• Home
  • About
  • eats
  • travel
    • australia
    • bali
    • fiji
    • hong kong
    • Italy
    • japan
    • singapore
    • usa
    • vanuatu
    • vlogs
  • stays
  • handwritten
  • project life

Clarissa

and all her wanders

california coast roadtrip pt 2

14 January, 2016

There were so many places we wish we could’ve stopped at but could only enjoy them as we drove through. The sun sets a lot earlier that time of the year from around 3:30PM and we wanted to be able to see the last attraction (Big Sur) while its still light… hence the rush 🙁

Pismo Beach

There were many amazing beaches along the way, but one of the popular recommendations is Pismo Beach, and we can see why. Mountain views on one side and the long pier on the other.

clarfred-usa2015-226clarfred-usa2015-227 clarfred-usa2015-228 clarfred-usa2015-229 clarfred-usa2015-230 clarfred-usa2015-231

Hearst San Simeon State Park

This was not one of the stops planned but driving by we loved the look of the pier, sitting high above the water. We just had to stop to get a few photos of this picture perfect view.

clarfred-usa2015-232 clarfred-usa2015-233 clarfred-usa2015-234 clarfred-usa2015-235 clarfred-usa2015-236 clarfred-usa2015-237 clarfred-usa2015-238clarfred-usa2015-239

A few min down the road we spotted groups of elephant seals, just lazing around in the sun. They were in a fenced off area but that did not stop tourists for leaning over for photos. I wonder if these seals knew how much audience they were gaining during their nap time.

clarfred-usa2015-240

Big Sur

We’re up to the most scenic part of the road trip! The infamous, Big Sur known for its jaw dropping views as you drive around the hills/cliffs. It was a good 2 hours or so of these views, no doubt would get tiring driving through especially with limited stopping areas, but seriously who would get sick of views like these?? This area could also be pretty dangerous too especially when it rains and chance of rocks tumbling down (though some parts are fenced off for safety).

Most of the trip is along the coast, the last leg drives through a more foresty part, by that point the sun was already quite low.

clarfred-usa2015-241 clarfred-usa2015-242 clarfred-usa2015-243 clarfred-usa2015-244 clarfred-usa2015-245 clarfred-usa2015-246 clarfred-usa2015-247 clarfred-usa2015-248 clarfred-usa2015-249 clarfred-usa2015-250 clarfred-usa2015-251

It is highly recommended to fill up on petrol before getting close to the Big Sur area, otherwise you have to drive the whole 2 hours before coming across another petrol station… which charges double the usual costs of petrol! Yup, that was us, we were wondering how far we can get with whatever is left in the tank and as a result paid the premium price.

Monterey

We made it to the accommodation after dark, we stayed at Super 8 Motel (didn’t get any photos of it, but it was pretty good for a motel!) for the night before another day of driving. We thought we would be limited with food choices being in a smallish town, but we were wrong – it wasn’t a small town. Across the road frm our motel was Del Monte Centre, which had plenty of shops such as Macys, H&M, Pottery Barn, Starbucks etc. as well as a selection of restaurants. We spotted Whole Foods and wandered in with the intention to buy snacks or stuff for a light breakfast the next day. Instead, we were excited by what we found in there – decent, inexpensive dinner options!

clarfred-usa2015-252 clarfred-usa2015-253 clarfred-usa2015-254 clarfred-usa2015-255 clarfred-usa2015-256

DIY Salad Bar – is amazing! They also had a large selection of soups (so perfect for the cold weather) and other hot foods to choose from – chicken, pasta, ready made salads, cooked vegetables.. and more. We need this kind of thing in Aussie supermarkets! or we just need Whole Foods here!

clarfred-usa2015-257 clarfred-usa2015-258 clarfred-usa2015-259 clarfred-usa2015-260 clarfred-usa2015-261 clarfred-usa2015-262 clarfred-usa2015-263

Our mix and match dinner that costed us $25 🙂 No tips required and got to enjoy it back in our motel room 😀 Bon Appetite!

NEXT: Final part of the road trip to…San Francisco!

Share this:

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Hello!

Clarissa
Clarissa Lum is a;
Photographer // Foodie // Traveler
based in Sydney, Australia

enquiries: clarissa[at]clarissalum.com

Follow

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

SINCE NOV 2009…

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Aiming to fill up my passport before it expires on 19/11/19!
✓ Bali ✓ China ✓ Fiji ✓Germany ✓ Hong Kong ✓ Italy ✓ Japan ✓ Korea ✓ London ✓ Macau ✓ Netherlands ✓ Singapore ✓ Scotland ✓ Vanuatu ✓ U.S.A

NEXT STOP…

Jan: Japan
April: Hawaii

Lately..

Walking the High Line, NYC

Walking the High Line, NYC

March 3rd, 2017

Katz Deli & Momofuku Milk Bar, East Village

Katz Deli & Momofuku Milk Bar, East Village

March 1st, 2017

American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History

January 24th, 2017

Popular Posts

  • painted my Raskog yellow!
    painted my Raskog yellow!
  • About
    About
Clarzzique Photo + Video #clarfredtravels

 Subscribe in a reader

Copyright © 2023 Simplicity Theme by Viva la Violette.
Built on the Genesis Framework.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.