I recently decided to take a road trip in California. I’d been to the Sunshine State before but had only seen San Francisco – I’d been meaning to go back and see everything else. I also wanted to explore the Pacific Coast Highway. Here’s the way I planned my trip.
The first thing to note is that California is huge. This would be like trying to plan a road trip in a whole country (like France) – there’s no way that you can see everything. I planned my trip according to what I had in mind and what I most wanted to see.
My flight was a return ticket to San Francisco. I allowed myself a day to recover from any jet lag effects. On the next day, I picked up a car and …
01 – San Francisco to San Jose
My first stop was San Jose. I chose to take the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and then took the Interstate-880 heading south. I think this was the first double-decker bridge I drove across and I couldn’t help smiling at the thought of cars above (or below) me. Coming from an island nation, this was a peculiar feeling.
The whole drive took about 2 hours due to traffic on the bridge and harsh storm conditions in the Bay area. In total it shouldn’t have taken more than 1h 15.
San Jose is a small town which has a few things to see and do. I stopped at the Rosicrucian Egyptian museum because I was curious about this after having written about their connection to Prague. I wasn’t disappointed.
02 – San Jose to Santa Cruz and Monterey
The next day started off being gloomy too. Once I got off I-280 and caught a road that took me through a hilly region, it was eerie to see clouds and mist form below and around me. Spectacular, but eerie.
I stopped in Santa Cruz which struck me as being a sleepy seaside town, at least on Sunday mornings. The sea was not rough but walking along the coast was a beautiful experience.
I then headed to Monterey which juts out into the Pacific about an hour further south of Santa Cruz. Monterey has a beautiful, if small, beach. The day continued to be grey but the next morning, the shining sun brought out the beauty in the place.
03 – Big Sur
Most especially with the sun shining, I wanted to drive along Big Sur. I was heading to Santa Barbara which is 3h 45m away on Highway 101. Driving along the coast took me the best part of a day. I confess that I stopped many times to soak in the atmosphere and take photos along the way.
The drive was intense and relaxing in equal measures. The constant winding roads along the coast mean that you don’t drive at high-speed which gives you time to enjoy the view. Not too much time though as you sometimes really need to be quite focused on the twists and turns!
04 (and 05) – Los Angeles
The drive down from Santa Barbara only took about 2 hours, including about 30 min of traffic. I spent most of the day touring LA and Hollywood.
LA is really spread out. I shouldn’t have been surprised at this because most cities, especially American ones, are large. It did feel different to the other US cities I’ve been too though. I’ve often remarked that most places in the US feel the same but LA was different. Maybe it was a touch of Hollywood magic …
I spent a further day here as I wanted to see as much of it as I could. And, this being Hollywood, I wanted to make sure I catch a film.
There’s also Hearst castle on this coastal route, if you like that sort of thing!
06 – San Diego
I expected the drive to San Diego to take the predicted 2 hours or so. It was Thanksgiving, after all, and I assumed that there would be no traffic.
I was mistaken.
There is a point where the I-405 widens to an 8-lane motorway and we were at a standstill for some time along this point. And I thought traffic in Malta was bad.
Between the 4-hour drive and a relaxing saunter along Santa Monica beach before the drive, I arrived in San Diego after dark. The San Diego promenade takes on a different atmosphere when the city lights twinkle at night. Especially when a massive cruise ship silently floats past you.
07 – Oceanside, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo
This was the point where I turned back north.
I considered hopping across the border and going to Tijuana. Friends warned me that the place is a tourist trap and not worth my while. I figure I can always visit Mexico some other time.
I powered up I-101 for 4h 30 heading to San Luis Obispo. Traffic was light, making the drive smooth. I stopped along the way to take in some sun in Oceanside and Santa Barbara.
08 – The Napa Valley
My next stop was the Napa Valley for a spot of wine tasting. At this point, the weather turned sour again. Between the weather and the absence of any reason to stop, I pointed the car north on I-101 and drove for a further 4 hours until I got to Napa.
I got there too late for any wine-related activities but there was a great open-mic Jazz night at Silo’s that was a great way to end the day!
09 – Wine tasting, Mendocino and San Francisco
After a breakfast of wine tasting at Jamieson’s vineyard (and a coffee to clear my head), I headed north-west to Mendocino. The last hour of the drive along CA-1 passes through Jackson State Forest. Driving along single-lane roads lined with 12-storey high trees is a magical way to approach the town.
The only reason I wanted to go Mendocino is because of its claim to fame. In the 80s and 90s I used to watch the popular “Murder, She Wrote” TV series featuring Angela Lansbury. The series is set on the east coast of the US but all filming took place here. The town is full of quaint wooden houses, each no more than a 5-minute walk from the shore and is easy to walk around. I wonder how busy it got when they were filming!
I then drove for a further 3 hours south back to San Francisco. The drive out of Mendocino turned a little spooky as the sun went down.
The best memory I have of this drive is of cruising along the Golden Gate bridge, the San Francisco lights greeting me as I approached.
And so ended my motoring holiday. I spent a few more days in San Francisco after this and a day in Philadelphia that bisected my trip back home.
A great road trip holiday indeed.
What other things should I have seen in California?