I’ll shortly publish a review of the Ventana Big Sur Resort, but first want to share the fun we had driving up there and back…a real California road trip.
California Road Trip From Los Angeles To Big Sur
When I travel up north, I prefer to take US-101 for the outbound journey. Although it generally adds about an hour to the overall drive time, it is a beautiful drive, particularly between Ventura and Santa Barbara. With beautiful ocean views and a cool breeze, it’s nice just to put the windows down and enjoy the fresh air.
There’s another reason I like taking US-101: Prospect Coffee in Ventura. If you take I-5 up, there really is no great coffee stops (at least that I have been able to find). I’m just not a Starbucks guy and that leaves very little in terms of choice.
But Prospect Coffee in Ventura offers some of the absolute best espresso in the country (as far as I am concerned). So that is always a welcome stop when traveling north.
We also like stopping in San Luis Obispo for lunch at the Apple Farm, a quaint hotel, restaurant, and bakery that I stayed at all the time when I was kid. Clean restrooms too…
Only this time the restaurant was closed due to the pandemic, so I introduced my wife to a restaurant you rarely find in California: Cracker Barrel (located in Santa Maria).
She ordered steak and hated it (I warned her) while I ordered meat loaf and loved it. You don’t go to Cracker Barrel for steak. But the service was wonderful and I quite enjoy the food there, though once a year is enough.
We continued north. After Apple Farm, our next stop was Spearhead Coffee in Paso Robles, another tremendous coffee shop.
Just south of Salinas, we left US-101 and entered CA-68, which took us to Monterey. From there, we took CA-1 down to Big Sur.
The Trip Home
For the trip back, we took the more direct I-5. That still required taking CA-1 to CA-68 to US-101 to CA-45 to I-5, but it trims an hour from the journey.
We did stop in Monterey first for some coffee at Captain + Stoker before heading down.
And more for observational purposes, we stopped at the Golden Corral in Bakersfield for dinner…yes, a buffet. Oh my word, I could not believe it. Masses of people, many not wearing masks, minimal distancing, and a giant free-for-all, self-serve buffet. We have stopped at this restaurant in the past because Augustine (and yes, daddy) likes it, but no more…the quality is “blah” and by the time we left there was a huge line out into the parking lot.
Proceeding south on I-5, we had to cut over on Stockdale Highway (which reminded me so much of Texas State Highway 130) in order to get to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield, it was a fairly quick ride down CA-99, up the Grapveine, then into the Santa Clarita valley before hitting LA.
CONCLUSION
Next time, we hope to take CA-1 up from just north of San Luis Obsipo directly to Big Sur rather than go north, cut west, and then back south. After a horrific washout, Highway 1 has re-opened this week. We did that drive a couple years back on the way home from Carmel and although it is laborious for the driver and somewhat slow, it is a beautiful drive and well worthwhile (once in a while).
I had rented a Toyota Prius for the trip because I generally don’t like to put wear and tear on our car for a road trip. We averaged 51.4MPG, which wasn’t bad at all.
Road trips in California are fun!
It was a very good article. Many memories came alive for me.
We love Morro Bay, quite beaches and great eats and surfing! Hwy 1 along Big Sur is too crowded to drive for enjoyment, too many RV’s and people trying to take perfect instagram pics beside the Bixby Bay Bridge. It’s a human zoo now! I’m actually glad the hwy is closed due to another wash out!
Remind me to never let Matthew pick the restaurant, lol. Is next up a tour to introduce Heidi to the Waffle House’s of America? 🙂
Yeah, I’m usually more sophisticated in my restaurant selection. 😉
CA-46 Paso Robles Highway is connecting highway between U.S. 101 Paso Robles and I-5.
Ric – good to see you comment. I miss your writing. Hopefully you are back up and running soon.
Great photos, I ran the Big Sur International Marathon in 2011 in which there was a Land Slide then, you had to start North and head South and turn around 13.1 miles and head back North. Instead of going to Europe, I’m going to fly out and drive 1 South of San Francisco.
I’ve also traveled from East Coast to San Francisco to Yosemite national park in 2018, had Air delays/Rental car delay, pretty much wasted trip, there were closures from forest fires motels near the Park were so out dated!
Alaska trip totally Been there and done that!
Enjoyed Athens Greece 2018 , Don’t depend on Verizon!
Planning to drive up from LA to Ventana Big Sur in September, glad Highway 1 has finally been repaired.
