California Driving Trip Of The Primal Coast – Highway 101, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara
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| Pat amongst Our Toyota Venza on 17-Mile Drive Near Carmel, California |
California Driving Trip of the Central Coast – Highway 101, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara (9/25-10/12/2012) – This is genuinely ane of the USA’s most scenic driving trips!
We drove the beautiful Central Coast of California on Highway 101 together with Highway 1 from Santa Barbara northward to San Francisco inwards our Toyota Venza. We acquaint our trip high points offering swell trip planning tips for you. See below for the principal highlight - Big Sur, Carmel, together with the Monterey Peninsula.
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| California's Beautiful Central Coast Along Highway 101 |
California’s Central Coastis a share that remains calm together with tranquil. Situated betwixt the megalopolises of Southern California (north of Santa Barbara) together with San Francisco’s Bay Area, the Central Coast includes roughly of the classic tourist province of California. It provides spectacular body of body of water views, wide-open natural spaces, prissy beaches, quant towns, beautiful Castilian missions, together with a to a greater extent than peaceful agency of life. One of the USA’s most scenic driving routes, United States of America Highway 101, goes virtually its entire length offering beautiful body of body of water together with countryside vistas.
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| Beautiful & Quaint Carmel-By-The-Sea, California |
Some of our favorites areas nosotros visited are Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle at San Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel-By-The-Sea, together with the Monterey Peninsula, habitation to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the 17-Mile Drive, together with downtown Pacific Grove. Population inwards the Central Coast is concentrated inwards a serial of fun-to-visit small-scale to medium sized towns together with cities such every bit Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Moro Bay, Cambria, San Luis Obispo, Solvang, together with Santa Cruz.
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| Tree-Lined State Street - Santa Barbara, California |
A swell identify to showtime your trip upwardly California’s Central Coast is Santa Barbara, the largest but even thence real pleasant urban inwardness to wander around. Beautiful beaches together with a backdrop of mountains environs it. Rebuilt after a 1925 earthquake, the architecture is built inwards a Mediterranean mode amongst red-titled roofs, whitewashed buildings, together with palm trees. Santa Barbara’s tree-lined principal street, State Street, is a swell agency to pass a few hours (see photo). Stearns Wharf at the destination of State Street has a mixture of shops together with seafood restaurants.
A brusk drive northward along Highway 101 from Santa Barbara is the cute Danish town of Solvang complete amongst windmills together with half-timbered houses that is worth a drive through.
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| Driving Our Toyota Venza on Pismo Beach, California |
Traveling north, our adjacent halt was Pismo Beach, a nostalgic California beach town amongst broad sandy beaches. Pismo Beach was ane time famous for its Pismo clams. When nosotros were young, my blood brother together with I “clammed” this beach. At depression tide nosotros waded into the mutual depression temperature H2O amongst our clamming pitchforks together with dug clams out of the sand. Because our feet became numb from the mutual depression temperature water, nosotros could receive got stabbed our feet without knowing. These days, the beach is pretty much clammed out.
The absolute highpoint of our see to Pismo Beach was driving our Toyota Venza on the beach (see photo). We went for miles. This is real fun to create but nosotros recommend pulling out at the recommended identify because the sand gets soft downwards the beach together with is best for ATV’s only. (Directions: Pier Street adjacent to Grover Beach inwards Oceano, due south of Pismo Beach, is the gateway known every bit Post 1 for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.)
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| Wayne at Bubblegum Alley on Higuera Street - San Luis Obispo, California |
Heading inland on Highway 101, nosotros made a halt inwards San Luis Obispo, halfway betwixt Los Angeles together with San Francisco. San Luis Obispo is a pleasant town amongst no must-see attractions. We did receive got fun walking San Luis Obispo’s downtown Higuera Streetand visiting Bubblegum Alley, known for its accumulation of chewed bubble gum on the walls of a long alley (see photo). You tin add together roughly of your ain if yous like. We also enjoyed the Th Farmers’ Market. If yous similar ribs, don’t fille eating at F. McLintocks. The nearby Madonna Inn is worth a stop.
