California Coast Road Trip

Your adventure will the take you north to the beautiful Coastal city of Santa Barbara. Enjoy a lovely lunch, a walk on the beach and some shopping in a city that has attracted US Presidents and even Queen Elizabeth to take a much needed vacation. Then head north along the historic highway 101 to Solvang and then to the Paso Robles Wine Country. Your tour will then take you back to the coast where you will travel up Highway 1 to one of the most beautiful pieces of coastline in California – Big Sur. After stopping to take as many pictures as you would like of the famous Bixby Bridge and the sea lions in Los Lobos State Park, you will continue up highway 1 into Monterey and Carmel.

California Coast Road Trip Highlights

Newport Beach

Known for its maritime heritage, Orange County’s Newport Beach dazzles with Balboa Island, a quaint community considered the Nantucket of California. Accessible by ferry or car, the island itself is a must-see. Visit the boardwalk, the historic Balboa Pavilion, and the Balboa Fun Zone amusement park. At Newport Harbor, rent an electric boat to cruise and pull up to a restaurant to “dock and dine.” The city features several beaches with distinct attributes. Waves at the Wedge make it popular for body surfing. Crystal Cove State Beach is an excellent site for tide pools.

Venice Canal and Santa Monica Beach

In between zany Venice Boardwalk and the trendy Abbot Kinney Avenue, lies Dell Avenue, otherwise known as the Venice Canals. In 1906, tobacco baron Abbot Kinney developed the canals to bring European flair to California. It remains an otherworldly respite tucked within the urban jungle of Los Angeles County. This residential neighborhood with several pedestrian bridges, all different, span a little over three blocks. You can trod the quiet street walking over a mile, admiring the many dwellings, ranging from cutesy cottage to ultra-contemporary mansions.

At Santa Monica Beach, you’ll encounter the Santa Monica Pier, famous for its nine-story Ferris wheel. The lengthy pier is anchored by an aquarium, shops, and eateries. Don’t miss the Original Muscle Beach, founded in the 1930s, a hotspot for bodybuilders and acrobats. Cyclists can seize the day on the 22-mile, paved Marvin Braude Bike Trail a.k.a. The Strand, which spans four beaches.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, original home of the Chumash Indians, is a multi-cultural beach city that offers something for everyone. Culture lovers get their fix at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Mission Santa Barbara, Lotusland, and the 78-acre Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens. For outdoor aficionados, Sterns Wharf at the Santa Barbara Pier never disappoints. On a whale watching cruise, you will sail through the Santa Barbara Channel, known for sightings of humpbacks and blue whales from May through November. Walkable State Street beckons with shopping plazas and food halls of every ilk. At the edge of the downtown core lies the hip Funk Zone filled with public art, shops, and eateries.

Point Lobos and Big Sur

Take in the magnificence of Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, dubbed the “crown jewel” of California’s state park system where you can camp, hike, and picnic. This unforgettable coastal treasure is where you’ll be mesmerized by countless seabirds and sea creatures along sheltered coves and headlands.

Iconic Big Sur on Highway One continues to take your breath away. Restaurants, inns, and hotels of every price point capitalize on panoramas of the Pacific Ocean. At Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, McWay Falls is the reason why millions stop annually to photograph the 80-foot waterfall that flows from the center of a cliff and pours out onto a protected, uninhabited beach.

Andrew Molera State Park, at 4,800 acres, represents the largest in the region. The Big Sur River bisects the landscape amid redwood groves and rolling meadows. Among the 20-plus miles of hiking paths is the Bluffs trail which serves up ocean scenery on one side and grassland on the other.

Carmel

Charming at every turn, the touristy town of Carmel-by-the-sea brims with storybook cottages, flower boxes, and dog-friendly, gourmet restaurants. Stroll Ocean Avenue, the downtown artery, and explore boutiques and wine rooms. Sweet aromas emanate from a proliferation of European bakeries and coffee haunts. Ivy-covered passageways lead to stone fountains and art galleries. Witness sculptors working in their storefront studios as children build castles on the white sands of Carmel Beach. End your day watching the sheep graze in front of a pink sunset at Mission Ranch Hotel & Restaurant, owned by actor Clint Eastwood.