Taking in the Beauty of Big Sur

Le Petit Pali serves a killer complimentary breakfast for its overnight guests. Fresh fruit and house made frittata, two kinds of ham, and a bakery-sized assortment of straight-out-of-the-oven treats. It all tastes even better when eaten outside on one of the lounge-worthy couches in the courtyard. Don’t miss it.

You can walk from downtown Carmel, California, to the beautifully restored Mission. It's about 9 blocks south from Le Petit Pali. Known as Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo, or Misión de San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, most people just call it the Carmel mission.
Built in 1797, the basilica is worth seeing, but won't be accessible if there is a wedding or mass in progress. If that is the case, stroll the grounds and snap a few photos outside.

Before embarking on a hike at nearby Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, load up on carbs at the Big Sur Lodge. Their Homestead restaurant serves up a mean plate of shrimp and grits, and the butternut squash ravioli is solid, too. Lounge in an Adirondack chair by the river for the full experience.

The region around Big Sur offers thousands of acres of open space to be explored. One of the surest ways to see the highlights without the crowds is to spend some time at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The park stretches from oceanfront to ridges at 3,000 feet in elevation.
For today's purposes, a hike along the Waterfall Overlook Trail is enough to get a sense of the massive scale of the place. Please note that fire has not been kind to many parts of California in recent years, including Big Sur, and some trails and passes can close without notice due to fire, landslide, or both.

Before heading home, stop in at the Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant. They serve food all day from what appears to be a roadside shack. The pretty gardens are a great place to enjoy a glass of wine and a rib eye with whipped potatoes, your reward for all the walking and hiking you have undertaken in today's itinerary.
Please note that given their small size and limited table availability, they strongly recommend making reservations for dinner and brunch services well in advance.