Part 2 of my USA series. After a fabulous few days in Los Angeles, we collected a car to heard north towards San Francisco. We wanted to travel along the coast road, rather than direct on the highways, so that we could experience the amazing coastline.
We headed out of Los Angeles from Santa Monica, driving through the luxurious Malibu… and we could certainly understand why many of the ‘stars’ live here, lavish homes with sensational ocean views and all within close proximity to LA. An absolutely beautiful area!
As we came out of Malibu, we hit a detour as the main coast road was closed. So for the next hour we travelled through the most amazing country – twisty, windy roads climbing through scenic mountains, surrounded by rocks, cacti and the odd property here and there, spectacular ocean views – it really was like something out of a movie. And even though we didn’t get too far, the experience was really worthwhile as we had driven through some incredible countryside.
Pismo Beach is almost halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and having now stopped there, this would be my ideal place to break your journey for the night. Pismo Beach is beautiful – a quaint, little town with a stunning beach and an even more stunning sunset. There is ample accommodation and great eating spots, the perfect spot for an overnight stay.
We actually broke our journey at San Simeon, which is halfway, but San Simeon is literally a row of basic motels, a Mexican restaurant and a bar/diner/shop. There is certainly nothing wrong with San Simeon but it is more of a ‘truckie’ style stop and with hindsight, Pismo Beach would be the perfect spot to stay.
The next morning we set off again, heading for Carmel. Fifteen minutes out of San Simeon is Elephant Seal Bay which is a ‘must stop’, especially if it is the time of year that the seal’s are there, as they are certainly a sight to see. And nearby is the famed Hearst Castle.
The remainder of the drive was along magnificent coastline and I really do mean magnificent. The pictures below speak a thousand words and do not really do the place justice. You will thoroughly enjoy the drive through mountains, national parks and tiny villages.
You can pull over and stop off along the way at various points of interest all through the area that is known as The Big Sur. The Julia Pfieffer Burns Park is definitely worth a visit, and stop and have a bit to eat at The Big Sur Coast Gallery Café, great food and fantastic views!
We arrived in Carmel that evening where we stayed for two nights, so that we could take in the ’17 Mile Drive’ around the Monterey Peninsula and also Carmel.
Carmel has become a major town of interest since Clint Eastwood served a term as Mayor, several years ago. It is a beautiful ‘town’… only a few streets with gorgeous shops, cafes and houses. Carmel is determined to maintain its traditional old-fashioned values, there are no street lights (blink and you’ll miss it – and I’m not kidding!) and there are no big brand names; no big ‘anything’ actually, just a quaint, exclusive little town that is focused on its residents first and foremost.
We loved our stay in Carmel, and spent a few hours following the ’17 Mile Drive’ and taking in the breathtaking coastline/scenery, luxurious homes, boutique wineries and exclusive golf courses. Make sure that you stop oat the Pebble Beach Lodge (at Pebble Beach Golf Course) as the view of the golf course and the ocean is fantastic, and it’s the perfect stop for a glass of wine or a beer.
You’ll also enjoy stopping at the town of Monterey, which is a lot larger than Carmel – a great tourist area with a lovely harbour, a large aquarium and touristy/shops/markets to explore.
The next morning we journeyed to San Francisco, which will be the focus of Blog #3!
* The drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco is just under six hours if you were to take the direct route. Or it is between seven and seven and a half hours if you were to take the coast road all the way – which I highly recommend. We elected to spend a couple of nights in Carmel so that we could explore the Monterey Peninsula properly, and broke our journey from LA to Carmel with a night in San Simeon. This gave us plenty of time to see and do all that the journey had to offer and without too much daily driving, maximizing the time that we had *