This trip takes us from San Diego – La Jolla – Joshua Tree – Santa Barbara – San Luis Obispo – Big Sur – Carmel-by-Sea – Pebble Beach – Monterey- Sacramento!
California
One of the most incredible trips or vacations of my life was my initial visit to California in 1972. I was lucky to travel the state in a small camper with a cousin and her parents. This was a 5-week road trip and included Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, and all places in and around California. It changed my life.
As John and I discussed our next adventure, I suggested a road trip from San Diego going north ending up to see friends in Sacramento. Since John’s only real experience in California was for on business, it was time he experienced Highway 1 or the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).
San Diego to Monterey California
Our Road Trip in California starts in San Diego. We arrived in San Diego in early March after a 4.5 hour flight from Ohio, to sunshine, bright smiles and friendly, West-Coast attitudes. John noticed the southern California glow immediately. Of course, it was 30 degrees and grey at home compared to sunny and 65 with a clear, bright sky and and a sweet breeze blowing in from the Pacific Ocean.
After much research, we had booked a wonderful hotel with Hotels.com just north of the city right on the ocean, the Pacific Terrace Hotel. We love this hotel. Our room was comfortable and the hotel is on the beach! Our balcony and windows open allowing the fresh ocean air into our room. Plus the staff is friendly and we felt right at home.
The location was perfect with a local beach lifestyle and fun places to hang out. It also allowed for easy access into San Diego, and for getting out for a day trip to La Jolla, Joshua Tree, Torrey Pines, and more.
Although technically off-season there were people surfing in wetsuits from sun-up until late in the day. As evening approached, people gathered with chairs, blankets, and hammocks to enjoy the sunset.
San Diego – Overview
San Diego enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate. There’s always a gentle breeze, and unlike where we live, humidity is low. It’s the closest weather to Hawaii you’ll find. San Diego has beaches and parks with an active population taking advantage of the ability to enjoy the outdoors year round.
One great attraction is the San Diego Zoo, known for Joan Embry, is the endangered species breeding programs. Providing its animals with natural habitats instead of cages. If you have time for the zoo, it’s time well-spent.
We took a drive out to Coronado beach and visited the grand Victorian Hotel del Coronado (a Hilton Hotel now). Across from the hotel, the Coronado Beach is wide and relatively flat and a great place for surfers, swimmers, kite flyers, and spotting a dolphin or two on occasion.
Balboa Park was a high priority as I have a photo from the 70’s of me sitting in the famous Banyon Tree, planted in 1915. The tree has a fence now but worth a visit to both the tree and the park which is 1200 acres of urban parkland. A couple of our favorite spots are the Japanese Friendship Garden and The Timken Museum of Art but there’s a lot to choose from with 18 museums – including Photography and Art, Air & Space, Comic-Con, and Science. There’s something for everyone.
San Diego Old Town
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park offers an insight into early San Diego with 32 historic sites. The Old Town is good shape and shows some of the changes San Diego has gone through from a Mexican pueblo to an American settlement. There are plenty of places to eat (a good number of Mexican, but theres’ Italian and Sushi too) and shop with the focus on the Mexican cultural experience.
We recommend the hop-on hop-off tours in cities we visit and had a good experience in San Diego. The Old Town Trolley Tours operates from Old Town and gave a great overview of the city including 11 stops en route.
La Jolla – Torrey Pines
We headed out for the day driving north from Pacific Beach to the charming and well-to-do village of La Jolla, which is just south of Torrey Pines.
The seal colony at the Children’s Beach at La Jolla is now famous and attracts a regular crowd of visitors and offers good photo ops. The Children’s Beach was established back in the 1930s as a safe place for children to swim. Over time, the Pacific filled it with sand and eventually, seals took over.
Up the beach, we stop at Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve between La Jolla and Del Mar. It’s home to the rare Torrey Pine, the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course, and a great beach to learn to body surf. It’s a great place to hike or just sit and relax.
Day Trip – Joshua Tree National Park
Being Irish and U2 music fans, we decided heading east to visit the Joshua Tree National Park was necessary. The unexpected big sky and unusual rugged rock formations and stark desert landscapes make it a different type of travel experience and one worth seeing.
We did the trip in one full day, which a good bit of driving but well worth the effort.
The Joshua Tree National Park has plenty of the region’s spiky twisted Joshua trees. The Park abuts the Colorado and Mohave Deserts giving a true old-West desert experience. The Colorado Desert is cactus-country where the Mojave Desert is a little higher and cooler. Joshua Tree is in the middle with its own unique flavor unseen anywhere in the world!
The sights and the general feel and environment make it a special place.
The Joshua tree was respected by the native Cahuilla for its useful properties. Its spikey leaves are worked into baskets and sandals and flower buds with its raw or roasted seeds made up a healthy part of the diet.
San Diego to Santa Barbara
Leaving San Diego and driving to Santa Barbara, we had no choice but to pass the greater Los Angeles region, with 12 lane highways and endless lines of cars and trucks.
Arriving in Santa Barbara was literally a breath of fresh air.
We stayed on the beachfront at the Santa Barbara Inn the perfect choice to relax and enjoy.
