LA to SF
I'm definitely a spontaneous person (I started this blog for a reason after all), but rarely does my spontaneity come to fruition (except with this blog). While at lunch after our last finals, I asked some buddies if they were down to go to San Francisco for the day, not entirely serious. But sure enough, they were not opposed, and well, I wouldn't be writing this blog post if they weren't spontaneous as well.
San Francisco is definitely one of the best cities in the country. It has a certain vibe and energy that makes you feel like you're in a better America somehow. The views are stunning, food is top notch and there's always something to do. This time though, I went with a couple buddies, Matt and John. John is from Turkey (his name is actually Can but for your reading purposes I've simplified it), and he's never been to "The City" as northern Californians call it. So in our 2 days, we hit every tourist site we could in the Bay Area: Golden Gate, Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, Embarcadero, Lombard Street, etc. You can read more about all that elsewhere, instead I'm going to focus on the drive up to San Francisco, and how to thrive on the 400 mile journey.
We drove 8 hours up the coast from Los Angeles to get to San Fran, so here's what to do on the way up:
Santa Barbara and surrounding area is considered to be the California Riviera (which I disagree with, I think from Laguna Beach to La Jolla should take that title). It is truly stunning, with towering mountains looking over cute, European-style-architecture-on-cobblestone-streets towns, fronted by the best ocean in the world (Pacific, in case you forgot). Get out here for lunch or breakfast depending on when you leave and enjoy charming State Street, where I can honestly say I've never had a bad eating experience. Take a couple hours honestly to explore just State Street and the surrounding area, along with enjoying a fantastic lunch. Afterwards, take the trolley down to the oceanside area, where you can rent bikes and cruise down the coast, stroll Stern's Wharf (and maybe stop in at the aquarium, but I would save that for Monterey).
Santa Barbara feels almost too beautiful to be an American city, and yet it's only an hour and half from Los Angeles
After Santa Barbara, drive another couple hours up to San Luis Obispo (skip Pismo Beach, highly overrated in my opinion but I've only had one experience there so I could be wrong). Coined as the happiest city in America, it isn't hard to see why. Gorgeous scenery, cozy streets, and the best meat in the world at Firestone make "SLO" a worthwhile stop en route to the bay. Take an hour or so to get some meat, stroll through the streets and if you have time and are adventurous enough, take a hike up one of the surrounding hills, offering great views and potentially interaction with wild horses (I was lucky enough to hang out with horses while the sun set over the city a few years back, and it was absolutely breathtaking).
For nature lovers, Big Sur is the place to stop. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers beautiful scenery, including the famous McWay Waterfall trail. You have definitely seen the photo of a waterfall coming out of the rocks onto a pristine beach, people Instagram the hell out of that spot. Hanging out here is truly beautiful and makes for a great place to stretch your legs for an hour or so before you get back on your way.
Dinner in Monterey is a great idea, as this coastal town has a beautiful waterfront area with amazing seafood places everywhere (I'll admit, we went to Bubba Gump but in my defense, this is the first Bubba Gump in the world, so don't judge). If you can make it before it closes, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is widely regarded as one of the best in the country, and has an almost dizzying array of sea life.
Finally, grab dessert in the college town of Palo Alto before you make it to the city. Another hour or so from Monterey, Palo Alto's downtown area offers great shopping and dining options, not to mention great dessert. So save yourself the dessert from Bubba Gump and wait the hour to have an ice cream cone while roaming the streets outside America's best schools (I say that and I'm a USC Trojan, so you know it means a lot).
Follow this route, do what I recommended, and you'll thrive during your day up the beautiful California coast. Here is a sample itinerary with times to help you out as well:
7:00-Depart Los Angeles
8:30-9:30-Breakfast and roaming on State Street in Santa Barbara
9:30-10-Bike and stroll down the coast of California's "Riviera"
12:30-2-Eat meat and explore the happiest town in America at San Luis Obispo, and maybe throw in a quick hike.
4:00-5:00-Rest your legs at Pfeiffer State Park, and get a dope Instagram of McWay Falls
6:30-8:00-See the seafood at Monterey Bay Aquarium, then eat it for dinner
9:00-10:00-Dessert in the college town of Palo Alto