So back in March, we hopped on a plane & headed west to San Francisco to begin Part 2 of our trip. When we left Petaluma, it was very dry & the hills were golden waves of grass. Upon our return, the streams were overflowing & the hills were vibrant green. How exciting to experience two different seasons of this beautiful area! Unpacking the camper brought tears to my eyes just thinking about the adventure soon coming to an end. I can say that we never dreamed we could have such amazing memories together as a family! Once we hooked back up to the camper, Part 2 had officially begun. It felt great to be on the road again…rain or shine! And, yes, rain it was!!
Driving carefully over the Golden Gate!
Our 1st stop was Morgan Hill, just outside of Gilroy, CA. It’s in the beautiful Coyote Valley just south of San Jose. We set up in the beautiful resort for the next 10 days, using it as our home base as we were not taking the camper anywhere close to Highway 1 again…learned our lesson the 1st time!
Rainy Day fun…
Our first adventure was to explore Watsonville & Santa Cruz. About 5 years ago, we rented a motorhome & cruised down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) with the kids on a 2 week adventure from San Fran to San Diego. If you ever have the bug, DO THIS TRIP!!! It was AMAZING! We couldn’t wait to see our favorite spots again so we headed straight for Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville. It wasn’t berry picking season, but we still had a ball reliving all the familiar memories again.
Then (April 2011) & Now (March 2016)
From there, we hit the Santa Cruz Pier. While the boardwalk rides weren’t yet open for the season, we were able to stroll the pier, eat some local seafood & drive along the coast of this cool surfing town. Weather was just perfect, making it even better!
After a few more days of relaxing, homeschooling & car servicing in the Coyote Valley, we set out on a 2-day mini-vacation, leaving the camper behind. We were heading straight for the gorgeous coastline! So we loaded up the truck & set out, bound for Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur & San Simeon!!
Monterey was…well, let Rylie tell you…“Monterey is one of the cutest, oceanside towns in Central California. The unique part of it is that all the shops, stores and restaurants are on a huge dock. We walked Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row and I was so happy because every restaurant had clam chowder samples at the front. I made a good critic for the visit. We walked our dogs down the long dock and heard harbor seals barking. They were so adorable and entertaining. We went to a restaurant that Guy Fieti recommended and it sat about 20 people, so we ate outside. We ordered fish and a local favorite, abalone sliders, then headed to the car. Our visit was perfect and I’ll never forget my time in Monterey.”
1st trip / 2nd trip, boy the kids have grown!
From there we drove through Pebble Beach on 17-Mile Drive into Carmel. Our first visit, 5 years ago, I told Ken that we should come back for our 10 year anniversary…it’s an anniversary-worthy vacation for sure! It’s beach is gorgeous, but what we like the best are the amazing little oceanfront fairy-tale-like homes. They have the most character & make you feel like you’ve gone back into another time and place!
Mission Ranch Hotel, owned by Clint Eastwood is something we just happened upon five years ago. We rounded the corner mesmerized by the oceanfront homes we’d just seen when our of nowhere, there is an oceanfront valley with mounds of grass & SHEEP wearing cowbells!!! We were stunned…like the fairytale had truly just come to life!!
The following morning, just south of Carmel on the ocean, we discovered a hidden Cliff Palace!! It’s just past Point Lobos, the place that is believed to have inspired Robert Lewis Stevenson to write Treasure Island.
Continuing South on Hwy 1, we headed for Big Sur…a 1st for our family, as the road actually washed into the ocean last time we were here! All we can all say is WOWWWWW!!! Again, if you ever have the chance to drive the PCH, you MUST!! It’s breathtaking!!
A long day of driving & stopping & driving & stopping…we arrived in San Simeon, our evening resting place. This town was home to William Randolph Hearst & still the Hearst Ranch. Thankfully, our kids are very good at “tours”. In fact, they love them! They also love architecture, as we do. The tour we took of Hearst Castle blew our minds!
