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Home  >  California  >  My California Road Trip From Los Angeles To Big Sur
California

My California Road Trip From Los Angeles To Big Sur

Matthew Klint Posted onApril 24, 2021April 23, 2021 31 Comments

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!

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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31 Comments

  1. Mohammad Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    It was a very good article. Many memories came alive for me.

  2. Zara Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 12:56 pm

    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!

  3. Stuart Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 2:07 pm

    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? 🙂

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 24, 2021 at 2:40 pm

      Yeah, I’m usually more sophisticated in my restaurant selection. 😉

  4. Ric Garrido Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 2:36 pm

    CA-46 Paso Robles Highway is connecting highway between U.S. 101 Paso Robles and I-5.

  5. The Real Beej Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 3:02 pm

    Ric – good to see you comment. I miss your writing. Hopefully you are back up and running soon.

  6. K. Henry Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    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.

  7. K. Henry Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    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!

  8. Quo Vadis? Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    Planning to drive up from LA to Ventana Big Sur in September, glad Highway 1 has finally been repaired.

  9. Sco Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 5:25 pm

    You were literally in the home of Santa Maria style BBQ and your wife got a steak from Cracker Barrel?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 24, 2021 at 5:26 pm

      Next time. We never go to the South. I wanted her to try it.

  10. Paolo Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    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

  11. MeanMeosh Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    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.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 24, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      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!

  12. Dale Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 6:14 pm

    Did you have any trouble getting a rental car?

    Ever try Santa Maria Tri Tip?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 24, 2021 at 6:38 pm

      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.

  13. E.W. Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    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.

  14. Vee Bee Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 8:16 pm

    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.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 24, 2021 at 9:07 pm

      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.

  15. ABC Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 11:54 pm

    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?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 25, 2021 at 12:00 am

      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.

  16. Shawn Reply
    April 24, 2021 at 11:54 pm

    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 … )

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 24, 2021 at 11:59 pm

      Lol. Well, the Bakersfield diversion only added 15 minutes so I still came out 45 minutes ahead!

  17. emercycrite Reply
    April 25, 2021 at 8:01 am

    So… you participated in the maskless buffet, along with the masses?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 25, 2021 at 9:39 am

      I had my mask on except at the table.

  18. cargocult Reply
    April 25, 2021 at 11:43 am

    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.

  19. Maria Reply
    April 25, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    Loved reading this except for the Golden Corral part. Thanks for sharing!

  20. Andy K Reply
    April 25, 2021 at 9:03 pm

    Try Red Kettle coffee in Summerland, just before hitting Santa Barbara — it’s great!

  21. Bandmeeting Reply
    April 25, 2021 at 9:09 pm

    I think,Solvang is Dutch.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      April 25, 2021 at 9:58 pm

      It’s a Danish village.

  22. don tenney Reply
    June 15, 2021 at 8:27 pm

    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.

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