This was an unforgettable road trip. We decided to drive on the Pacific Coast Hwy to see some of the natural Californian beauty on the coast. This trip was astounding.

We passed by Malibu beach, Santa Maria, San Simeon (where we stopped for 2 hours to visit the famous Hearst Castle- worth the stop), Santa Lucia, Santa Cruz, the Canyon Road (oh my freaking lord, this road was so beautiful), Big Sur and Carmel Del Playa until we arrived to our final destination; San Francisco.

It took us almost 11 hours drive with a few stops along the way to finally arrive in San Francisco.

Estero Bluffs State Park- this is where we spotted a Gopher Snake 5 meters away from us while hiking back to our car. Guess what? Apparently this Brown yellow patterned snake is non venomous and harmless to human beings! I freaked out! Never freaked out this much in my entire life! Harmless!!! Should've taken that picture!!

Pacific Coast Hwy Rocky Road! Gorgeous!!!

This was a very long ride, but worth it. I recommend for people who are interested to take this road, to plan ahead a one-night stay at a hotel at the Ragged Point Inn or at Carmel by the sea. We were exhausted when we reached our hotel in San Francisco at midnight.

Hearst Castle: This is a 90 000 sq. ft. built in 1919 by architect Julia Morgan (she is one stylish women) for William Randolph Hearst. It is located in San Simeon, California approximately 4 hours away from the city of LA via the Pacific Coast Hwy.

Hearst Castle in San Simeon- unfortunately I can't post pictures of the Castle for commercial use

Hearst decided to build the castle on top of a hill. The road to the castle is just magical. Once you arrive at the Castle, the view is stunning.

The castle is inspired by a Mediterranean architecture, where Hearst had visited on so many occasions and loved the style. Every room, every corner, every outdoor pool, every indoor pool, every terrace or garden was out of this world. Stepping into an area was like stepping into a historical place and time. I felt like I was in ‘The Great Gatsby’ movie where Leonardo DiCaprio sweeps you off your feet.

Hello! My name is William Randolph Hearst! I own a Castle with humongous rooms and pools!

Many celebrities have used the castle to shoot a video scene or to get inspired for an artistic project such as Lady Gaga, the director and crew of Harry Potter, Katy Perry (she was there on the day we visited) and many more. Must visit if you’re taking the road to Pacific Coast.

San Francisco and the Bay

San Francisco is a northern Californian city. The temperature is approximately 16 Celsius in the summer time and drops to 4 Celsius in the winter. It is a fairly cold city relative to San Diego and Los Angeles (San Diego being the warmest).

We stayed 4 nights in San Francisco and did so much that I need to look into my itinerary sheet to remember what we did.

Day 1

Alcatraz: We weren’t able to see the inside of this famous prison in San Francisco; nevertheless it was still beautiful to see it from the outside.

We took the Alcatraz ferry to see the island and to cross under the Golden Gate Bridge. This was fun and very windy, so take good advice and pack a good old sweater for this activity.

Ferry Building Marketplace: This place is near the bay area and is a market where 80% of the produce is organic, fresh and local. I loved this place a lot since you can find things that you can’t find elsewhere in the world. Also, when someone talks about good quality local food, I’m all ears. We obviously had something to eat; organic local cheese toast sandwich and all kinds of refined fruits! How Delightful!

Ferry Building Marketplace- Local Cheese

Organic and local produce at the Marketplace

Union Square: This is where our hotel was situated in San Francisco. It is the center of downtown SF. If you want to shop, shop and shop, this is the place to be! Don’t be shy to catch a tram on your way!

Chinatown: San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in North America and has the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. I have one thing to say: It was crazy like the rest of the Chinatowns in North America!

Posing in Chinatown! Not!! El Ohh Vee Eee Street Art!

Day 2

Lombard Street: Lombard Street is very narrow and steep road on a street. Imagine cars driving down the street. Its crazy! We scaled the steep roads (very common in San Francisco) to see the Lombard Street. It was good exercise! Also, when you’re in SF, I suggest you visit the city by foot or Uber instead of driving around with a car! This is one thing I don’t regret doing!

Scaling the steep roads of San Francisco- behind me Lombard St.

