California Coast drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Lillis Travel, Big enough to matter, small enough to care

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

Select your font size

CALIFORNIA COAST.

Maureen Finucane visited California recently and travelled with Aer Lingus and Sunway Holidays to San Francisco via New York.

This is Maureen's account of her visit:

"Moving south depart from San Francisco and take the coastal route via Santa Cruz and Gilroy, the garlic capital of California, arriving in Monterey. This is a lovely little town with lots going for it. Pay a visit to the aquarium that specialises in the indigenous sea life and then lunch at Bubba Gumps, a seafood restaurant based on the fictional character Forrest Gump.

Heading down the coast via Big Sur, take in the breathtaking views of the ocean and cliffs on one side, with the mountains on the other. You will rarely get the chance to see such scenery, desert, mountains, ocean, and wooded areas too. Take a short break and watch the elephant seals playing on the beach. Visit Hearst Castle, the one time home of William R Hearst. Give yourself plenty of time to see this spectacular place in its entirety. Words cannot describe the splendour of Hearst Castle. Who knows, if you look carefully you may see a zebra in the undergrowth!

From Hearst Castle drive through the wine country, there are vineyards on both sides of the road. Santa Barbara is the next stop. The Best Western Pepper Tree Inn is a fine * hotel. For more luxurious accommodation you could stay at the * Hotel Mar Monte with its excellent restaurant, or Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, famous for its chocolate chip cookies that are, without a doubt, well worth their fame. The best way to see this historic city is to go on a ‘Trolley Tour of Santa Barbara’. The drivers tell the history of the city and explain about the Spanish influence on the architecture. There is a lovely church or mission as it is called there, also well worth a visit.

Departing Santa Barbara on the road to Santa Monica you come across the ‘Camarillo Premium Outlets’, take advantage of the exchange rate and shop ‘til you drop! All the designer name shops are there too with discounted prices.

In Santa Monica the Best Western Hotel Gateway is a lovely hotel what is walking distance from the pier and beachfront.

Other hotels in the city include the ‘Beverly Hilton’. Yes mere mortals are welcome to have lunch and stay there along with the celebrities. The Hilton hosts the Golden Globe awards and have over 150 red carpet events a year. Worth considering too is ‘Le Merigot’ – a JW Marriott Hotel. They have a great restaurant here and a fabulous spa too for those wishing to be pampered.

There are lots of places to eat in Santa Monica, but for a special treat try ‘The Lobster’. As the name suggests it is a seafood restaurant – the food is exceptional.

If it’s too early to go to bed after dinner then there are plenty of bars to choose from. Closing time is 1am. Barneys Beanery is good fun for a night out as besides the large screen TVs in the main bar there is a quieter bar downstairs and a games bar upstairs.

While in Santa Monica dust off the cycling shorts again and hire a bike from ‘Legends Beach Bike Tours’. Led by a guide communicating via a headset, you will see where surfing, skateboarding and beach volleyball were born. See the nearly 100 year old Santa Monica Pier, pedal past the homes of Hollywood’s biggest stars and cruise through eclectic Venice stopping at Muscle Beach, the Venice canals and other points of interest – the best bit is NO HILLS.

Hop on another Trolley and do a tour of Beverly Hills – see the celebs homes, though the guide won’t tell you where anyone lives at present – only point out where people used to live. Even celebs need a bit of privacy occasionally!

Rodeo Drive is nearby and a great place to go even if you can only afford to window shop and dream. If shopping is part of the plan then the 3rd Street Promenade is the place for you. It’s the main shopping area in Santa Monica and again all the major designers and brand names are there. Make a note that there are very limited shopping facilities in LAX airport.

West Hollywood is only a cab ride away and worth making the effort to go. Dinner in the ‘Steak Ranch’ is an experience that you either love or hate. Huge platters of appetizing food, music and a mechanical bull all combine to give this restaurant an old Saloon feel. You can ride the bull, once you provide proof of age and sign a disclaimer, though it might be a good idea to do this prior to eating. There are of course plenty of other bars to check out if you are planning on a little celebrity hunting. Proof of age/ID is essential in California, even for the more mature patrons, it is requested at the door of most places

In all, California is a great place to visit and going along the coastal route is definitely the way to do it. Either hire a car or motor home and hit the road. Drive carefully on the coastal and mountain roads as they can be quite scary even for seasoned drivers."

See also:

SAN FRANCISCO

To arrange your trip to the California Coast talk to our friendly, experienced staff (Mon-Fri 10-5.30 - 065 9051046) or contact us with your enquiry.

Santa Cruz, California - boardwalk and gondolas

Price flights to California.

Big Sur, California

More prices to California.

Monterey Bay in California

Travel Insurance to California.

California flower farm.

More prices for Travel Insurance.

Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California

You need a car to see California.