Road Trip on the Pacific Coast Highway

My cousin Julia got married to the man of her dreams in Carmel Valley this past weekend, which meant… road trip! Not just any road trip, we cruised the Pacific Coast Highway, both ways. The drive on the Pacific Coast Highway isn’t like the typical east coast highways that I’m accustomed to. This road trip was fun packed with wineries, elephant seal watching, chin dropping cliff views and just a constant beautiful, open scenic view the entire drive. Not saying that the 7, 8…9 hours (I lost track) wasn’t a long time but a few pit stops sure helped pass the time.

What brought me the most joy on this trip was to see my all family together. My immediate family on the East Coast that I have missed the dearest and my Nor Cal family, whom brought us all together. It was such a blessing.

If you happen to be traveling along the Pacific Coast Highway be sure to check out all the places we did! There is much more to see but we brought the fur baby along, so we were limited to some of the attractions. Hearst Castle is next on the list, no fur babies allowed on the premises. Claps to the hubby who drove the whole car ride… I will warn you, a good amount of that road trip was with no cellular service, which we weren’t prepared for. This means lots of quality talking time. No Instagram, Facebook, phone calls, Spotify, Podcasts the list goes on… Somehow we made it through 😉 And don’t forget to bring a sweater or an easy layering piece. The weather changes constantly.

Wearing- Crop Top: Forever 21; Shorts: J Brand (old similar here); Gladiator Sandals: Siegerson Morrison (Old, similar here); Body Chain: Marrin Costello

Elephant Seal Beach: Just a few minutes north of Hearst Castle at San Simeon.

Whale Watchers Cafe: CA 1, Big Sur. Great place to stop and fuel up with an amazing view. Made my boys happy after being stuck in the car for several hours.

Big Sur: This was of course our favorite and most scenic stop along the Pacific Coast Highway. The beauty of the Santa Lucia Mountains and how they rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean made for great memories.

Wearing- Dress: Sachin & Babi; Chanel Boy Bag: Bag Borrow or Steal; Heels: Enzo Angiolini 

Carmel Valley: We stayed at the Gardener Ranch which had the most incredible view that a wedding site could have. The ranch was secluded to the wedding guests with a pool surrounded by Mountains and open skies. It was the perfect location to celebrate Julia’s wedding with loved ones 🙂

Carmel-by-the-Sea: We stayed an extra day after the wedding in Carmel-by-the-Sea with my sister, brother-in-law and the kids. The city was gorgeous with lots of little boutiques and restaurants to walk around after a family trip to the beach. I highly recommend this area as there are lots of attractions and perfect for a romantic get away and great for the kids. I wish we had more time to explore some more. I guess we will have to plan another trip!

Santa Barbara: We stopped in Santa Barbara for dinner on our way back home. Phil was in the mood for Mexican and most places are dog friendly which was helpful. We tried out Los Agaves right off the Pacific Coast Highway, it was delicious and quite full filling. The peach margarita helped me doze off for the last two hours riding home.

Hand Chain by Tiny Devotions 

 

It was an eventful weekend as you can see. If you are ever planning a trip to California or traveling the state, you must stop and take in the beauty that this State has to offer. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.

Xo

Michelle