When most folks think of California, they think of stars laid into the pavement on Hollywood Boulevard. They think of palm trees and movie stars, of Disneyland and In and Out Burger. They might think of the Golden Gate Bridge, or the winding hillside on Lombard Street. Most visitors to our state don’t even think about the central coast (roughly halfway between LA and SF), but they should. A road trip from LA to the bay is a great way to see the state, but honestly, the central coast should be a destination all its own.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a seaside, mission town with a ton of history and great restaurants. Stop for fish and chips on the way at Stearns Wharf, or grab a fancier bite at Goat Tree restaurant in the Hotel Californian (Alexa, add “Hotel California” to “road trip playlist”).

You’ll probably also start to notice lots of bells along the side of the highway that look like out of place street lamps. Those indicate the path of the Camino Real, which was established when Spain was colonizing California back in the late 1700’s. You’ll see these bells along the way from San Diego to Sonoma.

Solvang

Solvang is a little Danish town plopped right in the middle of California. There’s old Danish architecture, food, art, hotels and shops. We decided to stop here for dessert after Santa Barbara and strolled through town with ice cream cones in hand. We checked out the little mermaid statue, akin to the one in Copenhagen. We walked past the windmill, which also boasts a wine tasting room inside, and then we found our favorite thing- ONEder child. It’s a dreamy, whimsical children’s store with clothing, toys, and inclusive books. It was opened by two dads who saw a need for folks whose families look more like ours!

San Luis Obispo

No trip to central California is complete without a stop in San Luis Obispo. The mission San Luis Obispo was a quick stop for us, where we toured the museum, admired the sanctuary, and wandered through the gardens. Later, we window shopped through downtown’s adorable boutiques (our favorite was Len Collective– we could have bought one of everything tbh). On our way back, we stopped at the Apple Farm for brunch, which has always been a family tradition since I was a kid (get a biscuit with homemade jam and don’t skip dessert)!

Morro Bay

There’s more to Morro Bay than a big giant rock, but honestly, that’s a pretty big draw. If you’re used to the Cannon Beach or Cape Kiwanda  haystack rocks in Oregon, you are gonna be impressed by this one. It pretty much dominates the landscape, and you can see the haystack rock from almost anywhere in town. Bike the embarcadero down to the rock, dine somewhere with a view of the rock, or kayak through the bay around the rock. Either way it rocks.

We found an adorable bungalow to rent, which was walkable to most restaurants and shops in town. The first night we kept it casual and had dinner at the Taco Temple and it was an experience! First of all, it was super LGBT friendly, and we got the vibe that a lot of the staff was family. Chips and salsa are self-serving, and never ending, and food portions are massive. It was the perfect place to bring kids or a big group. We also booked a reservation for our last night at Windows on the Water. We had the best views in the house of none other than the big rock.

Paso Robles

Marine and I were spoiled by Oregon wine country, so naturally we were off to compare notes. We stopped at Eberle, where we sat on the patio with a bottle of wine and listened to live music. Next we hit up Calcareous Vineyards, which had an insane view. Before the day was out, we stopped by Halter Ranch to snag a cheese plate before heading home. Marine and I must have become big pinot drinkers in Oregon, because we actually preferred Oregon wines to the ones we were tasting in Paso. We’ll have to book a trip to Napa and Sonoma eventually to really know what our favorites are! We can consider it research, right?

Other Notable Stops

We also did a trip out to San Simeon to explore Hearst castle. I became obsessed with this place as a kid- it’s like a grand museum with a view! You do have to buy tickets in advance, so plan ahead.

Cambria is also a quaint little town on the way up to San Simeon. Stop here for lunch and some antique shopping. Meander along nearby Moonstone beach in the afternoon.

If you want to see some wildlife in action, check out the elephant seal cave. This is where all the elephant seals come to mate and give birth, so it’s pretty intense. If you want a less overwhelming experience, just stop by the elephant seal lookout on the coast and observe them all lounging around on the beach!

Far flung exotic locations are great and all, but nothing beats the freeing feeling of embarking on a great road trip. Roll down the windows, cruise down the coastline and crank up the volume. California is calling you home. 

Road Trip Playlist:

1. “Hotel California” by the Eagles
2. “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
3. “Californication” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. “California Love” by 2Pac
5. “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
6. “California Girls” by the Beach Boys
7. “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman
8. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by the Proclaimers
9. “Here I go Again” by White Snake
10. “California Gurls” by Katy Perry (ft Snoop Dogg)
11. “California” by Phantom Planet
12. “The Distance” by Cake