Southern California
A South-to-North view of some highlights of Southern California.
San DiegoCoronadoCoronado is a peninsula in the curve of the San Diego Bay that houses a large military base as well as a beautiful beach and the reknowned Hotel Del Coronado. Scenes for Some Like it Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, were filmed at the "Hotel Del" in 1958, and no less than ten presidents have dined in the reportedly fabulous restaurant. Unfortunately the Hotel has reorganized and closed the history museum that used to occupy one of their lower hallways, but many of the historical comments and photos can be found around the hotel and especially in the stationary shop on the main level. The Hotel Del Coronado is worth visiting anytime you are in Coronado. They have a small but lovely garden with a view of the beach to the front of the hotel, and a courtyard garden within, and there are a number of neat shops downstairs, of which the pearl is the gem store. The San Diego Aerospace MuseumSan Diego's Balboa Park is the largest metropolitan cultural park in the United States. Attractions include the San Diego Aerospace Museum, which houses the International Aerospace Hall of Fame, a reproduction of the Spirit of St. Louis and numerous other historical displays. The Women in Aerospace exibit is all too small, but still appreciated.The San Diego ZooThe San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park are "not to be missed" destinations for any animal lover arriving in the San Diego area. The Zoo is in Balboa Park, while the Wild Animal Park is about 25 minutes north of town off I-15 at Via Rancho Parkway.
Long BeachAt the South end of the L.A. Metropolitan Area, Long Beach is home to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Easily reachable at the end of I-710, the aquarium offers lots of wonderful experiences including petting pools for touching rays and sharks, a beautiful collection of both local and tropical fish and coral, and the world's only captive-bred Sea Dragons (a relative of the Sea Horse)! This aquarium is smaller than the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but the gift shop is better and many of the displays are different. Especially fun for little kids is an underwater walkway in the middle of a playful romping tank for sleek sea lions and some slightly more plump harbour seals. They also offer a Behind the Scenes Tour that lets you meet some volunteers and get a better idea of how the aquarium is run.
Los AngelesGriffith ParkAt the intersection of I-5 and highway 134, Griffith Park is freakin' huge and a great place to take a break from freeway driving. Groups of picnic tables make it a good place for group events as well. Some of the bathrooms were locked when we were there, but there was one open, so it worked out.The Will Rogers State Historic ParkThis park was once a 186-acre ranch. Donated to the state by Betty Rogers, the Will Rogers State Historic Park hosts the last outdoor polo field in L.A. County, as well as the Rogers family home and stables, and a 2-mile loop trail that offers outstanding views of the ocean and downtown L.A.; be sure to take water so you can hike. Take I-405 to Sunset Boulevard West -- signs on the right side of the road will lead you up to the park, which sits at the tip of the Santa Monica Mountains.Note: this park does not have any public phones. It used to, but apparently the phone company no longer considers it worth the expense.
Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)Highway 1, or the Pacific Coast Highway, travels up the coast of California and has much to offer the traveler with time to spare. Along the route from San Diego to L.A. we recommend you check out Laguna Beach for lovely views out to the ocean and a plethora of restaurants. Farther up the coast, highway 1 takes you to Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, and right past many wonderful beaches and state parks. Just north of San Simeon you can stop to tour the Hearst Castle, former home of media mogul William Randolph Hearst, then prepare for the more natural beauty of the Big Sur Coastline. If you are going to travel this way, we recommend you pick up the latest edition of California Escapes, a free guide to what to see in the CA state park system. Noted below are some details of the state parks we visited along our way.Point Mugu State ParkOne of many state parks that offer hot showers for only a few quarters - be sure to take some if staying the night.Point Mugu has a walk-through to the beach, hiking trails up into the foothills of the mountains, and lots of resident rabbits. Gaviota State Park33 miles west of Santa Barbara, this park can be very windy. Bring stakes and a hammer if you intend to pitch a tent. Or borrow a hammer from some other camper, which is what we did. When we were there in September of 2002 the park was reglarly visited by a family of wild pigs. Probably descended from a family of domesticated pigs, this roaming band was a bit of a nuisance and was assumed to have come down from the hills due to the summer's drought.Pismo State BeachDon't miss the dunes! Camping directly on the beach in primitive conditions is worth it for a walk in the expansive dunes at this state beach. The beach itself is also a good place to hunt for sand dollars. If they're purple and have little tentacles on the bottom, throw them back, they're still alive.
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State ParkThere is no camping at this small state park, but there is space to picnic, a restroom and a decent pump for drinking water, plenty of parking, a rather dificult hiking trail up a creek and through redwoods, and an easy walk out Overlook trail to a gorgeous view of a protected cove and a white beach with an 80-foot waterfall descending to it from granite cliffs. A lot of people come down the trail only far enough to see the waterfall, but we recommend you go to the end of the trail, around the point, where you can see an extended view of the amazing california coast. Benches at this end of the trail are another plus.Pfeiffer Big Sur State ParkAfter a gourmet meal at the Big Sur State Park Lodge, you can spend a night camping among redwoods and laurel trees, and/or beside a burbling creek. In addition to a fine restaurant, there are also a grocery store and a gift shop at the lodge. Another facility in the middle of the campground provides snacks and supplies, firewood and a laundrymat, but it's usually closed in the morning.At this and other states parks in California, the weary traveler should not be dissuaded by a "campground full" sign at the entrance to the park. Ask at the entrance station, and most likely you can pick up a campsite that is being vacated that day.
Point LobosThe mystical beauty of the flora in this surreal landscape is astonishing. We wished we had time to take every single trail. The fauna are pretty cool too: turkey vultures, sea lions and reputedly sea otters make this their home. You can hear the sea lions long before you can see them, adding to the atmosphere as you walk through moss-covered trees such as were made famous in the photography of Ansel Adams.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park6 miles north of Santa Cruz on highway 9, this park was quite a find. An old-growth grove is home to redwoods more than 1500 years old. Happily, local parents seem to make it a regular walking destination. Huge trees. One of them is hollowed out at the bottom and used to be rented out for people to sleep in, back when this land was owned by a resort. Take a flashlight so you can look up into the tree from within.The campground is harder to find than the main part of the park. Go a mile north of the main entrance into Felton and turn East at the streetlight; go past the Roaring Camp Big Trees Railroad; the campground will be on your right. This campground seems to be something of a local secret and there are not many signs for it from the streets, though a couple signs will direct you to it from inside the main part of the park. Interestly enough, the CA state park web page for Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park doesn't even mention camping is available. However, the campground is listed under Felton in the AAA CampBook. Hot showers were free the week we were there. |
