The Pacific Coast Highway.
Route 1 - which runs alongside California's west coast like a lovesick puppy - is one of the most famous driving routes in the world. If you were to read any number of people's bucket list, I'm pretty sure that driving the 1 in a classic American sports car would be on it. Like Route 66, it holds a romantic, irresistible mystique. So, naturally, we wanted to check it out for ourselves.
But we didn't throw ourselves right in. Rather, we took a running jump, starting in the southernmost point of California: San Diego. Being right next to Mexico - at one point, we were a stone's throw from the border - we got to languish in the hottest weather we'd experienced so far.
It's fair to say that San Diego surprised us. Maybe unfairly, I'd let the more revered stops on the trip (LA, San Francisco) eclipse it. So when we arrived in a place fringed with picturesque coves, cool beach towns and a gorgeously relaxed, distinctly California vibe, it put us in a suitably sunny mood.
Visit La Jolla ("Hoya") and you'll find a cove where sea lions and their pups gather, soaking up the sun on the sand. Torrey Pines is a beach lovers paradise, where rugged bluffs overlook endless golden sands.
We headed out for dinner and drinks with our San Diego tour guides - a couple we'd met hot air ballooning - to Pacific Beach. This place has it's own brand of lazy, carefree cool. We ordered six mini burgers at Kiwi-inspired Bare Back Grill, drank red bull slushies at bars overlooking the beach next to girls taking 100 takes of the perfect selfie, and ended the night in a charmingly dank dive bar, where a live band provided the backing track for karaoke that went on all night. Staying in an Air BnB on the fringes of the city, we lived with hosts as easy-going and chilled out as San Diego itself. We were treated to breakfasts of English muffins, eggs and bacon out in the baking sun, had late night conversations about novel writing and even learnt some American Sign Language due to our host being deaf. San Diego as a whole was such a special, unique experience, but it was time to move on.
Joining the monstrous highway, we joined the hoardes of cars crawling into LA. My cousin and his wife live in LA, so we had a few days to see them as well as explore the area.
Among many other things, like eating the delicious above fish tacos at James Beach, Venice Beach (watch I Love You, Man for reference!) we went to Disney. We screamed on rides, stuffed our faces and got a bit teary at the parade/fireworks. I was completely and utterly drawn into the magic.
Mix that in with a lazy, sunny afternoon/evening at Laguna Beach, and it was a truly lovely couple of days.
And, of course, no visit to LA is complete without a trip to Hollywood. Pacing the (literally) star-studded pavements, we stopped to point out the big names: Matt Damon, Britney Spears, Meryl Streep... finishing up a the Chinese Picture Theatre, where you'll find hand and footprints in cement, I was thrilled to discover that my hands were exactly the same size and shape of Jennifer Lawrence's. This is no small discovery - she's my spirit-celebrity. If that's a thing. We also designed our own chocolate bars at the world's best candy store, Sweet. Mine was a rip-off of Reese's, packed full of salty peanut butter. Phil's had gummy bears in it. We scoffed them before the 35 degree heat had the chance to melt them.
Exiting LA through Beverley Hills, we finally joined the 101. One moment, we were surrounded by grassy slopes scattered with impossibly expensive homes, the next, the land beside us fell away to reveal the sea, in all of it's open, glittering glory. It was a gloriously blue seascape, waves rising and falling like ripples in silk.
Not wanting to miss a moment, we jumped out of the car in Malibu to enjoy a lunch with sea views at Duke's, a Hawaiian-themed place with cheap tacos and beer. As we ate, we just watched the ocean. It might sound hyperbolic, or hippy dippy - but I'm genuinely happier by the sea. It's so calming, knowing that no matter what happens anywhere else, this huge ocean stays right here. The waves will always lap the shores, the sound loud and quiet, powerful and calm all at the same time.
Somewhere along the way, we saw a sign which read: "elephant seal lookout: 5 miles."
Who can resist a sign like that?
Our curiosity was rewarded by a hidden lookout over a beach, which, at first sight looked as though it was covered with giant, almond-shaped rocks. Looking closer, we saw that they in fact hundreds and hundreds of elephant seals, writhing, grunting, nursing their young. It was one of the most fascinating and unexpected things I've ever seen.
Back on the road, our next stop was Santa Maria. Our Air BnB host had kindly suggested we stop for a night-time hot tub in the hills en route. Suffice to say, we obliged!
We turned up late, sleepy from the driving and the sun. Six flights up the stairs took us high into the California hills, where we sipped on prosecco in the warm, bubbling water, the lights of the below cities twinkling in the distance. Bliss. We slept like babies, which was a good thing, as next on the agenda was a drive to Monterey, via Pismo Beach.
This was the first proper "beach day" we'd had, and Pismo Beach wasn't a bad place to do it. I plugged in my headphones, stared out to sea, and well and truly chilled out. A quick dip in the ocean did that more literally!
The following drive was one of the most beautiful we'd ever done. We drove on magnificent Big Sur just as the sun was setting, and stopped at Willow Creek to watch the sunset set fire to the ocean.
The next day, Monterey waited to greet us. This was the one stop everyone had the us to do on the 101 route, and it was easy to see why. A cute beach town, it's also home to one of the best aquariums I've ever been to. The aquarium acts like an extension of the harbour itself, and there's a chance to spot whales or sea otters out on the open ocean. Lou Lou's is also a great place for a hearty, delicious lunch caught right from the harbour! I recommend the calamari - lemony, salty goodness.
From Monterey, the twinkling lights of the City of Fog - San Francisco - waited for us. We were ready to move on, but I definitely won't forget the unexpected sights, incredible beauty and laid back lifestyle of the Pacific Coast Highway.