You were literally in the home of Santa Maria style BBQ and your wife got a steak from Cracker Barrel?
Next time. We never go to the South. I wanted her to try it.
I expected buffets to be a victim of these circumstances ( with mixed feelings, because while they’re convenient, particularly for families, they rarely have great food, and often demonstrate poor hygiene). Evidently not, with crowds lining up to enter
I don’t get the Texas State Highway 130 reference? The tollway out east of Austin/San Antonio with the 85 mph speed limit? I’ve driven Stockdale Highway and that new Westside Parkway in Bakersfield, but neither reminded me much of 130…(PS anyone who actually enjoys Golden Corral deserves whatever mockery comes their way. At least up your standards to Western Sizzlin’.)
If you have more time (truthfully, LOTS of extra time), you can take the 5 up past the Grapevine, then go west on 58 through the Temblor Range and connect to the 101 in Paso Robles. It is some truly spectacular “Old California” scenery, though it’s quite desolate and a bit white knuckle through the mountains.
It just reminded me of a private highway in Texas; no trees, well-paved, new, everyone driving very fast.
We don’t have any Sizzlin’ in California!
Did you have any trouble getting a rental car?
Ever try Santa Maria Tri Tip?
I have top status with Avis so it wasn’t an issue, but when I was there were two people who showed up and left angry when they were told there were no cars unless they wanted to upgrade for an extra $85/day.
As for Santa Maria Tri Trip – I love it and we eat it at least once a month at home. We never have Cracker Barrel at home.
Next time, try cutting west from US101 to CA1 from either San Lucas or just north of Bradley. Make sure to visit the beautiful Mission San Antonio. It seems to be currently closed due to Covid restrictions and you have to cross a military check point to get there, but it’s well worth the hassle if/when it opens again. From there take the forest road that will later become Nacimiento-Ferguson-Road and winds down to CA1. The view when you leave the woods and approach the Pacific is absolutely breathtaking.
Did you ever stop at the Madonna Inn? It’s quirky, very different and worth a coffee stop just to walk through the main floor and gaze at the decor (not sure if coffee will meet your standards). I hear the men’s restroom is quite extravagant… But I wouldn’t know…
If you’re going down the 101 route, Santa Barbara is so, so darling.
We love Santa Barbara and stay there 2-3 times per year at the Hyatt.
I’ve been to the Madonna Inn when I was a kid, but it’s been many years. We’ll have to check it out again.
A quick stop in Solvang may be fun if your family members enjoy a Danish experience.
Any there any “reasonable” rental prices? Or is ~$100/day rental the new normal?
I love Solvang! I went often as a kid and have taken my family before…and we will return again. Rental car was $40/day.
Soooo many comments to make here (yes, US-101 from LA to Ventura is beautiful … but so much more of it is, too).
The part that I struggle to get past is cutting over to I-5 to save time only to cut east again to Bakersfield, California, to eat at a Golden Corral???? With all due respect for your respectful travel acumen, Matt, I cannot comprehend that one! 😉
At least now I know that there is a Cracker Barrel in California! That’s knowledge. (I won’t use that knowledge, but … )
Lol. Well, the Bakersfield diversion only added 15 minutes so I still came out 45 minutes ahead!
So… you participated in the maskless buffet, along with the masses?
I had my mask on except at the table.
Social distancing indoors doesn’t really protect anyone according to an MIT study:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/mit-researchers-say-youre-no-safer-from-covid-indoors-at-6-feet-or-60-feet-in-new-study.html
Masks aren’t as helpful as many think. I don’t know why fans and air cleaners haven’t been more widely adopted. Such a fuss was made about producing ventilators when they were expensive and largely unnecessary. Think of how many air cleaners could have been produced for the same amount of money. I imagine a Cracker Barrel or Golden Corral would likely have more unvaccinated folx than other restaurants. I’ve never been to either, though, so this is just an assumption.
Loved reading this except for the Golden Corral part. Thanks for sharing!
Try Red Kettle coffee in Summerland, just before hitting Santa Barbara — it’s great!
I think,Solvang is Dutch.
It’s a Danish village.
There is a new Golden Corral restaurant in the Inland Empire, just off the 210 freeway about 5 miles East of the 15 fwy in Rialto. Major new shopping center has arisen there.
Loved the photos! felt like I was there.
Visiting US is in my bucket list but I guess as an Iranian it will never happen 🙁
Wow, California Road beeeeeest for ever.