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CSP™: California Coastin’ With Cat

A month or so ago, my mom asked me if I wanted to drive down the coast of California with her, which really meant “Will you drive me down the coast?” You know how your parents do. But I wasn’t trippin because driving down highway 1 was on my bucket list. Plus, I drove the French Riviera in February and wanted to compare the two. It had been ages since me and my mom took a trip somewhere, just me and her. It was long overdue. Not going to lie, I was a bit nervous about spending that much time in such close quarters with my mom. Flashbacks of me as a 16yo popped into my head. lol.

We decided to do the drive over the course of 4 days. I would definitely recommend longer if you have the time. My mom isn’t the camping type, but next time I will definitely set up shop in some national parks along the way. We left from Oakland. And to be honest if you live in The Bay you can take day trips to a few of these places.

The first stop was Monterey, a small, qaint waterfront  community located on the southern Monterey Bay, on Central California’s coast. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Oakland on the 880 and 101 highway. If you leave from San Francisco, you can pick up Highway 1 from there. If from Oakland, you pick up Highway 1 once you get to Monterey.

Monterey, first occupied by the Rumsen Ohlone tribe, then the Spanish, to be later conquered by the Mexicans to eventually be claimed by the United States has a long history. (It’s the American way! smh)The coastal city was once known for the thriving sardine population in its waters, soon turning the harbor into a whistling, rattling and humming fishing port, one of the busiest in the world. And then without a clear explanation Sardines started to disappear after World War II, leaving the industry on its knees. Monterey soon converted the Fisherman’s Wharf into a tourist attraction.

My mom was my photographer. lol. We had to get it together.

Monterey experiences temperate climates year-round. Peak season is typically from July-September, as that part of the region experiences an Indian summer. If you visit, make sure to take in the beautiful sights and pay a visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, and The Fisherman’s Wharf.

Next stop was Carmel, which is literally 4 miles away on highway 1! But you can also get there by taking 17-mile drive along Pebble Beach. And I will be the 1st, 2nd and 3rd person to say that 17-mile drive is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. If you’re a golfer than you’ve heard of the famous golf course on Pebble Beach. I finally understand what the big fuss was all about. Probably one of the most prettiest places to play golf. Golf Tournaments like Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am take place there, annually. As a kid, my Dad tried to get me into golf, even got me kiddie clubs. But I only had interest in driving the cart. Seemed way to boring for my liking at the time. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown to appreciate it more. Not quite to the point of taking it up on a regular, but it’s on my mind to pursue in the near future.

Every mile along the drive is markered, some have small write-ups of information. You can also find Cypress trees on the drive. They only grow naturally there and one other place.

17-mile drive leads straight into Carmel. Carmel is definitely not your typical beach town. Although there are world-renowned big wave spots just offshore, Carmel is anything but a surfing town. An excerpt from California’s Central Coast Visitors Guide describes Carmel as “..a town of uncommon civility, where there are no street addresses beyond the business district and residents still meet to pick up mail and socialize at a central post office.” Think sophistication meets intelligence meets free spirit meets culture & artistry meets the water. Ocean Avenue and surrounding streets are full of galleries and shops with “one-of-kind” items.

Known for its culture, Carmel hosts the Carmel Music Society, the Carmel Bach Festival, and the Monterey Symphony.

Things start to get beautifully interesting once you leave Carmel. Highway 1 starts to get very curvaceous with dramatic cliffs. The views become post cards. Big Sur was next up. The name “Big Sur” is derived from the original Spanish language “el sur grande,” meaning “the big south.”

I wanted to stop every 2 minutes to snap pictures. It was simply breathtaking. Big Sur’s Cone Peak is the highest coastal mountain in the continuos 48 states. Three tribes of Native Americans–the Ohlone, Esselen, and Salinan are said to have been the first inhabitants of the area known as Big Sur.

Big Sur is definitely a place I would like to go back too and camp out for a few days.

Pfeiffer State Beach. It’s tucked away and absolutely beautiful.

 

We stopped to take in the big Redwoods.
After Big Sur, we headed to Hearst Castle. I hadn’t heard of Hearst Castle before my mom mentioned she wanted to stop there. Hearst Castle is just that– a castle that sits on the top of a mountain overlooking the central coast. Built by the son of George Hearst, a United States Senator and wealthy businessman. William Randolph Hearst, a newspaper publisher who built the nation’s largest newspaper chain and whose methods have been said to have profoundly influenced American journalism, inherited 250,000 acres in 1919. After recruiting architect Julia Morgan shortly after acquiring the land, work was begun on the castle that lasted until 1947! Only the Who’s Who were invited to stay at the castle.

The castle is comprised of 4 structures, 58 bedrooms, 60 bathrooms, 41 fireplaces and 18 sitting rooms. Talk about GRAND! The family later donated the castle to the state with one request–to have access to it whenever they wished. Unfortunately, we got there too late in the day to take a tour of the castle but we were able to watch a video about the history. The architecture is simply amazing. The pictures below aren’t mine.

After Hearst Castle in San Simeon, we headed to Santa Barbara. Heyyyyyyy Oprah! Santa Barbara was beautiful. I see why celebrities love it. Very luxe. My mom was in heaven. Santa Barbara had been on her list of places to visit for a long time.

We wanted to stop by the University of California, Santa Barbara campus but it was graduation day. We were not about to set ourselves up for that. We’ll definitely be back though.

This road trip will be an experience I will always cherish. Being able to spend that quality time with my mom was well worth it and very much needed. We both find ourselves not staying put for too long. It was quite funny how I would have a conference call for work and hours later she would too. I guess we’ve both figured out how to make this life work. I’m still tightening up my situation though. lol.