Like a sunset over the Pacific, this California dream slinks slowly away. So long for now, we’ll be glad to see you again in the future. Please enjoy the final installment of this three part series: How to Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).

If you missed it, you can check out part 1 here and part 2 here.

Going to L.A.

Santa Barbara

What We Did:

We were keen to get to Santa Barbara, so we cut inland from Pismo.

We took the 1 to the 135 to the 154.

Did I do it right? huh, huh?!

Anyway…

That’s how we made our way south on our Caaaaaaaalifornian road trip.

Sorry. It was just too tempting.

Hiking and Biking

For this region, and many parts of the coast for that matter, you go a few miles inland and you’ll run into the national park system. It means stunning views, fresh air and plenty of hiking trails are never far.

We took full advantage and got up into the hills for a solid hike.

Without much intention, we meandered around in a big loop, nothing too strenuous, but a good walkabout.

As we descended back in the general direction of the car, we found horses, their stables and training areas. It was a perfect ending!

We chatted with the horses for a bit, keeping the conversation light, you know, no religion or politics, that kind of stuff.

Back in the car, heading into downtown Santa Barbara, it began to feel like Southern California, or at least, we were hot!

Shades became permanent fixtures upon our faces, our bodies required fewer garments.

Moseying about town, we found what would be one of the many highlights of the trip: electric bikes!

After 20 minutes of labored conversation with the friendly, but overly talkative store clerk, we walked out to the street, adorning helmets and pushing ebike beach cruisers.

Get outa the way, man! We’re off to the beach!

E-bikes are getting pretty nifty these days!

The bikes were equiped with a throttle on the right-hand side and a constant speed “boost” on the left. You can cover a lot of ground quickly!

This particular set-up maintained the traditional components of a bike, i.e. gears, peddles (and brakes!), so you get an experience that’s somewhere in between normal cycling and a vespa. It was awesome!

It’s an interesting feeling to be able to calibrate to whatever ratio of exertion vs propulsion you happen to feel like at the time. It gets me thinking I may need to modify my bike at home to something like this.

I know, I’ll call it: The Simple-ton.

Check under your Christmas trees this year kids…

OK, maybe not so catchy.

Where We Stayed:

M would say this was her favorite spot… truth be told. It was mine too!

We stayed in the foothills of Santa Barbara in the second tiny house of the voyage!

This one was fantastic!

The layout was totally different. My mental image of some kind of walk-up to the tiny house behind a property became a reality. That is exactly what the setup was: a pathway leading along the property line, tiny house at the back of the parcel with a beatiful garden separating it from the main house.

The tiny house itself was just a single bedroom. It was spacious and simple, a bed, table, tv, little fridge. Bathrooms and a kitchen sink were outside in either direction off the main room. To cap it off, you could walk up to a deck on room’s roof and look out to the ocean or back up to the hills.

It was a great set-up!

Manhattan Beach

What We Did:

I hope I don’t disappoint here too much, but we did a lot of relaxing in Manhattan Beach, not a ton of adventurous stuff… well, maybe a little bit of adventure…

Manhattan is old stomping grounds for m’lady. M lived here for nearly a decade before coming back to the east coast (thank goodness!). With this in mind, we did check-ins with a few old spots. We were also able to grab a bite with one of my pals from the area, and of course, we spent time just lazily strolling “The Strand,” the beachside walking/biking strip.

The landscape slopes severely down to the strand. (No wonder everyone is so fit! You’re getting in a stairmaster session everytime you walk out your door!)

Down on the strand, one can bike, skate, or walk for miles in either direction. It’s magical… and efficient! The views aren’t bad either…

We spent most of our time down at the beach or on the strand. I tried my hand at surfing…I’d been getting the itch to do some kind of boardsport. My preference was an e-longboard, but I couldn’t find a rental. Shucks!

So I threw on a wet suit, grabbed a rental surfboard and went at it for a couple hours.

I had a blast!

It was only my second time “surfing,” so nothing worth reporting here. To add to my troubles, the water was filled with seaweed which entangled your chord, quickly accumulating into a 20 lb. clump of dead weight. It made a tough sport, nearly impossible, but it was still nice to get out there!

Where We Stayed

We stayed at a cozy motel outside of the downtown area called The Sea View Inn. It’s not the cheapest places in town, but it’s not the ritz.

The accomodations were simple, clean and our little balcony provided us with a beautiful view of the ocean each morning. I’m a morning operator, so a nice local joint called the North End Cafe right across the street made for a nice pop-in spot to grab a cup of joe.

Other Tidbits on How to Cruise the PCH:

• We avoided much of downtown L.A., Hollywood, etc. We wanted to get up to the Hollywood sign for the views, but the traffic trade-off wasn’t worth it
• Venice Beach is awesome… in a gritty, artsy, oh-my-god-what-is-that-smell kind of way. I could have bopped around here for a full day or two just shooting pictures. The homelessness and drug-use are out of control, so prepare yourself. It’s one of a kind.
• Panchos, North End Cafe, Beach Pizza and Rock ‘N Fish receive top honors for local spots worth checkin’ out

Conclusion:

I hope you enjoyed this meandering tale of how to cruise the PCH. M and I had a blast and experienced a slice of California in our own way. If you successfully made it through this piece, first off: Thank you! Secondly, I hope that you enjoyed some pretty pictures and maybe got an idea or two from these rumblings you may execute on your own. Now get out there and explore!