If you missed the first 2 parts of this road trip, you can check them out here!
Part 3 took us up the West Coast from San Diego all the way back to Seattle. Check out where we stopped!
9. Los Angeles (Day 8)
San Diego to Los Angeles 121 miles (about 1 hour, 58 minutes)
We took off from San Diego early in the morning and headed up the California coast taking in Malibu and all the beautiful coastal towns on the way! We made a pit stop in Los Angeles to see Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory! I have watched Rob and Big and Fantasy Factory from day 1 and have loved them. My boyfriend found the factory several years before and had even got to take a picture with Rob Dyrdek, so I have no idea where the factory actually is. Anyway, we found it and took a few pictures in front of it!
We took a drive through Beverly Hills so I could get my mansion fix, then drove by the Playboy Mansion, followed by a quick tour through the Hollywood Hills (I don’t know who would want to live up there, the streets are crumbling and no one has an actual parking space). Finally, the moment my boyfriend had been waiting for: a stop to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. He used to come here when he lived in San Diego so it was a must on our road trip. I have to say, I was impressed!
Websites:
10. San Luis Obispo (Day 10)
Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo 189 miles (about 3 hours, 8 minutes)
San Luis Obispo is a great place to stay overnight. In the morning you can head to the famous Madonna Inn where each hotel room features a different theme. Unfortunately, they don’t let you view them if you are just a visitor to the hotel, but check out the men’s bathroom in the lobby (if you can), or head into their restaurant for some breakfast. Pictured below is their pool area! Amazing!
Websites:
11. Morro Bay (Day 10)
San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay 13 miles (about 18 minutes)
After San Luis Obispo, we headed out to the California coast to Morro Bay, a tiny little town that is known for the giant rock shooting out of the bay! I went here several years ago and just had to go back! You can drive out and actually hike around the rock as well, but be ready for a million pot holes that will probably ruin your car! There are several surf shops located where most people park to take pictures of the rock. If you know me, I am a sucker for surf/skater wear so I love surf shops! I ended up finally finding Ocean Minded flip flops! If you have never owned any, they are the most comfortable flip flops ever! They mold to your feet and get more comfortable the more times you wear them!
12. San Simeon (Day 10)
Morro Bay to San Simeon 29.4 miles (about 35 minutes)
Located just several hours north of Los Angeles is a town called San Simeon. There aren’t many signs that let you know where you are, but it is where Hearst castle is located! I love anything castle or archaeology so this was exciting for me! Both my boyfriend and I had already done the tour recommended for first timers several years ago, so we were able to take a different tour which included a tour of the grounds, several of the guest houses, the kitchen and several of the bedrooms. They also let us walk around ourselves after the tour was complete! If you are unfamiliar with who the heck Hearst is, William Randolph Hearst was an American newspaper publisher who started the largest newspaper chain. If you still don’t know who he is, check the side of your Cosmopolitan, or ELLE, or HGTV Magazine, or Redbook. You can thank Hearst for those magazines!
Tour fees: Starting at $25
Website:
13. Eugene (Day 10-11)
San Simeon to Eugene 749 miles (about 11 hours, 23 minutes)
We left San Simeon and had another very long drive ahead of us. We ended up getting to Eugene around 11pm on day 10. I went to school at the University of Oregon so I still had some friends living there! We got to crash at my friends apartment. On day 11, we met up with friends and went wine tasting. I was never 21 when I lived in Eugene so this was like a whole new experience. We visited two wineries who are across from each other: Sweet Cheeks Winery and Silvan Ridge. Our first stop was to Silvan Ridge where it was not very busy. The server must have been feeling very generous because we were given several more wines to try that were not on the wine tasting menu! We ended up purchasing a dessert wine and then made our way across the hill to Sweet Cheeks Winery. Again, this winery was not very busy. We were given several more samples as well and decided to purchase a bottle and take it to their outside patio area complete with a fireplace! I don’t like wine at all, but was willing to give them a try (let me tell you, forcing myself to drink multiple samples of wine did not change my pallet).
Websites:
We left Eugene the following morning and arrived home five hours later! It was a long drive, but definitely worth it. We got to see places we had wanted to visit for a long time and even shared places each one of us had been with one another! We saw many friends and family along the way, and if I could, I would do it all over again!
Eugene to Seattle 283 miles (about 4 hours 25 minutes)
I am glad that I decided to do a road trip like this. I was able to see some of the touristy sites I have been wanting to see for a long time. Since we did a road trip, we also got to experience some of the things you don’t see unless you have a car to explore with!
Have you all been to any of these sites? What did you love?
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