The Old Mission in Santa Barbara dates back to the Feast of St. Barbara, December 4, 1786. It was the tenth of the 21 California Missions built by the Spanish Franciscans. The Mission is open daily 9:30 am – 5:00 pm for self-guided tours at https://www.santabarbaramission.org/tours.
Santa Barbara has many beautiful neighborhoods many with amazing ocean views. It is worth a drive through Mission Canyon, Montecito, San Roque, and Hope to appreciate how the other half live.
We enjoy the Mesa area with its ocean breezes and vast beaches.
Stearns Wharf is a famous landmark in Santa Barbara which we made sure we visited for the flavor of it all. The Wharf is the oldest wooden wharf in California, built in 1872. Today, you can have your palm read, shop for momentos, and have a good seafood meal on the Pacific Ocean.
Boomer alert:
While a road trip on the Pacific Highway promises adventure and stunning views, it’s important to prioritize safety. Here are some essential tips to keep in mind:
- Before setting off, check road conditions for any closures. Landslides during the rainy season is not uncommon.
2. The Pacific Highway has winding roads, sharp curves, and steep gullies.Sudden changes in weather and visibility may make this trek even more challenging so drive at a safe speed.
3. Cell phone coverage is weak in some areas. Make sure you have water / snacks / a map.
Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo
A great stopping place before driving the Big Sur is San Luis Obispo, commonly known as SLO located in a perfect all year round mediterranean climate. It’s a beautiful city with quaint streets and charming Spanish Adobe architecture.
We enjoyed a late lunch at Luna Red, outside under a light awning of trees. Around the corner is the 1772 Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.
Big Sur to Carmel-by-Sea
The drive north on the Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1) was clear through to Monterey. We have over 2 hours to Big Sur.
Boomer Alert: In the summer months this highway is very busy especially near the Hearst Castle exits. And make sure you have a full tank of gas.
After years of build up and expectations the drive and views did not disappoint, the scenery is something special with rolling cliffs sweeping down to the ocean.
Carmel-by-Sea
Arriving at Carmel-by-Sea at sunset made an idyllic end to a wonderful day.
The Carmel Inn and Suites was comfortable and convenient being in the center of the small town.
The is very quaint and quiet, again we were thankful we were visiting in the “off season” to avoid the crowds and the weather was in our favor.
Pebble Beach
Although the title of the post is San Diego Big Sur, Pebble Beach should be the finale. John is a keen golf fan, and enjoys watching the annual ProAm Tournament at Pebble Beach. These days he’s happy to leave the golf to others, to those that can actually play the game.
This photo between is from Pebble Beach website and is the iconic image of the lone pine tree (which is visible on the 17 mile drive). The pine tree is well over 200 years old.
We enjoyed the 17 mile drive around Pebble Beach, this is not to be missed.
Boomer Alert: Green fees to play Pebble Beach increased April 1st 2023 to $625 pp. Remember these are “resort guest fees” when you stay onsite in the Lodge, the Inn at Spanish Bay or Casa Palermo for minimum of 2 nights! So to play Pebble Beach will cost you an average of $1,500 pp. The views are very nice though!
Monterey
Monterey is only 15 minutes drive from Carmel, but very different in feel and atmosphere and for things to do. It faces Monterey Bay, and famous for its Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row and Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Monterey Bay Aquarium is well worth the visit being right on the Pacific Coast and has over 200 exhibits and 80,000 plants and animals, its very impressive.
San Diego to Big Sur – Trivia
Pacific Coast Highway
Highway 1 doesn’t go all the way from the border of Mexico to the border of Oregon! It actually starts in LA at Dana Point, about an hour south of Santa Monica, and ends in Leggett, CA, about 4 hours south of the Oregon border!
The road was built in the early 20th century long before the United States Numbered Highway System was established. In 1926, its 1,687 miles (2,715 km) of pavement made it the longest continuous stretch of paved road in the world at the time.
Balboa Park
Balboa Park in San Diego is almost twice the size of New York City’s Central Park.
Blue whales of up to 82 feet long spout water up to 30 feet in the air off the San Diego coast from mid-June to September. During the summer months, 2,000-3,000 whales may be seen feeding along the San Diego coast during whale watching tours.
The Bixby Bridge in Big Sur was built by prisoners eager to earn “good time” off their prison sentences. It is one of the world’s highest single-span bridges at 714 feet long by 260 feet high.
Big Sur
The name Big Sur, was derived from that unexplored and un-mapped wilderness area which lays along the coast south of Monterey. It was simply called El Sur Grande, The Big South.
Big Sur is a title of a Novel by Jack Kerouac, who lived in the region, as did Henry Miller.
The Pebble Beach 17-Mile Drive is one of only nine private toll roads in the United States.
Area native John Steinbeck published his book Cannery Row in 1945. The Cannery Row novel is set in the area during the Great Depression and focuses on people on the margins of society. The street was renamed Cannery Row in 1958.
Monterey County is home to at least 349 vineyards, 65 tasting rooms, and 82 bonded wineries. Monterey County is known as the United State’s largest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grower.