California road trip spotlights Pacific Coast Highway

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I’m admittedly a little nervous when I slip behind the wheel of a mid-sized rental in downtown Los Angeles, having been given a cautionary lecture by the car rental guy about potential areas of concern when he learns that a friend and I are driving the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco.

Apparently, the traffic through Malibu is to be approached with extreme caution and car break-ins in San Francisco are to be guarded against.

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Duly noted, we toss our luggage in the back, recheck the map and head off for a five-day adventure that proves to be surprisingly stress-free and a ton of fun.

The route is best known for meandering twists and turns, eye-popping coastal views, quaint historic towns and laid-back beach vibes.

We were also treated to so many jaw-dropping sunsets that we started calling it the Chasing Sunsets Tour.

The highway, also known as Highway 1 or The One, runs 1,055 kilometres from Dana Point in the south to Mendocino County in the north, hugging the coastline most of the way.

It is considered one of America’s greatest road trips.

We took five days to explore Los Angeles to San Francisco — unfortunately due to landslides having to detour around Big Sur, which has since reopened.

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Day 1: Los Angeles to Santa Barbara

After making our way out of the congestion of L.A. (and being careful as we approached Malibu), we soon spotted waves rolling up on a white sandy beach with huge rocks dotting the coastline.

Turns out it was El Matador State Beach with dramatic overhanging bluffs and caves that can be explored when the tide is low enough. Accessible by steep stairs, the beach provided some great photos to mark the start of the trip along with a wonderful place to spot plenty of seabirds.

After getting our first taste of the Pacific, we headed for the charming city of Santa Barbara, known as America’s Riviera for its year-round temperate climate and Mediterranean-inspired architecture.

After checking into the beautiful boutique-style Canary Hotel, we headed to nearby Montecito for an early evening stroll along the palm-tree lined beach, saying hello to cute dogs and appreciating the soft white sand under our feet.

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We also snagged amazing Sunset No. 1 there. Our Pacific Coast Highway adventure was well and truly underway.

Day 2: Santa Barbara to Pismo Beach

The next day, we hit the road for Solvang, lured by the promise of Danish-style architecture and history. And sure enough, as you stroll down Copenhagen Drive, you can enjoy your fill of Danish pastries while admiring the faux windmills (are they even Danish?).

Next up was Pismo Beach, known as the clam capital of the world, although the clams are long gone due to overharvesting. Despite that, it’s a fun place to hang out as the beach vibes are strong with surfers, a huge public pier and a long, walkable beach.

After checking into the charming Ocean Palms Motel, with a Love Surfing mural on one wall, we headed out to catch Sunset No. 2.

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Day 3: Pismo Beach to Cambria

Starting the day with a little retail therapy in San Luis Obispo, we then headed for nearby Morro Beach where we found a bevy of elephant seals lounging on the decks at the marina. Morro Bay is best known for Morro Rock, a volcanic monolith at the end of the beach.

Before seeking out the next sunset, we booked a tour of Hearst Castle near San Simeon, which started with a bus ride up a steep, winding road to the famous “castle” and outlying “cottages” built by William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947.

Now a California State Park, the place is so massive you sign up to tour only a portion of the estate (the Grand Rooms Tour gives a good overview).

Soon it was time to shake the extreme opulence for some beach time and another sunset.

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Spending the night at the Bluebird Inn in Cambria, we made our way to nearby Moonstone Beach for our nightly stroll, dog-petting session and Sunset No. 3 glory.

Day 4: Cambria to Monterey

The next morning, we made a mandatory stop at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery, home of northern elephant seals. Easily viewed from a platform above the beach, you can see (and smell and hear) dozens of the marine mammals sleeping, lolling, flicking sand and slithering in and out of the water.

With the Big Sur closure, we detoured inland and made our way back to the rugged central coast and beautiful Monterey, with its Cannery Row history immortalized by John Steinbeck.

After checking into the stunning Clement Monterey, we took the advice to drive the nearby 17-Mile Drive, which is a scenic route that hugs the coastline from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach.

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After paying the US$11.25 entrance fee (well worth it), you’re handed a map and left to your own devices. The fee also gives you access to the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links. We were directed by a kindly staff member on how best to see the famed 18th hole at Pebble Beach.

On our way back from the course, we snagged Sunset No. 4.

Day 5: Monterey to San Francisco

On the home stretch, we turned inland for a quick change of scenery, leaving the coast at very busy Santa Cruz for the relative quiet of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and the majesty of its 40 acres of old-growth redwoods.

After a refreshing walk, it was time to head to San Francisco. The City by the Bay was a great final host, including our amazing stay at InterContinental San Francisco, a fun afternoon at Oracle Park to see the Giants play, a stroll through iconic Chinatown, and of course a wander over to view the Golden Gate Bridge.

To cap it all off, we were made to feel famous by John’s Grill owner John Konstin Jr. when he sat us in a corner booth and under the watchful eye of Maltese Falcon writer Dashiell Hammett, who had his fictional detective Sam Spade eat at the same turn-of-the-20th century dining room.

We shone so bright that night we didn’t need to chase a final sunset.

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