Mama’s Breakfast place: This is something I highly regret doing!! Trip Advisor suggested having breakfast at this place but not wait in line for 3 hours! I don’t know if it’s because it was Sunday but we waited, waited, melted and waited hungry and people were taking pictures of us looking all-stupid! What a Morning!

My not so famous Mama's Breakfast Place near Pier 39

This was not worth the wait! Sorry not sorry!

The food was average, but I’m saying that only because I’m from Montreal and I’ve had better!!! I don’t mean to trash this place, but nobody should wait in line for that long at a restaurant!! The maximum waiting time in Montreal is 30-45 minutes for high quality food! Just Sayin’! Never will I ever go to Mama’s if I’m going to wait 3 hours! Tourists! Be aware!!

Golden Gate Bridge: This is a beautiful bridge inaugurated in the 1930’s. We had the chance to go under it by ferry, to cross the bridge on foot and to see the Vista Point near Sausalito. This was an amazing experience and a good exercise! You can also rent a bike to cycle around it or on it! Take a leap and cross it on foot!! You’ll love it!

Baker Beach and Presidio: These are the two places where you can have a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge from far. Baker Beach is a beach where you can take great photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. Also, be aware, there are naked people on the end side (I think that part is the nude beach) so you don’t get shocked seeing old naked men! I don’t know what kids were thinking seeing them!

Baker Beach view of the Golden Gate Bridge

LOL to those old naked men on the beach!! Kids close your eyes if you haven't already!

Presidio is another great place to view the Bridge! We walked from the Beach to Presidio before crossing it! We walked a lot in SF!

Pier 39- Fisherman’s Wharf: We wrapped up Day 2 at this place. We took the taxi (cause finding an uber here wasn’t easy) to go there from the Vista Point near Sausalito. Since we were fervently hungry, we decided to have seafood for super! We had the famous clam chowder and crabs!! It was soooo delicious!!! Then, we walked the pier and had a hot chocolate since it was a chilly afternoon! We were all flushed and happy!

Thank you Crab House for the amazing dish! I look sleepy!!

Day 3

Coit Tower: This tower was established to honour agriculture, development and to celebrate artists who worked on those themes. You can also have a great scenic view of the city from the top. It was made for the beautification of the city and has become a historical place.

Note: I will be posting pictures of the following places very soon!! Stay Tuned!

Haight-Ashbury: This place reminded me of Plateau in Montreal where you find small local boutiques for shopping or coffee shops. This is the place for hipsters in San Francisco. Of course, we did a little bit of shopping!! We wanted to visit Height-E-sh-bur-ey like they pronounce it to see the famous colourful Victorian houses right next to one another. It wasn’t a grandiose thing to do since we’ve been seeing those everywhere in San Francisco.

Golden Gate Park: The Park reminded me of Central Park in NYC. It is vast but you can see all of it in an afternoon stroll. It was nice to see the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. You know what they say! If you’re going to San Francisco, you may need some flowers in your hair!!

Cliff House: This had an amazing view of the Ocean beach!!! This used to be a cliff house overlooking the Sutro Baths, which are now in ruins and part of the natural culture. The cliff house is now a restaurant and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is fabulous to dine on the cliff with that afternoon sunny view!!

Palace of Fine Arts: Don’t get confused with the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, which is near the Golden Gate Park. We called Uber twice, same driver picked us up loool!! The Palace of Fine Arts was our last destination in San Francisco. This place was a project for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition to host art exhibitions. This place is beyond artistic words! It is famous for weddings and wedding photographs as well. It was absolutely impressive! Definitely a must-see!

This concluded our trip to California! I recommend you to visit whole-heartedly!

Every city had its own flare and ambiance! That is what I cherished most from this road trip.

I got to get acquainted with San Diego’s relaxed personality, with Los Angeles’ Hollywood glam and with San Francisco’s beautiful scenic views and architecture!!!

Yet, the most important thing is to have great company while travelling, it makes the entire experience worth the while!!

Here is a song by Tony Bennett to close the blog posts Part 1 and Part 2; The state of Palm Trees and Blue Skies: California.

Thanks for following me on this beautiful adventure! Stay tuned for much more!!!

Love,

MW

Featured