Hi Nancy,
There are benefits to both, but I would probably lean toward staying
on the Monterey Peninsula. Especially if it's your first time in this
area there's alot more to see and do. Plus, you need to be here
anyway for packet pick up, and the Expo has great clinics on
Saturday. You can always take your rental car and drive to Big Sur,
checking out the course along the way. The primary benefit to staying
in Big Sur is that your wake up call is a bit later since you won't
have to catch a bus to the race start. Hope this helps. Lots of
hotel options on the
www.bsim.org website, including a booking link to
all local area hotels.