After our epic 3 days in San Francisco, it was time to head out on our San Francisco to Los Angeles Roadtrip. Here you can see what we got up to in San Francisco:
Click HERE to read about our 3 days in San Francisco
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Due to the copious amounts of rain, California has been getting landslides and roadblocks/erosions have occurred. Because of this, the Pacific Coast Highway was closed down from Caramel to Pismo Beach. Apparently, this is an epic route where the Redwoods meet the coast and if you get the chance to cruise it – go for it! We had to take the 101 instead, but disappointment – there was none! This was a gorgeous route filled with meadows, hills and wildflowers.
Pacifica Beach and Taco Bell
Okay, I wasn’t convinced of a good time when my husband told me he was taking me to the BEST Taco Bell of my life. From an avid Bell lover, turned loather after the worst bout of food poisoning in my entire life. I couldn’t imagine any TB could change my mind. Well… Pacifica just show off why don’t you?
We parked in the lot and casually walked to the beach so I could see surfers in real life. I haven’t actually ever seen surfers other than on Johnny Tsunami.
I snapped a few photos from my little Polaroid and we headed back to the car.
At this point, I’m hungry and need a coffee. Well, the hubs needed to use the restroom and everyone knows in order to get access to a public restroom you typically have to purchase something.
We mosied into the taco bell – yall they have breakfast now. We purchased a breakfast crunch wrap to split so we could relieve ourselves. The counter lady knew what she was doing because I ended up with a Baja blast margarita and I don’t even drink frozen drinks anymore.
They have a fireplace and beach-view windows. Their breakfast was actually good. I’m not saying I’m a newfound fan of Taco Bell, but Pacifica TB was a positive experience in my life – and I may pull up for their breakfast sometime.
Relieved and satisfied we headed out on our San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip.
Santa Cruz
We drove in through a beautiful drive of trees. The tree life was definitely my vibe. There are twists and turns and glimmers of sunlight barely making it through the trees. The homes seem cozied into the forests and I can only imagine the daily adventures you could get up to living in this area!
We decided not to stop in town, but we cruised through and drove past the boardwalk to take in the sights. We landed at Evarista’s Comal Restaurant where I can say I had the best shrimp quesadilla I’ve ever had. It was their daily special and it truly was. It may not look like it but the flavor was off the chart!
Santa Cruz was a cute town that housed UCSC, but I didn’t get the chance to see any Banana Slugs because it was time to move on.
Monterey
The home of Big Little Lies, this town is super charming. Centered around it’s beautiful bluewatered bay this town is both relaxing and a hot spot for tourism. We stayed at the Monterey Plaza Hotel. The lobby is large to fit many people on a bustling night. It includes a fireplace, massive windows looking out to Monterey Bay and a deck the length of the entire lobby.
We watched seals and local kayakers from our balcony. Then went for a stroll on Cannery Row. We popped into Ghiradelli’s and had some chocolate then continued on to other shops where Logan found me the most epic hippy fanny pack.
This town boomed once upon a time on canning – hence Cannery Row. Some factories still stand and are now shops and restaurants, which makes for a nice waterfront attraction.
Old Fisherman’s Warf
A beautiful stroll to Old Fisherman’s Warf was next – via Fisherman’s Shoreline Park, a clean paved trail filled with tourists and locals young and old. It was the most beautiful dusk walk we had our entire trip.
The boardwalk was more casual than San Francisco’s Pier 39, but still fun with candy stores, tourist shops, and restaurants. The view from the end of the Warf was irreplaceable.
Old Fisherman’s Grotto was dark and old. You could feel the history as you made your way through the restaurant. We debated where we would eat for quite sometime but I believe we made the right decision. The service was wonderful and the food was delish. Our views were perfect.
The next morning we headed out for the next part of our San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip, but not before I watched the sun come over the hills.
We drove through a town named Pacific Grove, the butterfly capital. It is a beautifully quaint town. We only drove through but it had an impact on me. I think Pacific Grove would be a good option to stop in for a rest break or food – but we had other plans.
Campognos
Logan, my husband, is perpetually on the hunt for the best Italian sub and/or delicious sandwich. He found this sandwich shop/convenience store run by a US military-supporting sandwich guru, Campognos.
You have to fill out how you want your sandwich and then turn it in to the employees that make the sandwiches. The owner was manning his command center while we visited. When we asked for advice he took our order sheets and checked how well we did to make a sandwich as if he was grading a quiz. I passed! Logan had to change his bread option for optimal sandwich enjoyment.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
The most charming town we stopped in. We went to a dog-friendly beach and ate our sandwiches while we people-watched. So many people were out enjoying the beach with their dogs. It was beautiful and the people were friendly. We strolled for a bit to stretch our legs and snap some pictures. Then back to the car to continue on our journey of San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a beautiful clean town boasting Spanish architecture with palm trees and mountains. We went to an Italian dinner on the waterfront, that evening, at Toma Restaurant and Car. I ordered the salmon and a local bottle of wine. Of course, it was wonderful.
We returned to our hotel, Kimpton Canary, then strolled down States street to take in the vibes. Lucky for us, we stumbled upon some live music with people dancing in the street. After enjoying people-watching, we turned in “early” to get some rest for the last part of our San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip.
I woke up super early every day of this trip. Since Logan had been driving us everywhere I let him rest while I grabbed a coffee at Dune Coffee Roasters. I walked around States street, but not much had opened yet.
Malibu
Malibu was a particular vibe. All the zen we had come from exploded in our faces when we passed the Nobu parking lot. A car full of women busted a U-turn right in front of us on the highway to cut off the line for valet.
I was shocked but Logan just said “Welcome to SoCal!”.
Honestly, this was the only incident and Malibu was beautiful with stunning architecture and even better views.
We met Logan’s bestie for the restie at Malibu Seafood. We arrived just before the line spread out the door. This is a fresh fish market and cafe. You order inside at the counter, take a pager and find a seat outside on their covered patio on a hill.
It has relaxed vibes, delicious food and views. What more could you want?! I got the ahi tuna, Logan got Dungeness crab and we split one fish with chips aaaannndddd ceviche. All delicious and delightful and I will return!
At this point we returned our rental and road the rest of the way to LA with Logan’s friend. That’s it, folks. That was our San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip.
We ate our way down from San Francisco to Los Angeles taking in nature, scenic strolls, local eats sprinkled with some tourist attractions. It was a beautiful drive that I would do over again and again.
I hope you enjoyed reading about what we did on our San Francisco to Los Angeles road trip. You won’t go wrong by planning your trip as you go, but if you need some sort of guide, perhaps this post could be of assistance. Take care and happy travels!
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