Put the top down, put your Raybans on and feel the warm breeze through your hair! California here we come drivin’ up the 101. californiaaaaah has been ringing through my mind the last few days. I am reminiscing the road trip my girlfriend, Michelle and I endeavoured up highway101 “PCH” Pacific Coastal Highway. This isn’t my first visit, but this visit gave me more to appreciate than I could have imagined. With the movie industry based in LA, images through cinema come freely. But embarrassingly, I think my oldest memories involve Baywatch buxom babes bouncing through the crashing waves on outstretched golden beaches; or the A-team’s Mr T’s jewellery counter and convertible Rolls Royces driving through elegant palm tree lined avenues beneath a cataclysmic coloured sky. Are these visions supported by Senator Schwarzenegger? I don’t care! They represent beauty, sunshine, beaches and wildness with an entrée of vanity that ensures pretty much everything and everybody looks, well pretty pretty!
Flicking through a golden-age memorabilia book I see gloriously sculptured buildings, classic American diners, and even a huge dinosaur. Here, “why” isn’t the right question. Because you can so why not, is the right answer. Supporting this, I write this in LAX; opposite is a middle-aged black woman sitting in wheelchair sporting 6inch toe nails. Each one intricately painted with wild and jazzy colours. They all reveal a can do attitude. If you want to, just do it and isn’t that just California!
It is important to remember California is a new country. It was initially explored in the mid 18thC by Spanish missionaries advancing through Mexico. This explains why nearly everywhere is called “Santa something” and yes there is even a town called “Santa Claus!” Los Angeles was founded in 1781, San Francisco 1776 and the capital Sacramento in 1848! This is about the same time as American independence from the British. In 1821, Mexican independence from Spain marked the end of European rule in California; the missions faded in importance under Mexican control while ranching and trade increased.
The famous gold rush started in the year 1848 and the port of San Francisco became the home for bankers who financed exploration for gold. The Mexican–American War was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. This was instigated when Mexico claimed ownership of Texas as a breakaway province. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848 gained the US the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. In return, Mexico received US $18m ($453m today)—less than half the amount the U.S. had attempted to offer Mexico for the land before the opening of hostilities
The Californian uniform includes shorts or short skirts over revealing bikinis. T-shirts, cute and flowing summery dresses revealing golden yoga toned skin. Thongs (sorry, flip flops!) on the feet are a staple regularity, Hawaiian shirts, surf apparel and of course sun tan lotion. Suits are for those that like to be seen in the office and seldom seen elsewhere. So dress in a way to represent the expansive relaxed way of life; whilst of course driving your ’69 mustang with your arm out the window into the purple to yellow graduated sunset!
So why did we decide to do this? From door to door, my travel time from Bristol, England took 20hours so desire and investment in time is necessary! Driving upstate was the first time for both of us. Michelle, being a native Californian added to the reasons and simplified things such as having places to stay and having a car. It allowed us to do something exciting, allowed us to see some fantastic scenery that like fashion changes every 15 minutes.
I really wanted to visit San Francisco, a city that excels technology, style, revolutionary culture, beautiful scenery and some gob smacking steep hills. In particular Michelle, lusted the green Mediteraneanesque wine producing hills of Napa Valley that boasts more fine dining restaurants per capita than elsewhere in the States. California is so geographically diverse, that no wonder everybody wants to be here. You could be surfing in the morning, and be snowboarding in the afternoon. Yet so much is un-inhabited; as we experienced while driving on the i5 south, untapped. After allocating a week long trip, we started in Orange County working our way north to Napa Valley, 60miles north of San Francisco. That doesn’t mean you have to! This should be a journey of exploration and you should tailor your interests such as surfing, walking, skiing, wine tasting, theme parks, museums, theatre, camping with places to see or stay longer.
Consider driving through Mexico or through the northern States of Oregon, Washington or perhaps to cosmopolitan Vancouver and even consider winter sports in Whistler. I was bombarded by how much there was to see and do. Each stop had enough to warrant a few days. Taking in so much was demanding, and therefore very overwhelming. You may have the opportunity to spend more than a week that we had. After all, this is a matter of taking in a vast area in a matter of days.
It was more practical for us to drive north; however, driving south could be more enjoyable. Why? Because you will be driving on the beach side which is easier to stop at allocated scenic viewing points. Driving south means driving into the mid-day sun bursting through the gentle sea mist rising through the hills!
The time of year and duration maybe a consideration in your direction. Although, California is often seen as hot and sunny, northern areas or the other states on the highway are cooler. You may want to avoid the south in peak season and may wish to see wine harvested in Napa Valley. So other than buxom babes running along the beach with red plastic things and gold clad mohican black men, what are the real attractions to make you want to do the Pacific Coastal Highway?
As I said California is a place where the words “why not” rule. You can expect to see some amazing sights created by an abundance of eccentricity. Consider Disneyland, a theme park full of extremely high standards; where else but a place with a “can do” attitude? There is not much I like about the safe world of Disney, but I will never turn down the opportunity of visiting the theme parks and neither should you!
California has of course 840miles of coast; that is actually 3427miles of shoreline, with the most glorious beaches stretching a horizon met by a spectacle of colours at dusk. There are dainty coves, bays, cliffs, forests and offer every activity you could imagine from whale watching to of course surfing!
California is great for “The Great Outdoors” which were words circulating my head whilst enjoying the beauty of some of the 23 State Parks. They include Yosemite where you can find Yogi Bear and Sequoia which is home to the biggest of the big redwoods. California is home to some very high mountains such as San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains that offer winter sports and are accessible from LA, meaning you can go for a day or a weekend. From San Francisco, you can drive to either North Lake Tahoe or South Lake Tahoe. I heard that some resorts boast 9m of annual snowfall.
California has many wine making regions including Napa Valley an hours drive from San Francisco and Santa Barbara. They of course offer luxury breaks drinking some of the world’s finest wine. Even many French vineyards including “Mumm” and “Chandon” have expanded to here.
On our week long trip we drove a total of 1300 miles. That’s a long way and fortunately at $2-$3 a gallon, it is easily affordable. Obviously, it is possible to rent a car or something bigger like an RV which will offer the opportunity to travel on a smaller budget. http://www.cruiseamerica.com/ offer to sell and also offer a buy back at 60% of the purchase price. Rental maybe less than you think!
