There were so many fantastic sights in Washington and Oregon that it was hard not to linger, but California is always an experience I'm eager to revisit. Come along with us for the third and final installment of our trip (stops 10-17): California.
C A L I F O R N I A
Highlights: majestic redwoods, dreamy beaches, seaglass hunting, the drama of Big Sur, historic missions, rose gardens, and a little Malibu magic
Tenth stop: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
There's nothing quite like your first experience hiking among the tallest trees in the world. We were so excited to introduce Bella to the majesty of these trees and to teach her a bit about them (see: redwood facts). These photos really don't do them justice. If you're planning to go, all the info you need about the park (which happens to be a World Heritage Site) can be found here. If you're planing to spend time in redwoods elsewhere on your journey, click here for a map of all of California's redwood parks.
Top row, L to R: Eureka, Chandelier Tree in Leggett; Bella playing along the shoreline; Bottom row, L to R: Trinidad Head Lighthouse; Agate Beach. Photos of lighthouse and Agate beach c/o Californiabeaches.com
Eleventh stop: Trinidad, Eureka, and Leggett
We mapped ourselves to Trinidad State Beach primarily because we read that there was a lighthouse (another of our favorite roadtrip features)...which turned out to be pint-size but which also brought us to a gorgeous beach and an adorable town, so win-win. Eureka (23 miles south) also proved to be a great spot to explore. A quaint waterfront, sweet shops, and a bike-friendly downtown make Eureka a charming place to while away an afternoon. We had just enough time after Trinidad and Eureka to make it to one of our Pacific Coast bucket list items before the sun went down: Leggett's Drive Thru Tree (see above). We did drive through the tree, but it was even more fun to walk through it. Leggett is also a good access point for the Lost Coast Trail, if you have some wilder adventures in mind. Someday we'll do a post on California's secret stretch of coastline.
Twelfth stop: Glass Beach, Fort Bragg
The first 10-15 miles of Highway 1 from Leggett toward Fort Bragg (all in the drive is about 45 miles) is ridiculously windy. We've been on a lot of roadtrips in a lot of places but this was hands down the windiest road we've ever driven. It's probably gorgeous in daylight but it was dark when we drove it. We arrived at Fort Bragg late and went right to sleep so we'd be clearheaded for our morning adventure at Glass Beach.
Glass Beach was different from what we expected. I had high drama in mind: windswept cliffs covered in wild mustard, a fierce sea threatening a rugged shoreline, quarter-sized pieces of glass in a rainbow of colors glinting in the sun. It was moodier and less dramatic than all that, with a quieter beauty.
There are multiple pathways to get down to the shore at Glass Beach and multiple little coves. The closest beach to the parking lot is fairly devoid of glass, but if your'e willing to explore a little further, you'll find coves that are covered in tiny pieces of blue, green, white, amber, and even the occasional purple. The glass at Glass Beach is within the bounds of MacKerricher State Park, which practices a "leave it as you found out" philosophy, meaning hunting for seaglass is fine, but everything should be left on the shore other than your memories (or photos) of the treasures you found.
Thirteenth stop: Golden Gate Bridge & San Mateo
The Golden Gate Bridge is always fun, even in the fog (se above)! We didn't walk across the "world's most photographed bridge" this time, but in sunny weather, the 3.4 mile roundtrip trek is a fun excursion. San Francisco has tons of fabulous things to do, of course, but on this trip, we headed straight for San Mateo to visit with family.
Every time we go to San Mateo, we stop at Foreigner for breakfast or lunch (lots of delicious plant-based options), and then head to San Mateo's Central Park and Japanese garden for a stroll. If you're lucky, you might even catch koi-feeding time, which is a great treat. We also love going to the beaches at Half Moon Bay (above, bottom row middle), 20-30 min Southwest.
Fourteenth stop: Roaring Camp Railroads, Felton
We're suckers for steam trains and old time general stores so Roaring Camp Railroads (north of Santa Cruz) was a no-brainer. We'd previously ridden steam trains in winter in New England, so this was our first experience on an open-air steam train, which was a lot of fun. We took the redwood forest route, a 75 minute ride which climbs to the summit of Bear Mountain. As of February 2024, tickets were about $40/adult and $25/child. The general store is also adorable and has all that you'd expect (wooden train whistles, penny candy, etc). If you're in need of coffee post-ride, we enjoyed stopping in to White Raven (Wild West vibes) before hopping back on the freeway.
There's also a free Bigfoot museum nearby. We didn't have time to check it out on this trip, so please let us know if you go!
Fifteenth stop: Big Sur
Ah, Big Sur. What a fairytale of a place! I've made excuses to stop at this enclave perched above the sea more times than I can count. I have yet to take photos that do it justice. If you go, check out Nepenthe for killer atmosphere, food, drinks, live music, and poetry readings high above the crashing waves. The Phoenix Shop on the same property is also perfection. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (pictured above) is a favorite spot for hiking and unsurpassed views. And, of course, you'll want to stop at Bixby Creek Bridge for iconic photos.
In recent years, mudslides have kept parts of Highway 1 closed near Big Sur, making it much more challenging to reach depending on which direction you're coming from, but if you can find your way there, you won't be disappointed. The road is expected to be fully open late Spring 2024.
Sixteenth stop: Santa Barbara
I lived in Santa Barbara for a significant part of my life so it holds a special place in my heart. We could easily give you a weeklong itinerary (in fact, we may do that in the future) but for now, here are some highlights for one perfect day: Breakfast at the Boathouse at Hendry's Beach followed by a dog-friendly stroll along the shore. Next up, coffee at Handlebar on Canon Perdido Street, a stop by the old Carriage and Western Art Museum, and then a jaunt up to the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara and Rose Gardens, which also happens to be the perfect spot for a picnic.
If you have enough time, the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden and Lotusland are both fabulous to explore, as are State Street and the Funk Zone, Santa Barbara's main business districts, which are full of boutiques, galleries, and restaurants.
End your day back by the water with a photo at the Dolphin Statue by Stearn's Wharf, a bike ride or jog along the waterfront, a walk out to the end of Stearn's Wharf (if you have littles or a sweet tooth, there's an ice cream shop on the Wharf), and dinner at one of our favorite spots:
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company (the Wharf) or Fishouse (Cabrillo) for local seafood
The Lark (Funk Zone) for farm-to-table goodness and community
Seventeenth stop: Venice & Malibu
Since our trip coincided with Bella's birthday, we gave her final say on where we'd spend the day. Her choice: Malibu (with a dash of Venice). While you really can't go wrong, we spent our day doing a few of our favorite LA things: stopping for coffee at Menotti's, beach hopping (Venice beach, Surfrider, and Zuma are three of our favorites), walking the Venice canals, shopping at Malibu Country Mart (if you're headed there with littles, check out Toy Crazy; for mystics: Malibu Shaman; for lunch: John's Garden; for fashion: Paige, Vince, Gorjana, All things Bell., Magnolia Pearl, M. Frederic...and quite a few other lovely boutiques).
We ended our day with cake and presents on the beach and a special birthday dinner at Malibu Farm on the pier. Everything is delicious (lots of gluten free and vegan options too) and the atmosphere is perfection.
So there you have it! The perfect Pacific Coast Bucket List Road Trip featuring 17 of our favorite stops from Seattle to Los Angeles. We drove it in 10 days after flying out from New York, but you could very easily stretch that to 2-3 weeks to have more time to linger in all of these amazing places.
Happy journeying!
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