Day 18 - Monterey to Lompoc

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Sunday 27th Nov at 10.27pm

Packed up my bags and started out on my epic journey along the Pacific coastal drive from Monterey to Lompoc. Eventually, I managed to figure out how to get the soft top down on the car...much to the amusement of the hotel staff. My first stop, Carmel by the Sea, was closer than expected at a massive 3 minutes down the road so I didn't get much use out the convertible but theres plenty more time for that.

Carmel is a quaint, picturesque town set on the side of a hill running down to the Beach. It's streets are lined with shops selling craft items, art, antiques, generally very cute things and great cafes and restaurants. I grabbed some lunch the headed out of Carmel. Just as I was leaving, realized that I hadn't actually seen the sea. I turned around and headed back as it seemed almost rude to not go visit the beach. I sat in the warmth of the sun reading Bill Bryson's views on his home culture. I could've stayed all day but I wanted to make sure I got to see the pacific coast road in daylight so I headed off.

With the top down and my music playing I was in heaven driving through the Andrew Molero State Park. With beautiful surroundings and the intense scent of pine needles filling my senses.

I stopped in at pretty much all of the beaches along the way, including a secluded beach that seemed unreachable by foot and had a massive waterfall flowing into it from the surrounding cliff tops. This was the Julia Pfeiffer Burns falls.

Stopping in at the Ragged Point Inn as the last of the light vanished at the horizon, I grabbed a coffee and started to get a little concerned about driving the coast road which felt ropey enough during the day time but I had no choice. I'd booked in at a motel in Lompoc so I had to keep going.

The coast road is so much fun to drive with spectacular views. The run from Half Moon Bay down to Monterey and all the way through to the Ragged Point Inn was incredible. The length after that may be just as wonderful in the daytime but the were parts of it, particularly through and after Guadalupe which shared many attributes with certain scenes from American horror movies. My tank was running low on gas and the was not another car in sight for 30 miles so to say I was a little freaked would be an understatement.

I eventually reached Lompoc and the Motel. I have concluded that arriving anywhere in the dark gives the place an eerie feel. This place was no exception. I knocked at the night window which slid open sharply. The lady took my money and closed the window just as quickly as it had been opened. I knocked again, to enquire about breakfast. There was no answer for some time so I knocked again. Eventually the window slid open once more and I got my answer and wandered off to find my room.

The next day I found myself driving the last stretch from Lompoc through Santa Barbara and Malibu Beach to reach LA. I didn't see a great deal of Santa Barbara but I did grab a Stabucks there, my last for some time. Caught up with Ben before catching my flight (just in case I died in a plane crash) and continued to LA. I stopped in at Malibu beach which, being the winter, was all but deserted. Just a large flock of seagulls occupied the sand. I watched the sun set over the ocean, got a few snaps and read some more Bill.

LA was horrible. I didn't see a lot of it, mainly just the highway into the airport but it all felt very unfriendly. So off to NZ I go...

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