Favorite Stops Along California’s Route 1

Big Sur

Just in general. The whole thing. All of it.

What. a. dream.

When I die, take me back to Big Sur. Then I’ll be located in two separate heavens — the heaven on earth and the heaven in heaven, you feel me?

But seriously, don’t rush this. Drive slowly. Pull over every chance you get. Stay for a week, a month, a year.

I’m convinced this place doesn’t have phone service because it demands your attention. And it deserves your attention. I have never been so awestruck by the bigness of nature. It made me feel so small. It made all of my problems feel miniscule. It made humanity as a whole seem like an army of ants.

Pictures don’t do it justice. The magnanimity is impossible to capture. But the experience you have there will be captured in your mind and in your heart for the rest of your life.

If this sounds like a love letter, it’s because it is.

Hearst Castle

The word “castle” feels like an understatement here.

And guess what? It was designed by a woman! In the early to mid 1900’s, nonetheless! Get. It. Queen.

Honestly, I roamed around this place for entirely too long. But who can walk away from a castle literally made out of ART?

I’m talking Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiques; ceilings that were carved and painted during the Spanish Renaissance and the Italian Renaissance; Chinese and Eastern artwork; Old European sculptures and paintings; Art Deco collections; Tiffany and Co. crystal light fixtures that date back to the late 1800s; 24k gold floors — yes, gold FLOORS…. do I need to say more?

We’re talking 165 rooms and 127 acres of WOW.

San Luis Obispo

I wish I had specific things to say about why I loved this place so much.

Maybe it was the people, or the food, or the mountain peak hovering in the background, or the cute AF farmer’s market I roamed through, or the grandparents who let me camp in their backyard for the night… I honestly don’t know!

I just loved it. And I left wanting to live there.

That’s all I got.

Give it a go.

Bixby Bridge

Also known as: the Big Little Lies bridge. (Located in Big Sur, 18 miles south of Monterey.)

To me, there is something fascinating when you get to see nature-made and man-made smashed together in one place. And this is a perfect example.

If you have a fear of heights, consider this your warning. But then again, you might struggle with the entirety of Big Sur if you have a fear of heights…

However, views like this may be worth the challenge.

Santa Barbara

Consistency is comfort. And Santa Barbara has consistency “on lock,” for lack of better words.

The red-tile clay roofs and white stucco walls are everywhere you look. The entire town feels strung together, as if it was all built in the same few weeks. And the spirit of Spain wafts through the air. At certain moments, I forgot I was in the USA.

I didn’t do anything particularly special. I simply strolled the streets. Yet, in my memory, it’s still one of my top stops along the coast.

So that’s my advice to you. Simply stroll. Take a meander. Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

And just walk, and sip, and enjoy the sunshine.