Caden wrote…“After driving thru Big Sur, we stopped at a little town called San Simeon which is famous for Hearst Castle. Hearst Castle is on a big hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. To get to the castle, we rode a bus up the hill. When we arrived there, the park ranger gave me the amazing honor to open the old doors of the castle. Right then, I felt so privileged. All the wallpaper in the rooms were so cool and designed and they even have the biggest ancient ceiling collection in the world. To me, Hearst Castle is like a museum filled with famous artifacts and antiques from around the world.”
During the tour, our park ranger told us a funny, but true fact. William Hearsts’ parent’s called him “Wasteful Willy”!! How accurate they were when you consider the amount of money he spent to build the castle. It’s mind-boggling, but at the same time, I’m thankful he lived up to this name. The collections in the museum were truly a gift for us to experience!! Oh, one last exciting detail…when leaving San Simeon the following day, we watched for and spotted zebras roaming the hillsides along Hwy 1. These are actual descendants of the zebras that once lived in the Hearst’s private zoo…how cool!
After stocking our freezer bags with Hearst Ranch beef, we slowly made our way back to the camper. Of course, we made a huge field trip out of the trip back, but you can find out about that in our next post of the California Mission Trail!
Settled back in our cozy camper, the time came to leave the Coyote Valley. We couldn’t wait to arrive at our next stop, Solvang! It’s a special place we discovered our last time around.
Again, from Caden…“So far Solvang has been my favorite part of the trip. The nickname for Solvang is “Little Denmark” because of the style of the town , the bakery, windmills and the Danish people who established the town. While we were there, we went to a Danish restaurant called “The Red Viking”. The food was delicious. After the restaurant, we got to walk into some cute little shops. A few days later we went to a famous bakery called “Mortensons” and we got tasty danishes and kringles.”
It’s the second time we’ve stayed at the Flying Flags RV Resort & it’s one of the best! Plus, its just a few block’s away from the famous split pea soup restaurant, Pea Soup Andersens!
From Solvang, we were ready for the City of Angels! Rylie wrote, “The whole trip I had been anticipating Los Angeles and Hollywood. I hoped I would see a celebrity or someone well known. I also wanted to see the Hollywood sign. We went on a tour that departed from our campground and went into the heart of L.A. We saw all the well known buildings, areas, structures and signs. For example, we saw Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, The Chinese Theater next to the Walk of Fame, celebrities’ houses and the Hollywood sign, but sadly, no celebrities. After a long day driving in traffic and sightseeing, we arrived late that night back home. If I ever come back, I’d do a self-guided tour on a bike, no matter how big the city is. In my opinion, I’d rather feel fresh air than sit in traffic, but other than that, L.A. and Hollywood were everything I hoped for.”
Easter in L.A.!
Olvera Street, the oldest part of downtown L.A. was really cool!
Straight from Los Angeles, we were racing to our next adventure. Let Rylie tell you why…“For me, being with friends makes the places you’re visiting double the fun. That’s why I couldn’t wait to get to San Diego. About one year ago, our friends the McLeods, moved there and I’ve been waiting to visit them ever since. Then at last, we arrived at our campground. The next day they picked us up at our camper and brought us on a tour of their home city. In the four days we had with them, my favorite parts were swimming at the pool, sleepovers and my funny experience at a local restaurant called “Gordos Tacos”. I ordered pork tacos and my mom gave them to me. They looked slimy and definitely not like pork, but I still ate them. After, I asked my mom why they looked that way and she told me I just ate pork INTESTINES tacos! I couldn’t believe it. After fun times and great meals, we had to say goodbye. It was one of the best stops on our trip.”
Cabrillo National Monument
Jon, Malia, Peyton, Taylor & Cal, we thank you for such a great visit! Dinners together, beach hikes, personalized city tours (new job option for you, Malia!)…EVERYTHING was perfect, including the amazing weather! Thank you guys!!California, it’s been a BLAST! You remain a TOP for our travels!!
Saw this after leaving San Diego, heading for Vegas…you don’t see that every day…
Ring Tales...our great RV adventure! 