Highway 1 Road Trip

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I had planned a trip to New York but at the last minute decided to drive down Highway 1’s scenic coast to Santa Barbara. For those of you who don’t know, Highway 1 runs all along the coast of California from San Francisco to San Diego along some of the most beautiful coastline in California, through Carmel Valley and Big Sur.

Day 1
My first day was quite eventful. It reaffirmed my faith in my karma 😊 I left in the afternoon and drove along for a few hours stopping periodically along the way to take pictures. It truly is a spectacular drive. I really don’t like to drive so I wasn’t very excited to be making the 7-hour journey by myself, but as soon as I saw the sweeping ocean views, my spirit lifted. I grabbed some dinner in Monterey and then continued on. The sun had set while I was dining so the drive through Big Sur was in the dark.

I was actually enjoying the drive through the winding roads. Too bad it was dark, though, I knew I was missing some incredible views. As I was rounding a curb, I had a near-fatal collision with a deer!! That story is one that needs to be told in person 😊 Between the deer and my steadily dwindling gas tank, the trip was shaping up to be more adventureous than I had expected.

I had been driving for an hour and had seen hardly any cars and no gas stations. I was beginning to get worried. I was seriously thinking I would have to sleep on the side of the road and flag someone down in the morning to help me. I figured I would keep driving until the warning light started to flash - at that point I would pull over and camp out on the side of the road.

After another 15 minutes or so of driving and not seeing any form of civilization, I started imagining all types of grim situations when, like a mirage appearing in the desert, I saw a big, beautiful, blue GAS sign! I pulled into the gas station - but it was closed! What to do now? There was a sign that said Last Gas Stop for 40 miles.

I got out of the car and walked around and there was a string of rustic looking cabins. As luck would have it, the gracious man at the front desk gave me a HUGE discount on one of the cabins and I was able to spend the night in the middle of this wooded paradise. Luckily, situations like this always work out for the best. I don’t know if you call that karma, serendipity, or the luck of the Irish - whatever it is - I’m glad I have it!

DAY 2

I spent Day 2 of my roadtrip backtracking a bit to see some of the scenic spots I had missed during the night. After that, I made my way farther south through San Simeon. Just north of San Simeon I stop to see the elephant seals that were sunning themselves on the beach. Apparently, this is the spot where the baby elephant seals are born and live the first few months of their lives.

From there, I headed out to the tiny beach town of Cayucos. It was wonderfully sunny and warm. Such a wonderful change from the fog and wind we've been getting in SF. There was a surfing competition, of which I was able to catch the last 30 minutes. I planted myself on the beach for a few hours and then headed out to Solvang.

DAY 3

I spent the morning walking around Solvang, the Danish village just outside of Santa Barbara. It’s a quaint little town (very touristy and very expensive) with plenty of resturants and bakeries. After Solvang, I stopped for a few hours in Pismo Beach before heading out to Monterey, where I stayed overnight. I had always loved the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a kid. It was my favorite place to visit. After Monterey, I drove the final 90 minutes to San Jose to spend some time with my family.

As my roadtrip came to an end, I realized that I spend so much time traveling but don't appreciate the gorgeous destinations in my own country. I will definitely be exploring California and the States more over the next few years.

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Photos

Ostrich land
There was an ostrich farm outside of Solvang. They charged $4 to see the ostrichs so this is as close as I got!

Comments

[Rohan]

Dune
One thing you probably missed but is a must see is an area called the Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes, about 20 miles south of Pismo Beach. Great sight... it's just one huge beach that spreads really far inland, but the white sand makes it seem like a desert right next to the ocean!

[ish]

Hearst castle
Have you ever been to Hearst castle? its also along the 1 route I think. Its supposed to be pretty cool.