Waves and wine; Trip of a lifetime; Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Valley, Big Sur: a Central Coast road trip makes a vintage romantic getaway

Sunset, Sept, 2005 by Matthew Jaffe

MONTEREY AND PACIFIC GROVE

Green Gables Inn. Victorian elegance by the sea. From $120. 301 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove; www.greengablesinnpg.com or 800/722-1774.

Inn at the Pinnacles. Ideal wine country setting at the gateway to Pinnacles. Open weekends only; from $200, two-night minimum. 32025 Stonewall Canyon Rd., Soledad; www.innatthepinnacles.com or 831/678-2400.

Louiou's Griddle in the Middle. Updated take on waterfront breakfast joint. $; breakfast and lunch daily. On Municipal Wharf II, Monterey; 831/372-0568.

Monterey Bay Inn. Newly renovated hotel on waterfront. From $199, two-night minimum on weekends. 242 Cannery Row, Monterey; www.monterey bayinn.com or 800/424-6242.

CARMEL

Casanova Restaurant. Classic romantic setting, Mediterranean cuisine. $$$$; lunch and dinner daily. Fifth Ave. between Mission St. and San Carlos St.; 831/625-0501.

La Playa Hotel. Onetime Carmel estate a couple of blocks from Carmel City Beach. From $180, two-night minimum on weekends. Camino Real at Eighth Ave.; www.laplaya.hotel.com or 800/582-8900.

BIG SUR

Big Sur River Inn. After a meal of fresh fish and organic produce, kick back in a chair in the river. $$; breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. On State 1 at Pheneger Creek; www.bigsurriverinn.com or 800/548-3610.

Big Sur Roadhouse. Cal-Latin fusion cuisine with funky roadhouse decor. $$; dinner Web-Mon. On State 1, about 25 miles south of Carmel; 831/667-2264.

Treebones Resort. Upscale camping, where roughing it includes a morning waffle bar. Campsites from $55 and yurts from $129, two-night minimum on weekends. 71895 State 1, 1 mile north of Gorda; www.treebonesresort.com or 877/424-4787.

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Attractions

California missions. There are eight missions along the way: Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, La Purisima (now La Purisima Mission State Historic Park), San Luis Obispo, San Miguel, San Antonio, Soledad, and San Carlos (Carmel). We like Purisima for its meticulous restoration and Santa Barbara for its sheer beauty. Fees vary by mission, www.missionsofcalifornia.org for locations and details.

Ed Ricketts's Lab. Mentioned in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row, the historic site is occasionally open to the public. On Cannery Row, Monterey; visit www.canneryrow.org for details.

Hearst Castle. A classic example of California history and architecture. Five different tours available this month. From $24, reservations recommended. 750 Hearst Castle Rd., San Simeon; www.hearstcastle.com or 800/444-4445.

Henry Miller Memorial Library. Gallery with concerts, lectures, and other events. 11-6 Thu-Sun; free. On State 1, Big Sur; www.henrymiller.org or 831/667-2574.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. About 10 miles of trails, including the 0.5-mile round-trip Overlook Trail, which offers a view of a waterfall dropping 80 feet into the ocean. Free. On State 1, 37 miles south of Carmel; www.parks.ca.gov or 831/667-2315.

Monterey Bay Aquarium. The nation's top aquarium has added a new octopus habitat and a walk-through wave-crash exhibit. 9:30-6 daily; $22, $10.95 ages 3-12. 886 Cannery Row, Monterey; www.montereybayaquarium.org or 831/648-4888.