This past weekend, my boyfriend and I took a two day road trip up the coast to Monterey. We started our drive in Pacific Palisades and stopped at many beautiful places along the way. Our first stop was…
Solvang
It took us about two hours to get from Pacific Palisades to Solvang and our first stop had to be breakfast at Paula’s Famous Pancake House. My parents took my sisters and me there as kids and the pancakes were just as good as I remembered and well worth the wait! Afterwards, we went to Quicksilver Ranch which has tons of mini ponies…the absolute cutest little guys you’ve ever seen. Solvang is a Danish town full of tiny cottage styled bakeries and breweries. The aroma of freshly baked danish treats wafts through the town. A must!
Morro Bay
The Morro Bay rock is this ginormous rock in the middle of the water that gives Morro Bay its notoriety. The wharf in front of it, though, is lovely. Full of seafood shacks, ice-cream and candy stores, and other gems…I would love to go back and spend a few days in this amazing little town. Of course, we had to get fresh oysters before heading back on the road.
Big Sur
After Morro Bay, we drove about two and a half hours to get to Big Sur – somewhere I’ve been dreaming of going forever. It is truly one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. The picture above is of the view from McWay Falls, which is an easy 5-10 minute walk from Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The water fall is absolutely stunning, dropping into the most enchanting little cove. This view alone is worth the trek down the coast. My only regret was not seeing it at sunset, but we had to get back on the road!
Monterey
We ended up getting to Monterey around 8:00 PM, just in time for our dinner reservation at Il Vecchio – a quaint Italian restaurant in Pacific Grove. The food was amazing and the restaurant was beautiful. We were really impressed with their handmade agnello con pappardelle, aka pasta in a lamb ragu. After dinner, we were exhausted and headed to the hotel, a SpringHill Suites The Dunes on Monterey Bay. The hotel was reasonably priced (which is extremely hard to find on a weekend like the 4th of July in Monterey), and was great for the night! In the morning, we woke up early and walked around the famous Fisherman’s Wharf, stopping at an adorable coffee shop called Water and Leaves (pictured above). We grabbed brunch at Schooner’s at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and sat on the patio, overlooking the water. We didn’t make it to the famous Monterey Aquarium or Carmel-by-the-Sea unfortunately, but we had a great time in Monterey. Its moody, yet beautiful atmosphere is depicted well in ultra-popular show, Big Little Lies.
Hearst Castle
When we left Monterey, we headed straight to the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, which was built by famous architect, Julia Morgan for publishing tycoon, William Randolph Hearst. The estate was built between 1919 and 1947, on land owned by the Hearst family, overlooking the Central Coast. The castle has an incredible history and is now a national historic landmark, owned by the state of California. Upon arrival, you watch a short film on the creation of the “Ranch” as Hearst, himself called it. Though it is more equivalent to Versailles, than a typical California dude ranch. Old time Hollywood stars and starlets were invited to the estate for weekend trips in the roaring 20s. Hearst and his castle are also notorious for being the inspiration behind Orson Welles Academy Award winning film, Citizen Kane. It was incredible seeing the grandness of the estate and learning about its history!
Santa Barbara
After leaving San Simeon, we stopped in Santa Barbara for a quick Sushi dinner at Arigato. The sushi was fresh and delicious. I highly recommend the chef special sushi entrees (I always listen to the chef!) I also recommend a stop at Mcconnell’s Ice-cream afterward, if you find yourself with a sweet tooth. Normally, when I go up to Santa Barbara, I love to shop in the cute boutiques and stores on Main St, go to the beach (obviously), and get a late night bite at The Blue Owl.
After dinner, we headed back to the Palisades and I fell asleep in the car after a long, but amazing time on the Pacific Coast Highway. Feel free to reach out to me via Instagram or in the contact section of my blog with any questions about my trip! Xx