California coast Road Trip

Sep 16

There is just something about the California coast that is so appealing. There always seems to be fresh produce, the water is stunning and the sun just seems right. I decided for my fall trip to drive from San Francisco to San Diego. I have done part of this drive before but not in whole and have never been farther south then the Big Sur area.

It all started with a flight into Oakland for another visit to San Francisco. This was my forth or fifth trip to San Fran, it's a great city but congested. I’m sure like every other city it has been growing or maybe as I get older I like congestion and crowds less. I revisited all of the tourist sites, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street, the cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge. The prices to stay in the city center of San Francisco was more than I was anticipating so I got an Airbnb in Richmond, California. It was a garage conversion about thirty five minutes from the city. It was perfect for my stay and very quiet.

On the way out of San Francisco on my second day, I went to Battery Spencer Park as it was a suggestion from my host. He stated it had the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge and it very well could have if not for all of the fog. You could see bits and pieces of the bridge from time to time during the spurts of wind and the whole experience seemed very San Francisco to me.

I headed down the coast through San Jose to a little town outside of Santa Cruz called Soquel. On the way I revisited a coffee shop, Verve and bakery, Kelly’s French Bakery. I had been to both when I was in California last year. This Airbnb was a shed conversion and other than the spiders this place grew on me. There was a nice bed, small bathroom and a kitchen with a mini fridge, coffee maker and microwave. It really had everything I needed. I went to Capitola Beach to watch the sunset and then went to dinner before settling in for the night.

After my stay in the shed in Soquel, I began the drive down through Monterey to Big Sur. I started the day at a fruit and vegetable stand on Highway One near Monterey before heading to the seventeen mile drive in Pebble Beach. I stocked up on onions, garlic, mango, watermelon, strawberries, brussel sprouts and a lemon. Seventeen Mile drive is beautiful, while not on the way per se, it was too close to miss it. I didn’t stop near as much as my first time here but just enough to take in the beauty of it all. Next came the drive down through Big Sur. It is stunning and the coast is so beautiful. I drove and stopped and drove and stopped as you do in all of the turnouts. I stopped at the Big Sur Bakery for a latte on the way and made it to my Airbnb in Santa Maria just after sunset. It was a lovely little casita in a backyard of a house. The patio was stunning with several seating areas, completely xeriscaped, had a stunning fountain and flowers everywhere. The space was well done and had little touches of Paris from a painting to decor. France seems to follow me everywhere I go.

I left the cute little casita and headed to a place in Fallbrook. On the way to Fallbrook I stopped in a little town called Solvang, a danish inspired city with population of just under six thousand. It was a cute town, I stopped by a bakery and picked up some treats for the road and wandered around for a bit. A cute little place to spend the morning.

I reached Fallbrook by early evening. What is in Fallbrook you ask, not much. I decided I needed a little rest and relaxation and found this amazing Airbnb with a beautiful deck and view. It seemed like the perfect place to spend a couple of days re-energizing. I didn’t do too much in Fallbrook, ate some good food, found gelato and took some scenic drives through the vineyards. I tried to stop by a olive farm, but they were not open. I relaxed, read and got ready for the rest of my trip.

I met a friend in Los Angeles and then we ventured off to San Diego. I was looking forward to San Diego and was surprised by the size and the heat. The further south I got in California, the hotter it became. We stopped by a cute crepe place then found our Airbnb in a town just outside of San Diego called Dulzura. Fun fact about Dulzura, it was twelve miles from the United States/Mexico border and every day when we went into San Diego we had to go through border patrol which is something I have never experienced.

We visited the Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, Balboa Park, Old Town San Diego and Mission Beach for the sunset. The sunsets in California are stunning.I would say the best part of the day was Balboa Park. It seemed very European, which I love and the cactus garden was great! After our fun filled day, we went for dinner then home to sleep and rest for Los Angeles the next day.

Oh LA, I’m happy to have checked Los Angeles off of my list but LA is overwhelming. There are so many people and the traffic is more than I can handle. Once you get off of the highways it’s not so bad but the highways are crazy. We went to the Griffith Observatory so we could see the Hollywood sign, went to the Venice canals and Venice Beach, did the Hollywood stars, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Boulevard and Beverly Hills. We ate some great food and that completed LA. We spent one night here and that was just perfect for me. I would say my favorite part of Los Angeles were the Venice Canals. They were very cute and peaceful to walk around.

The trip to California was great, even though I didn’t love some of the places I’m still happy to have checked some places off of the list. A road trip down the California coast cannot be beat. I will happily return one day to revisit California, maybe to venture to the northern part of California. There a lots of other places to check off the list so I look forward to more adventures to come.

San Francisco