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| Sunset at Morro Rock - Morro Bay, California |
While driving north, yous acquire dorsum to the Pacific Ocean when yous accomplish Morro Bay and Morro Rock. Dominating the view, Morro Rock is a 576-foot high volcanic peak jutting out inwards the bay (see photo).
About Morro Rock & roughly history... Morro Rock is a 581-foot volcanic plug located merely offshore at the entrance to Morro Bay Harbor. It was named inwards 1542 past times Portuguese navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who explored the Pacific Coast for Spain. Cabrillo called the stone El Morobecause it resembled the caput of a Moor, the people from North Africa known for the turbans they wore. Climbing on the stone or disturbing the aeroplane life is forbidden past times law.
About Morro Rock & roughly history... Morro Rock is a 581-foot volcanic plug located merely offshore at the entrance to Morro Bay Harbor. It was named inwards 1542 past times Portuguese navigator Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who explored the Pacific Coast for Spain. Cabrillo called the stone El Morobecause it resembled the caput of a Moor, the people from North Africa known for the turbans they wore. Climbing on the stone or disturbing the aeroplane life is forbidden past times law.
We liked the small-scale town of Moro Bay amongst its beautiful beaches together with harbor on the bay. Moro Bay’s Embarcadero harbor expanse has shops together with fresh seafood restaurants.
Travel tips... We were happy with Rosie’sthat served roughly real practiced 2-dollar fish tacos on Tuesday night. Try Rosie’s killer garlic fries. Moro Bay is a pretty kicked-back place. While nosotros were there, a seagull walked into the eating seat similar he owned the identify – possibly he heard nigh the fish tacos.
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| Scarecrow Festival - Cambria, California |
Our adjacent halt was the wonderful Hearst Castle inwards San Simeon that deserved its ain weblog postal service – click hither to run into to a greater extent than nigh Hearst Castle. On the way, it was prissy to drive through the town of Cayucos amongst its miles of homes on the beach together with the creative somebody community of Cambria that was setting upwardly for its Scarecrow Festival (see photo).
Now for the principal highlight of our California Central Coast driving trip... Big Sur, Carmel, together with the Monterey Peninsula.
North of San Simeon is ane of the most scenic drives inwards the U.S. winding along the beautiful rocky California coastline amongst dramatic cliffs rise from the Pacific Ocean (see photo). Highway 1, the Cabrillo Highway, was carved together with blasted out the mount slopes over 100 years agone together with today remains unspoiled. Allow 3-4 hours to drive because of the switchback route together with for stopping to taste the vistas.
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| Wayne at River Inn in the Big Sur River, California |
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| Pat & Wayne at Big Sur Inn - Big Sur, California |
Big Sur is a treat, to a greater extent than of an sense than ane tangible place. It is a retreat for those who desire to acquire away from life’s busy schedules. One of our favorite experiences inwards Big Sur was stopping together with having tiffin at the River Inn. It is located inwards the redwoods along the scenic Big Sur River where yous tin sit down inwards chairs inwards the slow-moving river – heavenly! (see photo). Travel tip... If yous desire to remain inwards Big Sur, mass your reservations ahead of fourth dimension because, similar nosotros learned, fifty-fifty inwards Oct they mass out.
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| McWay Falls - Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California |
Other prissy places to see inwards the Big Sur expanse are crescent-shaped Pfeiffer Beach, the Nepenthe restaurant amongst its beautiful body of body of water vista, together with the quant Big Sur Inn. Located 37 miles due south of Big Sur, don’t fille taking the brusk hike to picturesque 80-foot McWay Falls dropping over a cliff into the Pacific Ocean (see photo) at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
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| Beautiful Carmel-By-The-Sea, California |
Now for Pat’s favorite together with ane of California’s best gems - picture-perfect Carmel. Carmel-by-the-Sea is charming together with beautiful amongst tree-line streets together with flowers flowing out of every store together with eating seat (see photo). Carmel has a beautiful beach together with fairytale Comstock cottages, amongst stone chimneys together with pitched gable roofs, dot the town. Housing prices receive got soared here. Clint Eastwood, Carmel’s one-time major, together with other celebrities receive got homes merely eastward inwards Carmel Valley.
