California Road Trip

We took this trip in the summer of 2021, so still mid-pandemic, to check off of a few boxes: Meet some friends we made during the pandemic, celebrate my birthday, and take a much needed vacation.

Anything with a *, I highly recommend.

Palm Springs:

Where we stayed:

Wexler at Deepwell* - This house was perfect for our group of seven. Plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, common areas were big and comfortable, and had a great pool. We rented it through VRBO.

Where we ate and drank:

El Mirasol (north)* - We came here for my birthday dinner and it was great! Solid Mexican food and great margs.
Escena* - Located on a golf course amazing views. We had brunch here and everything was delicious.

Santa Barbara:

Getting there:

We rented a car from the Palm Springs Airport. We did a one way rental as our trip was concluding in Los Angeles. And yes, we stopped on In-N-Out Burger on our drive - when in Cali!

Where we stayed:

Lavender Inn by the Sea - Great location. Walkable to Stearn Wharf, State Street and the downtown area. Rooms were spacious and nice.

Where we ate and drank:

Sandbar - Located right on State Street, great Mexican food spot. Had a margarita (or two) and some chips and guac.
Test Pilot* - Tiki Bar inspired cocktail bar. GREAT cocktails and cool vibe.
The Lark* - DO NOT SKIP THIS PLACE. Everything we had here was a 10/10. Great drinks, amazing food, and beautiful space. We had the Brussels sprouts, the lettuces, mussels, and fried chicken - YUM!
Dart Coffee Co* - Super cute coffee shop with great pastries.

What we did:

Stearn Wharf - Shops, restaurants, recreation activities. Great spot to walk around.
State Street Promenade - The heart of Santa Barbara’s retail and entertainment district with a 10-block pedestrian walkway. Tons of restaurants, bars, shops.

Santa Ynez, Los Alamos,
+ Solvang:

We were in the area over two weekdays so there was a lot that wasn’t open, specifically some really great looking restaurants in Los Alamos.

Where we stayed:

Skyview Los Alamos* - Obsessed with this place. Was an old roadside motel that’s been converted into a super cool, hip motel. Pool, great restaurant, and the rooms were super stylish.

Where we ate and drank:

Panino - Cute little sandwich shop in Santa Ynez
Four Brothers Winery - Tasting room in Santa Ynez. Was great.
Demetria Estate Winery* - Beautiful winery out of the town. Felt like we were in Europe. The property was stunning.
Norman Dinner* - Restaurant at Skyview and it was delicious. We had the Macn’ Cheese, French Fries and the Beet and Burrata Salad. Drinks were also great.
The Solvang Coffee House - Cute coffee shop in Solvang.
Charlie’s Place - The original location. Diner with outdoor seating. Burgers, Mexican food, etc.

What we did:

Bike Tour with SB Wine Country Cycling* - This was awesome. Rode through wine country and stopped at Rideau Vineyards for a bite and a tasting.

Big Sur

We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway and made a few stops along the way including Cayucos where we had lunch at Duckie’s Chowder House, Piedras Blancas Light Station and a grocery store in Morro Bay.

Where we stayed:

Lucia Lodge - On the southern side of Big Sur, perched up on a cliff with an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. The restaurant caught fire the day before and there was nothing around, so we were happy that we had grabbed some groceries. Rooms were just ok.
Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn* - This place was amazing! Full of charm and whimsy. Some rooms share a bathroom.

Where were ate and drank:

Big Sur River Inn - Stopped by for an afternoon beer. Great spot right on the Big Sur River.
Nepenthe* - You can’t go to Big Sur without eating here. It’s iconic. It gets very crowded but you can also eat at Café Kevah which is on an outdoor terrace one level below Nepenthe (which is what we did). We got a Cobb Salad and a Black Forest Ham Grilled Cheese.
Deetjen’s* - Fabulous! Cozy, dark and decorated with traditional English decor with so many unique objects all over.
Big Sur Smokehouse - Roadside classic barbecue joint. They had just opened. Food was great!

What we did:

Partington Cove - Great hike that leads you through the forest, through a tunnel which leads you to the cove.
McWay Falls - We found this hike to be just ok.
Limekiln Park - Was closed when we were there.
Pfeiffer Beach* - Quintessential Big Sur. Huge rock arches, the most famous being Keyhole Arch.

Paso Robles

We drove up to Carmel before heading down to Pasa Robles. It was Monterey Car Week so Carmel was very busy and there were fancy cars everywhere. We didn’t stay long, but I could see where it’s a very carhming town. We opted to not take the Pacific Coast Highway to see other parts of the state. Paso Robles was a super cute town filled with shops, restaurants, cafes, bars all built around a town square.

Where we stayed:

Coyotepaw Cabin - Found this on Airbnb. Slightly out of town but was a great 1BR/1BA that was a good size. There is a larger house on the property that the owner lived in with her pet pig, but looks as if she sold it and there are new owners.

Where we ate and drank:

Blast & Brew - Grabbed lunch here when we got to town. Typical Brewery fare, that was good, but they also have this self-pour technology with over 26 taps which allows you to taste and sample as much as you’d like.
Taste* - Craft Eatery right in the Town Center. Food was great and so were the cocktails.
Negranti Creamery* - Delicious ice cream.
Red Scooter Deli* - Great for lunch. Really good sandwiches.
Field Recordings* - Located in Tin City (see below), very cool winery and the tasting room looks like a high school gymnasium. Wines were really good.
Barrelhouse Brewery - Also located in Tin City. Great brewery with tons of outdoor seating.

What we did:

Stroll through Paso Robles* - The town really is super charming and filled with so many great spots. The Town Square is pretty idyllic.
Tin City* - Evolving industrial makers market filled with award-winning wineries, innovative craft breweries, and artisanal distilleries.
Sensorio* - A MUST! This was a definite highlight of the trip. One of California’s largest immersive art exhibitions. You walk paths through more than 100,000 glowing bulbs and explore everal solar-powered exhibits that merge light and music technology. It was MAGIC!

Los Angeles

The last stop on our California Road Trip to mainly see some friends we hadn’t seen during the pandemic.

Where we stayed:

One of our best friends, Steph, was living in LA at the time of this trip, in Larchmont Village, so we stayed with her.

Where we ate and drank:

La Granjero Cantina - Mexican food located at the Original Farmers Market LA right next to The Grove. Solid food, solid guacamole, solid margaritas.
Jeni’s Ice Cream* - One of my favorite ice cream brands. So good!
Real Coconut - Located in the Malibu Country Mart. Healthy and organic foods. Has since closed.