OJAI - A Californian Summer - Part five

What we saw of Ojai was a sweet small town with a parade of boutique shops, cafes and yoga studios to explore but the cream of the area had to be where we stayed at The Caravan Outpost. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more like I’m living my best hippie life than here. Each accomodation is a vintage style airstream caravan, with additional central bathrooms, toilets and an uber cool shop and reception selling vintage clothes, accessories, homewares, books, magazines and snacks. No cowboy or girl would feel out of place but neither did we.

Visiting Caravan Outpost is like joining a family you never knew existed. It’s a place to unwind and connect with nature, music and a simpler life. We met families, couples and friends travelling through all wanting something different, not just a room to bed for the night.
The community consists of 11 airstreams caravans and some magical staff, good vibes, a never ending supply of s’mores which literally made our enitre evening. We ended up playing games like cornhole set up in the central area , ordering pizza from their local delivery and then everyone staying seemed to make a beeline for the fire pits for connecting and chatting with their new neighbours. The night we were there we got amazing tips for visiting LA and Palm springs, plus stories and adventures of places not on our list that trip we’d definitely come back for. We were the only Brits but we loved meeting likeminded Americans travelling through with their own roadtrips and adventures. Each of the named airstreams features record players, books & magazines plus there’s free bikes to use to run the casual loop trail round the back of the park, where kids have their own lemonade stands on show. It’s not just a place to stay it’s a glimpse into another life.

Where we stayed - Caravan Outpost - 317 Bryant St. Ojai CA 93023. 11 airstreams are available sleeping up to a total of 46 guests if each are at capacity. Some even allow your dog to stay too.

Cost - $188 a night for each caravan sleeping up to 4 people. so we shared 3 between our group of 10. Plus we paid $20 for the use of the sofa bed. There are a couple of bigger ones available for larger groups of 5, but get in early to make sure they are available.

Pacific Coast Highway to CAMBRIA - A Californian Summer - Part FOUR and a half!

I’ve always wanted to say I was riding the PCH . Translated as driving on the Pacific Coast Highway. That stretch of over 600 miles of road that clings to the most coastal areas and offers some othe best scenery in the whole of California. It’s the kind of road that you drive just for fun.

We started our road trip in San Francisco (the start of the PCH) but then ventured inland for Sonoma, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite so venturing down after leaving Carmel was our first real view at what this road had to offer. There are so many stops you can make and although you can drive the whole thing in under 10 hours without stopping, where’s the fun in that?

THE BIG SUR. My research had told me that the Big Sur - one of the longest and most scenic stretches of the road, where the Santa Lucia mountains hit the Pacific Ocean, was not to be underappreciated. The famous Bixby Bridge is a great marker that you’ve arrived in this area and it’s probably worth parking up to fully take in the experience. We decided that past Bixby Bridge was a good place to rest and relax for a beautiful lunch. Nepenthe Restaurant is a legend in this area. The views are divine. We were a table of 10 and so we called ahead when leaving Carmel to let them know we were coming. The drive from Carmel took around 1hour and 40 minutes and we were happy we reserved a table as the waiting times here can be crazy. I think this has to be one of my favourite restaurants on the whole trip. Not just for the ambience or the view but the food and staff. The Ambrosia burger is amazing! The only issue is it’s up a steep hillside and might not be suitable for anyone with mobility problems.

CAMBRIA. We arrived in Cambria after another hour of driving and headed straight for our accomodation at Oceanpoint Ranch. I found this little gem after searching for accomodation that had a design aesthetic and we were not disappointed. It’s situated a short stroll to Moonstone Beach. A wild and beautiful stretch of rocks and sand in Cambria, but also was home to a games room, outdoor pool, restaurant, stunning design and this was the place that introduced us to the s’mores life and outdoor gaming. Cornhole, firepits and garden games which enticed all the guests to come and connect of an evening.

Can you spot my trend? America is so good at having two Queen beds in a room and it’s so good for families. This boutique hotel had everything we needed and more. We loved it so much we didn’t have much time to check out the town itself but i’ve been told we missed out not visiting Linn’s for a pie that has made the town famous. Next time for sure! We met some lovely travellers here including some Spanish families our children played with even through the language barrier and a Chinese couple who shared their birthday cake and celebrations with us. You really couldn’t ask much more from a one night stop along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Riding the PCH . Don’t forget to stop around Bixby Bridge and The Big Sur for photos and life appreciation.

Where we ate - Nepenthe - 48510 Highway One - Big Sur. A sunny platform restaurant carved into the rock with brightly coloured umbrellas and a 180 degree walk around view to appreciate. Great food, staff and location. Just watch all the steps. The parking is also tight and we ended up parking on the road below. Other things to look out for are McWay Falls and the Elephant Seal Vista Point.

Cambria

Where we stayed - Oceanpoint Ranch - 7200 Moonstone Beach Drive. Cost. We paid £250 for the 5 of us in one room with free parking via booking.com. This boutique hotel has so much to offer and is perfect for anyone wanting a beautiful pit stop en route.

Don’t miss - a walk to Moonstone Beach and a trip into town to sample one of Linn’s famous pies! If you fancy a trip to Hearst Castle, the 56 bedroom design marvel of William Randall Hearst, you are only a few miles away! In it’s heyday this was visited by many 1920’s and 30’s movie stars of Hollywood and even had its own exotic zoo. You can still see the zebras from the highway!

