Highway 1 Part 2 Monterey to Santa Barbara
We checked out of the hotel about 8:30am after continental breakfast included at the hotel. Then began the Scenic Drive along the Pacific Coast along Pacific Grove with huge beachside mansions and holiday homes. We stopped at a few lookouts along the way. There were plenty of friendly squirrels at one lookout point, some coming right up to us for a pat and a sneaky snack. There are 2 routes out of Monterey you can take the scenic route like we did or you can take the quicker inland route.
We then followed the 17-mile drive into the prestigious gated community of Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach is home to some of the best golf courses in the world. Not to mention stunning coastal views. It is a beautiful drive of pristine golf courses on one side and cliffside beaches on the other. The cost for a personal car is $10 to enter the community just for a drive. But I think is totally worth it. This is really a scenic route with hugging coastlines, beachside mansions, and over 6 world class golf courses. The best way to do the Pacific Coast and Highway 1 is to do it starting at Monterey and work your way down the coast to Carmel finishing in Santa Barbara.
We stopped at Carmel Mission to view the mission is a cost of $6.50pp. Carmel is a cute little town with lots of one way streets and narrow roads. It can be very difficult to find parking in the busy months. Lots of overhanging trees it almost has a mystical wind in the willows feel to it. Not to mention beautiful beachside views as the town sits right on the waterfront.
We then continued down highway 1 with the top down on the convertible enjoying the California sun. Stopping at Rocky Bridge which is the bridge that is before the famous Bixby Bridge so everyone accidentally stops here instead of Bixby. However, it still has amazing coastal cliffside views and has less people. There is parking on the side of the road. A few miles down the road there is the famed Bixby Bridge which owns that stunning cliffside view and Bridge in the backdrop. Make sure to stop at the small gravel parking lot on the right hand of the road before the bridge. There are no obstructions here and you can get fabulous photographs of the bridge.
Continued through to Big Sur and stopped at the Gas Station. This part of the highway is almost forest with large pine trees and that log cabin wilderness setting. Very Cute! We arrived in Morro Bay mid-afternoon and strolled the harbourfront. This town is popular for wildlife watching and cruises to see otters and sea lions. There is a main street down by the waterfront which has a few restaurants and local places to eat along with a few souvenir shops and wildlife watching tours etc. There is free parking right along the main street.
Further along the coast we stopped at Elephant Seal Viewpoint which is well worth a stop. There is plenty of parking. There were approx. 300 seals all baking in the sun and frolicking in the waters just off the shore. We watched them for a good 20 mins before hitting the road again.
We arrived into the Beachside community of Santa Barbara at about 6pm. We stayed at the Castillo Inn which was a small boutique Spanish style hotel locally owned and run. The rooms were small but boutique with free parking. Santa Barbara has a population of about 83,000 and is home to a huge marina that has hundreds of yachts and boats ranging from locally owned to high end mega million dollar vessels. There are also a lot of fine dining restaurants and we followed the beach walk. There is a huge sand beach where locals play volleyball and rollerblade along the pathway. There are also fire pits set up for S’mores and BBQ’s.
We then walked up to State St which is the main street of Santa Barbara and where you ‘ll find something to eat, local boutique stores, nightlife and souvenir stores. All the local shops are open along State St until 9pm. We had dinner at Baja Sharkeez which is a Mexican Themed Sports Bar with well-priced meals. We enjoyed a burger and some Fajitas the portions we huge! Enjoying a warm California night we strolled for about 20 mins back to the hotel.