By Karen Rubin with Eric Leiberman, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
Our adventure down California’s famous (and fragile) Pacific Highway 1 – rightly considered one of the most scenic byways in the country – which began in San Francisco comes to an end in Redondo Beach.
You don’t have to go far outside of San Francisco for the incredible coastal scenes to come into view, as well as interesting, funky and fun beachtowns, like Santa Cruz (with its Coney-Island-ish amusement park on the beach) and Capitola (really scenic, where we stop to stroll), before coming into Monterey for our first night.
Monterey was made famous by John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row” and now with a world renowned Aquarium; I love taking the self-guided history walk and visiting the history museum and Customs House).
We follow the Pacific Highway 1 as it hugs the cliffs that get ever more dramatic as we come into Big Sur. We pull over frequently to take in those breathtaking views that look like the edge of the Continent just fell into the ocean.
We come the Bixby Creek Bridge. Big Sur’s answer to the Golden Gate Bridge, it is a incredibly dramatic sight that actually competes for its man-made achievement with the spectacular scenes that nature has made. Completed in 1932 for $200,000 (a bargain at $4.6 million in 2024 dollars), the concrete span is one of the highest bridges of its kind in the world, soaring 260 feet from the steep canyon carved by Bixby Creek. It is awesome to contemplate how this structure was even constructed and to learn that the bridge was completed before the road. There are a few viewing spots you can pull off before the bridge going south (and a short hike you can take for closer viewing) and another about a mile south looking back at it.
We get another, completely different perspective of the Bixby Creek bridge on the way back up to Monterey (the route to go south to Cambria because the Pacific Highway is closed off in sections), from the other side of the road.
Not much further, we see the Big Creek Bridge, which looks similar, but is not as dramatic in its setting.
We spend a couple of days hiking and exploring in the Big Sur (thoroughly enjoyed hiking the Tan Bark Trail in the Julia Pfeiffer state park and then, across the road, a fantastic walk to McWay Falls, an 80 ft waterfall flowing straight into the ocean) in Partington Cove, overnighting at the utterly enchanting, historic Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn (www.deejens.org, 831-667-2377), so we get to see an amazing sunset and hear the bellowing chorus of elephant seals at the Seal Beach overlook (I wonder to myself whether they purposely form a chorus or are they competing for attention.) We drive almost as far south as we can on the Pacific Highway before it is closed to traffic.
To continue south, we have to backtrack to Monterey, then drive inland and three hours south on Highway 101 to come into Cambria, where we thrill to see the spectacular Hearst Castle, the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas, Moonstone Beach and Ragged Point (at the southern tip of Big Sur).
After Cambria, we follow the Highway along the coast – stopping in fun beachtowns including Morro Bay, Cayucos (which is on the Whale Trail), Pismo Beach (retro 1950s/1960s vibe, vintage Airstreams on the pier that serves as snack bar and visitors center), before slipping back inland. Here, we drive through California’s rich farmland and discover some astonishing places: Los Alamos (not the New Mexico atomic testing place, but this old-timey, 1880s town that has a Michelin-rated restaurant, a sensational saloon/hotel that looks like a movie set for a Western that gives you this overall surreal sensation of not knowing where or when you are).
We continue on to Solvang in the Santa Ynez Valley, another surreal experience that makes you think you have suddenly been transported to Denmark (too weird after the Wild West vibe of Los Alamos and the ‘50s beach vibe of Pismo Beach – the town was founded in 1911 by three Danish immigrants, and somehow, have managed to keep the entire town architecturally and culturally Danish).
Then going back onto the coastal highway to stop at Santa Barbara which has fantastic nightlife – restaurants, music venues – they close down the main street for pedestrians and the music just spills into the street. We pass a movie theater where the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is underway, and find a live Beatles tribute band even in the tiny vegetarian restaurant we happen into, then, on the walk back, wander into a pub where the jazz is sensational, and a brewery featuring a hometown-rock band-made-good. In the morning, we find the festive recreation path along the beach,before continuing on to our final stop on our Pacific Highway roadtrip, Redondo Beach.
Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina
Redondo Beach is this laid back beach town – a place where (I suspect) they get more vacation home/condo owners from Los Angeles than transient visitors, so it feels like a community.
Our base is the Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina, a casual yet sophisticated city-style resort hotel decorated in beach-y colors and motif, decorated with stunning photographs of nature and sealife – as comfortable for a corporate retreat or wedding as for a weekend beach getaway.
We arrive at the Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina in the night and flop down in a stunning and spacious suite, then go to explore Frenchman’s Wharf across the boulevard from the resort.
Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina is surrounded by views of the Pacific Ocean and the Palos Verdes Hills and 346 spacious guest rooms, 8 suites and a Presidential Suite. The vibe is coastal-chic, with custom hardwood finishes, fine furnishings, and colors that evoke the water and sand. Rooms have private balcony with views of the pool, marina and ocean. The rooms also equipped with in-room safe and mini refrigerator. Accessible rooms are available.
A true resort, the Sonesta Redondo Beach offers a heated outdoor pool and tennis court (lights for night play, free to use; rackets and balls available) on the recreation deck, a fully-equipped fitness center (open 24 hours; there are plans to offer massage therapy), rental bikes ($20/two hours; $30/day, helmet and lock provided), and on-site dining at SOL (made-to-order omelet station for breakfast, Asian/American fusion for dinner) and the Harbor Bar & Bistro (local favorites and signature cocktails in a hip atmosphere, for lunch and dinner) and being a luxury hotel, in-room dining is also available. It also offers meeting rooms and a ballroom that can accommodate up to 500, making it one of the largest facilities in the area. It even has a laundry available for guest use. The resort also has its own garage for valet and self-parking.
This is the beach vacation portion of our Pacific Highway 1 trip that had taken us along the Big Sur cliffs and forests, the rocky beaches and coves of Cambria and extraordinary cultural, historical and natural attractions of Monterey and San Simeon.
Now we are level with the ocean – the surf pounding with dramatic waves that so entice surfers.
The next morning, after breakfast in its SOL restaurant, I take out take out one of the resort’s rental bikes and bike the 12 miles along the recreational path along the beach up to Venice Beach – it is so colorful and fun and the ride is really beautiful with the beach on one side, and homes and shops on the other (excellent rest facilities along the way).
Nearby attractions include: Redondo Beach Pier and International Boardwalk, Seaside Lagoon, Riviera Village, Hermosa Beach, Del Amo Fashion Center, SoFi Stadium, Kia Forum, Intuit Dome, Dignity Health Sports Park, Manhattan Beach Village shopping Center, The Point on Pacific Coast Highway in El Segundo, Porsche Experience Center.
The Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina is also just a short drive (like 30 minutes) to Los Angeles International Airport.
Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina, 300 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, CA 90277, 310-318-8888, sonesta.com/redondobeach.
More trip planning help: https://highway1roadtrip.com/ and https://www.visitcalifornia.com/
See also:
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC HIGHWAY ROADTRIP: CAMBRIA IS ENCHANTING BASE TO VISIT HEARST’S ‘ENCHANTED HILL’
CAMBRIA IS GREAT BASE FOR CALIFORNIA PACIFIC HIGHWAY 1 ROADTRIP
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