks away, Chez Noir also has a Michelin star, with a convivial candlelit dining room run by husband-and-wife team Jonny and Monique Black, who live upstairs. Passing by a platter of canele and quenelles of salted butter on the kitchen pass is the first sign that you’re in for a treat. Chez Noir, which has a Michelin star, is run by husband-and-wife team Jonny and Monique Black, who live upstairs. (Joseph Weaver) Jonny Black executes flawless Escoffier recipes and crafts memorable bites like grilled avocado topped with sustainable local caviar and finger lime. Without a reservation, try the bar, where seating is first-come, first-served. The full menu is available, along with a la carte snacks such as Monterey Bay abalone basted in liver butter and skewered on the same bay laurel that I harvested just a couple days prior in Big Sur. From Carmel’s quaint calm to Big Sur’s dramatic majesty, California’s Central Coast is one of those rare places that makes you feel safe and carefree, eliciting childlike wonder at every turn. Everyone I encountered was pleasant and kindhearted, and one Uber driver even offered a hand-drawn map of his favorite hikes. Imagine my surprise to discover that my hiking guide, Keneipp, also works at Villa Mara when he delivered pastries and yogurt to my door on my final morning. As the Disney song says, “It’s a small world after all.” Amber Gibson is a freelance writer.