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Having visited each Los Angeles and Las Vegas on a street journey by way of the American west, Billie Hakansson and her father Mark right here embark on the ultimate stage of their tour, alongside Freeway 1 on path to San Francisco.
We started our journey in Santa Barbara, a fantastic seaside location stuffed with Spanish colonial inheritance, historical past and affect.
You’ll be able to actually see why the wealthy and the attractive have snapped up their vacation properties simply down the street in Montecito.
We arrived on the gorgeous beachfront Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara Hotel, checked in, opened a beautiful bottle of wine and sat on our balcony trying over the water, deciding what to do with our night.
It was onerous to not fall fully in love with this attractive Californian metropolis.
We determined to check out the City Wine Path which has turn out to be one in every of Santa Barbara’s high points of interest.
Santa Barbara County has greater than 200 wineries however, with an entire host of them primarily based simply down the street in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, we determined to stroll down and check out just a few.
It was implausible to take a seat again and sip, studying all in regards to the wine, the place it got here from and why every was totally different to the subsequent.
We even came upon that Pink (the pop singer) owns a winery within the Santa Barbara hills.
Wandering by way of the Funk Zone, we ended up on Stearns Wharf watching the sundown.
Oenology in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone
Within the morning it was up and out early for our 11:00 Santa Barbara Trolley Tour, a 90 minute tour that takes the rider to all of the superb spots within the metropolis.
It’s hop-on and hop-off so we had been in a position to benefit from the sights earlier than leaping off to seize a espresso and a spot of lunch.
Our ultimate cease earlier than leaping within the automobile and making our means alongside Freeway 1 was Santa Barbara Zoo.
I’m an enormous animal lover so this was an ideal technique to end off our time and I used to be so impressed with the number of animals and the way nicely they had been sorted.
It was undoubtedly a spotlight for me.
Hop-on to see the sights in Santa Barbaram
The subsequent morning, simply because the heavens opened, we jumped into our automobile and commenced to make our means up Freeway 1, essentially the most stunning and well-known of the coastal roads in North America.
Famend for its magnificence and views, we headed north in direction of San Simeon within the rain, with the visibility so dangerous it turned onerous to see the automobiles in entrance, not to mention the gorgeous surroundings!
We pulled up into our motel for the night time and hoped it might cease by the morning.
We had been in luck and woke as much as stunning blue skies and headed to the notorious Hearst Castle.
It’s was onerous to think about the beautiful grandeur that lay forward as we spied the very ideas of the citadel from the winding coastal street glistening within the sunshine.
As soon as aboard the small tour bus we’re guided up the rolling hills in direction of the citadel, simply as Mr Hearst’s friends would have accomplished.
The tour-proper begins by way of the spectacular Hearst Fort Gardens; a myriad of unique bushes, gorgeous sculptures and delightful blooming flowers.
Inside is a maze of European artwork, trinkets and beautiful structure.
It actually looks like getting into Jay Gatsby’s extraordinary home on West Egg and it’s really easy to think about the extravagant celebration friends dancing and consuming all through the rooms of this spectacular citadel.
Hearst Fort, inspiration for Xanadu, dwelling of Charles Kane in Citizen Kane
We left Hearst Fort and had been on again on the street.
We needed to head again the way in which we got here alongside Freeway 1 because of the devastating mudslide at Large Sur earlier this yr.
In case you’re passing by way of the realm, the newest details about the Freeway 1 detour, to not point out all of the websites to see alongside the choice route, could be discovered on the
http://www.visitsanluisobispocounty.com/getting-here#present” goal=“_blank”>San Luis Obispo County web site.
Nevertheless, the brand new route meant we may have lunch on the notorious Madonna Inn.
This enchantingly kitsch resort boasts a menagerie of rooms, every with a distinct and fantastic theme.
We had been fortunate sufficient to be proven just a few by the final supervisor: The Austrian Suite, Swiss Rock and Daisy Mae.
Probably the most well-known are the rock rooms, embedded into actual rock.
Right here friends snooze sweetly, surrounded by the naked rock face, and the particularly spectacular waterfall showers are undoubtedly one to have a go in!
It truly is a magical place and it’s simple to grasp why it has turn out to be the notorious vacation vacation spot it has, not just for these travelling from overseas but in addition from interstate.
Rock rooms on the Madonna Inn
After a implausible lunch within the Copper Cafe we started our subsequent journey in direction of Santa Cruz, with a pit cease in Carmel-by-the-sea, a beautiful small seaside city with winding streets stuffed with character and attraction.
