Big Sur’s Ventana Inn & Spa – Today we awoke to sunshine!  Yaaay!  I was beginning to think that we might never see the sun on our 10-Day Coastal California road trip.

Check out this photograph I snapped on the Big Sur Coast Highway, California Route 1 today.

Stunning, isn’t it?

Today was also a day of transitions as we moved from Carmel Valley’s Bernardus Lodge to Big Sur’s Ventana Inn & Spa.

Ventana Inn & Spa is situated on 243 acres, 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean on California’s Central Coast and is renowned for its tranquil setting, rustic sophistication and romantic allure.

The land was originally owned by the Post family, which built a home that housed several future generations and still stands today at the entrance to Ventana Inn & Spa. Writer Lawrence A. Spector built the Inn in 1975 with the money he earned in the late 1960s from the film, “Easy Rider.” The famed Inn became the haven of movie stars such as Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw, and remains a favorite for those who come to relax rather than be seen.

The setting is luxurious, yet rustic, with stunning landscapes everywhere you look.

Here’s a photograph of our suite.

Since its opening in 1975, Ventana Inn & Spa has received numerous awards and honors from some of the country’s leading magazines and travel services. Here is a look at just some of the awards the property has received:

• “The World’s Very Best Hotels & Resorts”, ForbesTraveler 400 – ForbesTraveler.com, 2008
• “Top 100 — Best in the World” Reader’s Choice Awards, #45 in the U.S. – Condé Nast Traveler magazine, 2008
• “The Best Places to Stay in the World,” Gold List — Condé Nast Traveler magazine,2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 – 1998
• “The 500 Best Hotels in the World”—Travel + Leisure magazine, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
• “Top 10 U.S. Luxury Spas” — SpaFinder.com, 2007
• “Hideaways/Escapes-Tops for Pursuits and Pleasures” — selected by readers of Gourmet magazine.
• “Top 100 Hotels in the U.S.”—Travel + Leisure magazine, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1999
• “Luxury Resorts,” #21 Ventana Inn & Spa — Departures Magazine, 2004
• “Top 20 U.S. Resort Hotels”—Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, 2000
• “Four-Star” ranking for Cielo Restaurant (now named The Restaurant at Ventana) — Mobil Travel Guide, 2000-2004
• “Top 79 Spas” (Reader’s Poll)in the U.S., Mexico, Caribbean and Canada – Condé Nast Traveler , April, 2009

Well, we’ve got some work to do exploring this resort.  Stay tuned!