This is an interaction that might only be possible at Sierra Mar, the jewel of Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn, where casual is the norm despite rooms that run more per night than comparable apartments cost per month in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Though the modern resort was founded in 1984, the land's history dates back to 1850 - when homesteader and grizzly bear hunter William Brainard Post took out a claim on 160 acres of land in Big Sur. That same land now plays host to the exclusive 39-room resort that carries the family's name.

These days, visitors are greeted with glasses of Champagne and whisked up the hill by a fleet of black Lexus hybrid SUVs. An array of rooms await, some nestled in the trees, some built into the side of the oceanside cliffs. All are outfitted with fireplaces, breathtaking views and, of course, free wireless internet. Perhaps best of all, the rooms are just a few minutes' walk from the restaurant.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright student Mickey Muennig, Sierra Mar is perched 1,200 feet above the crashing tides of the Pacific. The views are almost as dramatic as the taste sensations caused by the delicious menu. On a stormy night this spring, dinner begins with an amuse bouche of cured salmon, crème fraiche and Tsar Nicoulai caviar. Forget your mouth - your whole body will be amused and amazed at rich array of flavors unleashed by the single bite.

Appetizers include the Butter Poached Maine Lobster, served in a lemongrass-coconut broth with green papaya salad, and the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna, smothered in wasabi butter and shallot soy. In both dishes, the interplay between creamy sauce and fresh seafood makes for a refreshingly light and flavorful starter. But the highlight has to be the heavier Foie Gras Tasting and its three interpretations of goose liver: seared alongside pickled quince; torched in a tiny crème brûlée dish; and sautéed atop miniature pancakes.

The second course options are equally engaging, especially the Bourride - a single, spongy Maine diver scallop engulfed in a red pepper picada and garlic crumbs. If you're looking for a leafy respite from a fishy dinner, try the Artaulfo Mango Salad and treat your taste buds to a trio of roasted macadamia nuts, mint leaves and fresh water chestnuts.

Of the main course options - Alaskan Halibut, Roast Organic Air Chilled Chicken Breast, Risotto and Roast Prime Rib Eye Steak - the latter is certainly the heartiest. Paired with braised short rib hash and topped with a poached egg, the rib eye is a bouquet of textures and smoky flavors. Fortunately, the portion is sensibly sized to ensure you won't leave feeling anchored by your entrée.

For a true Big Sur dessert, look no further than the S'Mores. Though not quite the messy delicacy found at nearby beatnik campfires for the past half-century, this neat stack of warm chocolate cake and flamed marshmallow ice cream should please any palate.

As your meal at the Sierra Mar draws to a close, the floor-to-ceiling glass windows will be filled with the vast darkness of the Pacific below. The dim lights will seem dimmer, and after a few glasses of wine, you might find yourself imagining the ghost of Kerouac flittering through the restaurant. That's all well and good - just try not to bump into any whale paintings on your way out.

A steam-punk aesthetic pervades the century-old stone house, converted in 2007 to a tasting room that doubles as an exhibition space. Various mammalian vertebrae and reclaimed metal sculptures hang from exposed beams and dot the wooden shelves, an ambiance that could be the brainchild of Georgia O'Keefe and Damien Hirst, had they lived together on a 19^th Century farm.

All of this makes for a fascinating place to taste wines from the 14 small local producers whom Ma(i)sonry represents. Check in at the front desk and head upstairs to one of the quirky rooms in the back. Pass a stack of disembodied men's shirt collars under a specimen glass and ease yourself into a worn leather armchair. Before ordering your first glass of wine, drink up the trinkets: a wooden humidor with a Cuban flag carved in to the cover, a paper bird sculpture made from shavings of Dostoevsky's House of the Dead.

Ma(i)sonry's menu includes an array of both pre-selected and customizable flights from nearby wineries. On a rainy Wednesday, the Collector's Flight ($40) is a sampling of four wines highlighted by the 2004 Husic Vineyards Cabernet, chocolatey with hints of nutmeg and raspberry jam, and the 2006 Rivera Cabernet, tannic and tinted with a taste of blackberries and green tea. All are part of a run of 1,000 cases or less.

Have as many glasses as you like - Ma(i)sonry is a mere five-minute walk from a firmament of Michelin-spangled restaurants (Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon, Redd, and the French Laundry) as well as the posh eco-lodge Bardessono (which was nominated for a Luxist Award for Best Green Spa in March).