After leaving Cambria the list of stops are endless. You can move onto Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach or straight onto Santa Barbara. We headed to Santa Barbara and the town of Ojai for the most magical stay in The Caravan Outpost, an airstream lovers dream. Come back on Friday for all of the magic of these special places.

Monterey & Carmel - A Californian Summer - Part Four

Monterey & Carmel

We took the 4 hour drive from Yosemite and drove straight to Carmel. Generally people group these two towns together as they are next door and often visited together. Carmel is essentially a pretty lined grid of streets filled with independent cafes bakeries and boutiques. The bottom of the grid lies a large stretch of Sandy white beach and is also famous for the 1 7 Mile Drive. We spent a couple of hours mooching around the sunny centre of town, stopped for a quick lunch and to test the white sand, then sneak a view from the lookout binoculars before heading onto our hotel for the next two nights in Monterey.

I have a fundamental issue with Monterey. The weather. It seems to be in its own micro climate which also happens to resemble the cold, gloomy skies of a classic grey British day. It’s not my friend. Even in sunny California, there are areas where you can come and feel right at home. Ten minutes away in Carmel it may have been a beautiful sunny delight but Monterey was like flying back home to England for its blustery greys and drizzly skies. For this reason alone 2 nights is the perfect amount of time to do the best things this town has to offer because Monterey excels in Aquariums and Humpback whales!

There’s an attractive main street area in Monterey decorated with all the shops and eateries, plus a pier filled with seafood restaurants and sweet shops selling every type of sugar delight and their famous salt water taffy. If you have kids that still love a playground definitely head to the amazing Dennis the Menace themed playground. We didn’t make it with our age groups and timings but its also next to a man made lake where you can rent paddleboats.

Whale watching. We were lucky enough to see over 30 humpback whales on our early morning trip with @monterey_bay_whale_watch plus numerous funny little sea lions that entertain you and help the whales feed. The tour we took started at 8am for a half day explore, so we checked in at 7.30am on the Pier office where you can also watch the funny sealions hanging around and were advised to take some seasickness medication before we boarded. They had both natural ginger tablets and the hard stuff to choose from so whatever floats your seasickness boat. As I said, Monterey is much like England - cold and grey. If you go out on a boat I highly recommend you take a down feather jacket or a thermal layer/numerous layers and gloves. I really can’t explain that even in summer it’s freezing. 4 hours at sea is a long time to be cold. If you are on a long trip like us bringing a thermal layer might seem silly but if you intened to whale watch its an essential. Totally worth it to see these beautiful creatures in nature. Be prepared to make lots of ‘oohs and ahhs.’ They are magical. Obviously whales aren’t guaranteed and there’s certain times of year they are more common but during August the company we went with had daily sightings.

Monterey Bay Aquarium. If Carlsberg made Aquariums, this would be it! I’ve been to a fair few of these in my life being an ocean loving family but I can guarantee this is a unique place. The beautiful building houses everything from the showstopping glass underwaterworlds to kelp forests, otter habitats, dressing up toddler areas, touch tidepools and waterfall experiences where you can sit underneath glass boxes and feel the force of a waterwall falling on top and all around you. It’s legit cool. If you are organised in advance you can also try scuba diving in their education pool. The whole experience goes on and on and just when you think you are finished you find another floor or exhibit. It’s immersive and interactive. The cafe is spot on and i can confirm the gift shops were highly popular too but the top highlight for me were the jellyfish. They were something else. Monterey Bay Aquarium Day tickets are currently between $34.95 and $49.95 and theres a free bus that takes you there from the town centre.

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Where we Stayed

Hotel Pacific There’s not too much choice on offer in this area for big families but we managed to stay in a good sized room with simple decor and a fireplace. Two double beds, a sofa bed and a small dining table kitchenette so perfect for anyone wanting to brave the weather and stay longer. Breakfast wasn’t a strong point but if you just need a coffee and some toast you’re good to go. The location was perfect for walking around the main areas. There’s also underground parking (no valet) at the hotel for a fee.

Cost We paid approximately £392 for two nights (without parking and tax) with 5 people in a room. For under £200 a night it was a great choice.

Highlights

Carmel - Make sure you visit Carmel for the pretty town, cafes and shops. Plus a beautiful sandy beach.

Monterey Bay Aquarium - no brainer for all agaes. For more information visit here.

Whale Watching - We used Monterey Bay Whale Watch which I’d highly recommend. I’d book on the first day of your stay in case it gets cancelled due to choppy seas and you need to rearrange it to the next day. Remember WARM clothes and to take sea sickness prevention and a camera!

Dennis The Menace Playground - 777 Pearl St, Monterey.

17 Mile Drive. A scenic drive through wild rugged beauty. Cliffs, beaches and forest passing the famous Pebble Beach golf course. You pay a small toll of $10.50 with includes a map of the key vistas along the way and the iconic Lone Cypress. So many cool animals to spot along the route and loads of areas to pull over and get out of your car. The best part of this however is seeing all the AMAZING houses en route. If you’ve ever seen BIG LITTLE LIES with Reece Witherspoon, it’s where the majority of this was filmed! There are several entrances which can take around 18 minutes to drive, but allow an hour including all the times you might want to pull over and take a better look.

There’s so much to pack into this guide you’ll have to come back for part 4 and a half ! Our journey down the Pacific Coast Highway to CAMBRIA and Part five, our visit to OJAI to stay in the airstreams of Caravan Outpost. See you Monday!