The next leg of our adventure has us taking the trip from San Fran to L.A. via Pacific Coast Hwy 1. This trip can normally be taken on the freeway and takes only 3-4 hours (like Sudbury to Toronto), however, if you take HWY 1 down the coast, it takes much longer because not only is it more miles, it's much slower going. That being said, I gave us 2 days to make the journey and every second was worth it!
This amazing highway follows right along the coast for 90% of the trip leaving nothing but either beach or cliffs between you and the ocean. On the other side is either farm country or mountains. The terrain is incredible and pictures cannot do it justice. Every angle is a postcard and takes your breath away. Huge surf, sea air and not a cloud in the sky are the perfect combination in any context. It really makes for a great Sunday drive. In fact, there are so many vista points along the route, at times, you can barely go 1km in between each.
Santa Cruz was our first town stop. I've heard about the Santa Cruz pier and the fair by the beach so we headed there. It was just opening when we got there and we didn't have much time to hang around but there's a roller coaster right by the ocean and a permanent midway. It was also the first time I and Moo dipped our toes in the Pacific! Next was a long drive through the 17-mile road through Pebble Beach which is a detour that takes you through this beautiful park (always along the coast) that houses many beautiful and famous golf courses as well as many mansions... I'm sure it must be a tough life living there. This road comes out in Carmel by the Sea which was very cute but too busy to stop in so we continued on through Big Sur.
Now, I had read alot about this Big Sur in all the research I had done and in the books I read and it was always described as THE highlight of the Central coast route. Now, I know why. Big Sur is 65 miles of curvy coastline roads that line cliffs and beaches along the mountain line that lines that portion of the coast. Hairpin turns, stunning bridges and cliffs that make your jaw drop, every inch of this stretch is incredible and to be honest, beyond words. WOW was all we kept saying over and over again. I'm glad I got to be a passenger (and took Gravol beforehand) because I really got to see everything. I'd almost like to do it again from the other direction because no doubt there's more to be admired. Roads were so curvy and narrow that we basically had to slow to a snail's pace at times. Big Sur is the reason HWY 1 takes so long to travel. It's worth every second!
We stayed overnight in Arroyo Grande just over half way between SF and LA and had the most incredible pizza in the funnest atmosphere of a restaurant I've been in in a long time. It was called Klondike and the only other location is in Alaska. There are no floors, just dirt and posters all over the walls and 80s arcade games to be played while you wait for your dinner. One can also get a pitcher of beer for 10$ here... YAY!!!! Across the street, just by chance, was this Dr. Bernstein's Ice Cream Lab that I had come across in my research for the trip. Obviously Moo and I left some room for a little dessert. So good, but gluttony might have got the better of me... HAHA!
The next day over the last leg of our roadtrip was a stop in Santa Barbara, aka the North American Riviera. It comes by that nickname honestly. I felt like I was back in Antibes in a way and there's just a very chill and chic vibe to this town that is really fun. My book described it as "a damn pleasant place to wander around" and it couldn't be more true. Aside from Big Sur (that you can't live in because there are no towns), this is everyone's favourite place to date. It's a city of all stucco buildings with red tile roofs. More beach as well, of course. We picked up a whole pile of groceries at a local market and decided to park and have a picnic on the beach. We made a seagul friend there as well and put our feet back in the water. Much warmer here than in Santa Cruz! This place just has a terrific vibe that I can't quite put my finger on. It's pleasant without being IN YOUR FACE. Picnics on the beach are also hard to beat... especially on December 30th. I think we all wanted to spend a little more time there.
Reluctantly we packed up and headed back to finish our trip to Los Angeles because we needed to check-in before 6pm. We drove through Ventura, Malibu and Santa Monica to name a few others, all very interesting in their own way and the endless beaches and endless sunshine just never seem to get old. I highly HIGHLY recommend to anyone who comes to California and has the time to make this trip and make it as long as you can. I promise you will not regret it. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to and I've seen alot of amazing places.
After being stuck in a car for 2 days and really not having much relaxation time, after checking into our uber fancy hotel (via the tour company we booked for the Rose Bowl) we opted to stay put for the night and just relax and the next 2 days would be crazy long and busy! Sleep? What's that again?
No comments:
Post a Comment