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| Bixby Bridge together with California's Central Coastline |
About thirteen miles due south of Carmel is the much-photographed Bixby Bridge (see our photo). Bixby Bridge is ane of the world’s highest single-span bridges mensuration 714 long together with 260 feet high. It has acquire a symbol of this coastal drive. There is a photo-opt delineate off merely northward of Bixby Bridge. Just due south of Carmel is a prissy hike out to Seal Rock at Point Lobos State Park.
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| Lone Cypress on 17-Mile Drive - Monterey Peninsula, California |
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| Wayne at Lodge at Pebble Beach Overlooking Golf Course |
The famous 17-Mile Drive starts merely every bit yous acquire out northward of Carmel. This is a must-do spectacularly scenic drive where every fold reveals roughly other postcard vista. Stop together with taste the well-marked sights such every bit Lone Cypressthat stands lonely on a rocky outcrop higher upwardly the pounding surf (see photo). We also enjoyed the Lodge at Pebble Beach. It is elegant together with yet causal amongst a friendly staff. We had drinks overlooking the 18th hole at the famous Pebble Beach Golf course of educational activity (see photo).
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| Fishermen's Wharf - Monterey, California |
Headed northward of the 17-Mile Drive yous drive through tranquil Pacific Grovewith a pretty downtown together with and thence yous accomplish Montereywith its famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. We visited the Aquarium final trip together with highly recommend it. So this fourth dimension nosotros had a prissy seafood tiffin on the Fishermen’s Wharf. It is a flake touristic but fun to walk along the wharf together with acquire gratis clam chowder samples at many of the restaurants. You tin receive got deep-sea line-fishing trips together with whale watching expeditions from here.
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| Beach Boardwalk - Santa Cruz, California |
Leaving the Monterey Peninsula, nosotros drove northward to Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a classic California beach town. Its famous beach boardwalk (opened alone during the summer) has the oldest beachfront entertainment green on the U.S.’s due west coast (see photo). Overlooking the beach, it includes carnival rides, the famous half-mile-long Giant Dipper, a vintage 1924 wooden roller coaster, together with the 1911 Looff carousel. You tin also bring together the barking sea lions at the nearby municipal wharf for a seafood tiffin or dinner. Just due south of Santa Cruz is the pretty town of Capitola, known every bit the oldest beach resort on the due west coast together with worth a visit.
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| Elephant Seals - Ano Nuevo State Park, California |
The Ano Nuevo State Parkoffers a swell sense to acquire to a greater extent than nigh the ane time almost extinct northern elephant seals. These large animals pass most of their lives at sea, coming ashore alone to molt, give birth, together with mate. Every winter, thousands of northern elephant seals gather. Females arrive, giving nascence to their babies together with presently afterward, males showtime fighting to mate amongst them. The orgy of birthing, mating together with fighting lasts for 3 months. They were slaughtered wholesale inwards the 1800s for their oil. By 1892, alone 50 to 100 individuals were left. Because they are protected, the population directly exceeds 150,000. Local docents are available to say yous nigh these amazing animals.
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| Restaurant - Half Luna Bay, California |
Before reaching San Francisco, a quick halt at Half Luna Bay is fun.
We would similar to give thank yous Toyota for lending us a novel Venza for this trip. The Toyota Venza is a real comfortable cruising auto amongst many prissy features – swell for having an adventure. It made our trip to a greater extent than enjoyable. We liked this auto real much together with directly fille it after our trip. You should banking concern represent out the Toyota Venza.
Please run into our other seven weblog posts on beautiful California:
Please run into our other seven weblog posts on beautiful California:
California Driving Trip of the Northern Coast together with Wine Country – Highway 101, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood, California, USA
Del Mar & Torrey Pines, California, USA (Our Home Town)
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood, California, USA
Del Mar & Torrey Pines, California, USA (Our Home Town)
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