The Central Coast

Wow it's been a long time since I last posted! With the road trip I rarely had access to a computer but now I've been home for 4 days and I have no excuse. Anyway, the trip was beyond fantastic so I'm going to spend the next few posts giving you a bit of an inside scoop on some of the places I went to visit. If you're anywhere near California or Oregon I HIGHLY suggest that you check these places out.

On the third day of my trip I left Santa Barbara at 6:45am! (after I found the parking ticket I'd gotten at UCSB while taking an Afro-Brazilian dance class with my cousin) I've always dreamed of taking the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) all the way up to San Francisco and so that's what I did. It was a gorgeous morning, my car popping in and out of the coastal fog along the sprawling highway. I stopped for breakfast in Morro Bay at the Blue Bean. The Blue Bean is this adorable coffee shop right off the highway. The food is great but my favorite part was the fact that everyone who came in the door seemed to know each other. I had found myself at the heart of a little community hub and everyone was so warm and welcoming that I sipped my gigantic cappuccino with the utmost contentment.(Inside the Blue Bean)

From there, I continued up the 1 into the winding, cliffed coastline between Morro Bay and Monterey. It's a breathtaking stretch of road and goes on for hours. Stopped to take pictures of elephant seals and sights along the way.

(Gorgeous coastline and a cool bridge)

I took a short hike at Garrapata State Park down to the coastline. It was a beautiful walk along a narrow trail on the bluffs, surrounded by wildflowers. Then (so priceless!) I came down a steep part of the trail into a little valley between two bluffs with a river leading down to the ocean and there, perched alone on a rock with the sea air gently lifting his ratted hair, sat a blondish hippie playing a guitar and staring into the fog.

(At Garrapata State Park)

Once I was finally in Monterey I was starving. I picked up the most amazing sandwhich of my life at Compagno's, a little random shop in a residential neighborhood. It's a local secret and very hidden but hopping with regular customers around lunchtime. Really weird place actually. It's completely covered in military paraphernalia, (walls, ceilings, everything!) but it's got a very likeable character and everyone is very nice. And the sandwhich was HUGE! I had the second half for dinner!

(I felt weird taking pics inside of this place, so this is a very stalker-esque shot I took on my way out!)

Then I went down to Fisherman's Wharf and found a bench in a nearby park to eat my lunch and then wandered around. A very quaint, lovely place really and I completely enjoyed myself.


The rest of the day was spent getting to San Francisco. I stopped at a random beach just north of Santa Cruz - follow a little trail over train tracks and down to a very pretty little beach. I also had to stop at a lighthouse in the San Mateo area. I've got a thing for lighthouses. I think it was called Pelican's Point lighthouse but I'm not sure. Anyways, you can't go inside it but to my surprise, the lighthouse itself is surrounded by little buildings for a hostel. Not a bad place for a weary traveller!