This road trip came about because of the iconic Lone Cypress tree on the 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach. I simply had a compelling desire to visit it (and do a quick get-away before the summer crowds).
The Lone Cypress is an iconic world-famous tree, predating the country in which it stands. I wrote a little blurb about it last month with a short video over at my Substack Notes. Here’s a summary of my take of why that resilient tree is so captivating to so many.
We all age, get weathered, and hang in there through the stormy seas and sunny skies. And just like the Lone Cypress, which is centuries old, we too become altered in our appearance, despite ever losing our true beauty.
Visiting the Lone Cypress on the 17-mile drive after many years was the number one priority of my 1000 mile 4-day pre–Memorial Day road trip.
With summer quickly approaching, here’s one of countless suggestions for a feasible 4-day, 1000 mile, Southern California road trip. My route: Los Angeles to Half Moon Bay/Mavericks. I took the 101 N (my favorite freeway) to Salinas, through the “salad bowel,” then headed west to Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Coast Highway (PCH/Hwy 1).
The 101 (yes, we make freeways nouns in California), has always been my favorite freeway, not to be compared to Highway 1 through Big Sur.
There is no comparison to Highway 1 through Big Sur, one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Unfortunately, the southern part is still closed due to rockslides, expected to reopen in mid-July. The northern part just reopened 2 weeks ago. Fortunately, the best things to see are in the northern end.
When it does open, I still suggest (from Southern California), taking historic and scenic 101 going north, driving back south via Highway 1 through Big Sur. The view is always a bit better when you drive the side most close to the ocean. It’s also a lot easier to stop at the overlooks, and no cars or structures block your view.
Moving along…Los Angeles to Santa Barbara
Once you get through LA traffic, the 101 becomes especially enjoyable. I especially love the section between highway 126 and Santa Barbara. I love it because the ocean is fully visible, and the speed limit is 65. There’s just something thrilling (at least for me) about rolling down the windows, cranking up the music, the wind in my hair, all while taking in the stunning coastal scenery. There certainly are a lot of beautiful coastal roads, but few with that high of a speed limit.
Before you know it, you will be seeing signs for Montecito, the “American Riveria,” refuge for the rich and famous. You could spend a week or more in the Montecito/Santa Barbara area. For this trip, I chose to make my stop coming back, save for a quick stop off the Coast Village Road Exit for coffee. If you go left, you immediately end up at beautiful Butterfly Beach next to the Four Seasons. If you stay straight, you will drive down upscale Coast Village Road, the main street of Montecito, complete with boutiques, restaurants, cafes, galleries, and Starbucks.
I’ll be writing a lot about Santa Barbara in the future (used to live there). For now, here are two excellent visitor websites:
Santa Barbara Guide for First Timers
Since Santa Barbara is only about 100 miles from Los Angeles, it’s easily its own trip/weekend. Only because I was driving through, of course I had to stop, but only for a quick lunch (tried Los Arroyos for the first time (in my opinion, just “okay”, albeit loved by many, so don’t rule it out). The focus of this trip was LA to northern California.
The Historic 101 (one oh one) Freeway, and why I love it!
The historic 101 freeway begins in Los Angeles California and ends in Port Angeles, Washington. For this article, I’m solely concentrating on the segment relevant to the "4-day, 1000-mile road trip, Los Angeles to Salinas part." The 101 stands as California's lengthiest freeway, spanning 808 miles within California alone.
I do want to point out that if you have more time and want to stop at the iconic Los Angeles attractions, consider branching off the 101 to see things like museums, Doger Stadium, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Griffith Park, the list is endless. It all connects back to the northern route of 101. I’m writing this as a quick 4 day get-away, but most certainly it can be helpful for an extended trip of any length.
Without boring you all do death, I’ll just post the Wikipedia link for the 101 (great detail), for any interested in an extended trip or just a few days more with stops in Los Angeles. Branching off the 101 via the 134 or 170 in Los Angeles will take you to many of the iconic places and of course downtown Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.
Wikipedia Hwy 101 link (great detail)
Here's why I love the 101 (after the congested part through LA).
Firstly, most of it, is simply beautiful, as well as historic. Many parts are one on one with Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), while much of it also weaves inland. I always find it so dramatic to see the change around Solvang/Buellton (can’t miss Buellton, there’s a big visible windmill and lots of signs for the famous Split Pea Andersons), in the heart of the Santa Barbara Wine Country. The Santa Ynez Valley is simply beautiful.
I did stop there on my way home to break up the trip and also make time for an early Santa Barbara stop before returning home. I had a nice stay at the Sideways Inn, a good bang for the buck. I had stayed there before (much less expensive than Santa Barbara an hour south). It’s very clean and friendly complete with a continental breakfast they hang outside your door. It’s also known from the movie Sideways. A lot of that movie was filmed at that hotel. My only complaint was the $16 dollar resort fee. Despite the place having a nice “feel” and easily off the freeway with fast check-in (you can’t miss their big windmill), it’s not a “resort.” It’s also next to the famous Anderson’s split pea restaurant.
Resort fees are a pet peeve of mind for another time.
Here’s the link
Even if you don’t stay in Buellton, it’s worth a short stop off the exit to at least drive through Solvang (very popular Danish town, famous for good eats, especially Danish pancakes and Danish pastries) and get a feel for the beauty of the San Ynez Valley a few miles east of the exit (140A). I took this photo from the mission a few miles off the freeway before heading down to Santa Barbara. After I checked out of the hotel, I spent about 30-45 minutes driving down the road when I exited the hotel (highway 146) as far down as the Catholic mission, by way of Solvang. It’s just beautiful! Some of you might remember that the Santa Ynez Valley was once the beautiful Western Whitehouse, home of President Ronald Reagan. Solvang was the closest nearby town to his ranch, Rancho del Cielo.
Michael Jackson’s Neverland was also close by, (8 miles away), 5 miles north of Los Olivos.
If you wish to prolong your stay and explore further, there are numerous activities and sights to enjoy. I will elaborate on these in Part II, leaving you with this image of the stunning Santa Ynez Valley.
All photos are copyrighted, California Travel Writer, Patricia Inc.
So much good info here. Thanks!