Nepenthe is living proof of the dichotomy at the heart of Big Sur, a secret betrayed in print by the same beatniks who discovered it. The cliffside bar and restaurant has a clientele that includes occupants of $50-per-night tent cabins in the woods and guests from $1,500-a-night luxury resorts along the ocean. They all walk up the same steps, past an old-fashioned telephone booth, under a string of jalapeno-shaped lights, to Nepenthe.

Founded more than 60 years ago, Nepenthe has long been associated with both glamour and grime. Designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Nepenthe was originally purchased by Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth on a whim. As legend has it, the pair - whose relationship was stormy as a Big Sur winter - spent one night in the area and never returned, eventually selling the property to the family that currently owns Nepenthe.

Today, patrons still enjoy panoramic views of the Pacific from copious indoor and outdoor seating. Unlike some of Big Sur's fancier locales don't bother making a reservation unless there are more than four people in your party. Highlights on the menu include the signature Ambrosia Burger and Lolly's Roast Chicken.

For the best experience, arrive before night falls and watch the sun slip into the Pacific. Enjoy a drink from Nepenthe's considerable wine list, or let the bartender cook up a delicious cocktail. And make sure to chat up at least one stranger before heading out - there are few better places to meet fascinating folks.

But when you leave the winding road for another, steeper, shorter street that runs up the side of Big Sur's highest hill to the Ventana Inn & Spa, a sense of calm sweeps over you. Perhaps it's the pungent scent of cedar that pervades the resort, or maybe it's the glass of wine you're given at check-in. Either way, the relaxation begins as soon as you arrive on the property.

Ventana has been that way since writer Lawrence Spector founded the resort in 1975 with funds earned from the film "Easy Rider." Early frequenters of the inn included Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw; more recently, Ventana has counted Anthony Hopkins and Oprah Winfrey among its visitors. All along, it's been a place for those who want to see - but not necessarily be seen.

And there's a lot to see. Though Ventana's 60 rooms and suites mostly resemble humble cabins on the outside, their interiors contain a mix of rustic and modern luxuries sure to please any vacationer. Each room comes with a view of valley, mountain, ocean, or all of the above. A private balcony or patio is also standard, as are real wood-burning fireplaces, heated stone floors, Egyptian cotton sheets, terry cloth robes, and of course, a flat-screen television. Many suites also boast private hot tubs.

Founded in February of 2009, Bardessono, which was a Luxist Awards' nominee for best green spa in March, boasts the largest renewable power system of any hotel in North America. Over 900 photovoltaic panels convert the sun's energy into 260,000 kilowatt hours annually; unused output is sold back to the grid. The resort is heated and cooled by a network of 82 geothermal wells that stretch 300 feet below the grape vines out front. Motion sensors control lights and shades in each of the 62 rooms, ensuring that nearly nothing goes to waste. Along those lines, you won't find plastic bags in the hotel's wastepaper baskets, and filtered water is served in reusable glass jugs instead of bottles. Even the bathroom toiletries come in big, refillable bottles instead of the disposable (and easily pilfered) airline-safe containers.


Bardessono's dining room keeps with the resort's "deep green" mission statement. The delicious, heavily organic menu draws from local farms and fisheries; most of the wines hail from nearby vineyards as well. Like the guest rooms, which are free of the rugs, bedspreads and curtains deemed unnecessary by the green police, the dining room is somewhat spare. The only flourishes are a wispy, LED-lit chandelier and a magnificent long wood table made from a reclaimed tree trunk. A few paintings - or eco-friendly art installments - would be a welcome addition.

The resort's strongest point is its integrated spa services. Though there's a dedicated spa near the communal pool and hot tub, each guest room is designed to accommodate two massage tables and two masseurs. Call ahead to book a couple's massage and watch as your room is transformed into a miniature spa, complete with tea lights and soothing music piped in from Sirius Satellite Radio's unlikely spa channel. Bardessono's massage therapists will customize your treatment no matter how specific (they proved adept at soothing this writer's keyboard-addled wrists). When they're done, they'll leave you to luxuriate on the massage table as long as you like.

Bardessono guests don't have to worry about staying sober enough to drive - the resort is less than ten minutes by foot from fine restaurants including the French Laundry, the only establishment in the area to earn Michelin's coveted three star rating. Don't forget to check out one of the nearby tasting rooms, especially the new and funky Ma(i)sonry. Bardessono also offers a bike shop where guests can rent cycles for free.

As a Napa Valley connoisseur might say, Bardessono is a little young. Barely a year old, there are still trees that need to grow taller and walls that perhaps need more adornment. But the amenities and design elements are there - like a fine wine, Bardessono will only get better with age. In the meantime, guests can enjoy a fine spa and resort on a clean environmental conscience.