Countless artists, mystics, poets, photographers, and happy dogs over the decades are not wrong: Big Sur is about as lovely as it gets. Starting with Pfeiffer Beach, where dogs have to stay on leash on the state-managed portions but can run free if under voice control on the US Forest Service-managed section. Once Rowdy's worked off that excess energy on the beach, the two of you might want to check out the area's artistic heritage at the Coast Gallery, home to six galleries housing works of American artists as well as the Gallery Café, which welcomes human-canine parties on its deck. Read more.