We stopped at Carmel Bakery for a slice of apple pie earlier than watching the solar go down throughout the water.
Views over Carmel-by-the-sea, California
The subsequent morning we made our means by way of Santa Cruz earlier than ending up in our final spot: San Francisco.
The climate was wonderful and we walked alongside the promenade.
Whereas ready for the rides to open we popped into the arcade to strive our luck at successful some toys and grabbed an early morning ice cream.
At 11:00 the Boardwalk opened and queues had been already forming for the massive rides.
Dad and I made a decision on The Large Dipper which first opened in 1924 and nonetheless thrills to today!
The standard crimson and white picket journey is a implausible landmark to Santa Cruz and as we rose to the highest of the dip we may see the view throughout the sand and out to sea.
Wowing the crowds since 1924
After The Large Dipper we started the ultimate stretch, the final hour drive to San Francisco.
We had been staying on the Vertigo Hotel, the exact same resort that in Hitchcock’s 1958 thriller of the identical title was used as the situation for Judy Barton’s resort.
As large Hitchcock followers this was very thrilling.
After fairly a little bit of excited image taking up the stairwell to imitate the long-lasting photographs we headed out to dinner earlier than collapsing into mattress.
Who knew squeezing a lot in can be so exhausting!
Billie Hakansson and her father Mark on the Vertigo Lodge
However we had an early begin to rise up and over to catch the ferry to Alcatraz.
Based on TripAdvisor, taking a visit to Alcatraz Island is the primary exercise to do in San Francisco – and now we perceive why.
Not solely is the tour exceptionally informative and emotionally evocative, however the audio information across the jail takes the perception into the inmates, the guards, the cells and the historical past of the place to an entire new stage.
We actually do agree that in case you’re in San Francisco you must make the day journey to Alcatraz.
My little piece of The Rock
Subsequent we determined to make use of our GoCity Pass to discover what different issues San Francisco needed to provide.
We made our means in direction of the well-known Fisherman’s Wharf, grabbed a slice of pizza and watched the ocean lions sunbathing earlier than leaping onto the hop-on hop-off Large Bus.
At roughly 90 minutes the bus does a full loop of the most important locations all through the town, all narrated by our extremely educated tour information, from Chinatown to The Golden Gate Bridge and the whole lot in between – undoubtedly one of the best ways to see all of the sights in case you don’t have a lot time.
Billie taking a tour of San Francisco
It was one other early night time as the next day was the final for dad in San Francisco earlier than heading dwelling.
We determined to rise up brilliant and early and head throughout to the California Academy of Sciences with our GoCity passes to absorb some data – the penguins had been a private favorite!
After than I needed to wave bye to dad as he flew again to London, leaving me with one ultimate day to discover San Francisco alone.
I made a decision to make use of the remainder of my GoCity Move on one of many different must-do points of interest: The Cable Automobile.
I used to be given a tip off that in case you be part of the queue alongside the route the ready time is so much shorter!
As such I jumped on just a few stops after the departure cease however because it was a sunny Saturday it was nonetheless fairly busy, however clutching onto the bar, I hung off the aspect and it was wonderful.
Not solely did I get a implausible view of San Francisco but in addition it was nice enjoyable, and ending off at Fisherman’s Wharf I used to be in a position to stroll right down to the Aquarium for my ultimate vacationer cease of the day.
The stroll by way of tunnel of San Francisco Bay Aquarium was fascinating, with sharks and stingrays and all of the mad trying fish, the gorgeous arrange was loved by children and fogeys alike and undoubtedly by me.
The aquarium finishes off with a contact pool the place I used to be in a position to pet a stingray and a wee child shark earlier than following into the otter room.
I’ve a deep love for otters so all of a sudden discovering myself head to head with a beautiful, pleasant pair was an actual deal with to finish my day and my time in San Francisco.
I jumped again on my cable automobile to my hostel, packed up my baggage and bought prepared for my flight to New Orleans the subsequent day.
Our father/daughter street journey had come to an finish, two fantastic weeks of exploring, driving, laughing and consuming espresso that we might always remember.
For now we needed to say goodbye to the west coast and head again to actuality…
Extra Data
Freeway 1 is one the world’s most celebrated routes.
Starting in San Diego, on the southern finish of California, the street travels north to seaside cities, the bustle and pleasure of Los Angeles, by way of elegant Santa Barbara and surrounding wine nation, then north to extra seashores and points of interest in Carmel, Monterey, and Santa Cruz.
Discover out extra on the official website.
Phrases: Billie Hakansson. Pictures: Mark Hakansson.
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