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It’s been a hot minute since our family took a true road trip. Quick trips to Palm Springs and Laguna Beach don’t really count. I’m talking about packing up the pets, stocking up on road snacks and mapping out destinations. That’s what we decided to do to get our safe, social distance road trip in for the summer. We decided not to go with an RV like a lot of families are doing for a few reasons. One, both times we tried to rent an RV it fell through. And also, we were planning to travel some narrow and winding highways and didn’t feel comfortable doing that in our first RV driving experience.

Sunny Cove Beach in Santa Cruz.

I have always wanted to visit central California. I sounds so dreamy and I imagine the photo opportunities would be off the charts (always thinking about my Instagram). So we started in Santa Cruz which was about a 5 hour drive from LA. We drove through a ton of farmland and had lunch in Gilroy, the garlic capitol of the world. Then headed north to Santa Cruz. I have to say, we weren’t super impressed with Santa Cruz. I thought it would be more of a beach community but it was really run down in the areas we visited. Maybe there was a more picturesque part but we didn’t see that.

The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz.

Our first stop was The Mystery Spot! This kitschy destination has been on our radar for a while and we finally made it. Here’s how the website describes it:

“The Mystery Spot is a gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California. It is a circular area of effect around 150 feet or 46 meters in diameter. Within the Mystery Spot you will be stunned as your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned. But don’t take our word for it, come and decide for yourself!”

Wear a mask if you go The Mystery Spot while coronavirus is on the loose!

We had no idea what was happening inside but I took a fun video and got great pictures while we were there. Channing was fascinated and thought the whole thing was really cool. Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the area especially because it’s only $8!

Santa Cruz Boardwalk, July 2020.

We went to the Boardwalk but almost everything was closed because of the coronavirus. We stayed at a cute hotel near the beach called Ocean Echo Inn and Beach Cottages. We got the “suite” because it was the biggest space but it definitely wasn’t roomy. It was quaint and had a great front porch area with faux grass.

Sunny Cove Beach in Santa Cruz

It was also a short walk to Sunny Cove Beach which we thought was lovely. But at night a lot of sketchy characters were starting to fill up the cove so we left as the sun was setting. Overall not a bad place to stay and pretty far removed from the more public beaches.

Lover’s Park in Monterey Bay.

We headed out the next morning and drove through Monterey Bay, Carmel-by-the-Sea and headed south on highway 1 towards Big Sur. We were in the clouds or a thick fog bank for most of the drive but it was still very pretty. And cool! I couldn’t believe how cold the weather was for early July. But I think that’s because we are used to sweating our pants off in SoCal from about May to October.

Ribs platter at Big Sur Smokehouse.

We had an excellent lunch at Big Sur Smokehouse right off the highway. It was pricey but some of the best barbecue we’ve had in a long time. So, worth it.

Pfeiffer beach in Big Sur.

After lunch we went looking for Pfeiffer Beach, a hidden beach off the highway that’s only accessible via a one lane road. You have to veer to the side as much as possible in order to let other drivers pass. And if the small parking lot at the end of the road fills up, you’re out of luck. You can go down the road if there is nowhere to park. We got lucky because 2 cars were pulling out as we were going in.

Purple sand on Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur.

If you don’t know about Pfeiffer Beach, this is the beach with purple sand and keyhole rocks that look amazing at sunset. The purple sand deposits are the product of erosion from the manganese garnet that washes down the mountains when it rains. There was quite a few people on this beach and most were not wearing masks. So we stayed pretty far away and left after about 30 minutes. It was a really beautiful spot and definitely worth a stop on your road trip if you’re headed that way. Make sure you check with the National Parks department to see if the beaches and parks you want to visit are open before you go.

Moonstone beach boardwalk in Cambria.

After Pfeiffer beach we headed down the mountain to Cambria where we had planned to stay for the night. We found an adorable hotel called Fogcatcher Inn that was right on Moonstone Beach. There is a beautiful boardwalk along the coastline full of trees and beachy florals that are definitely picture worthy. Just before Cambria is San Simeon where you’ll find Hearst Castle. I have always wanted to visit this castle but alas, it’s closed thanks to coronavirus. So it looks like we’ll have to plan another trip back up to this part of the state to see it. Which Chris and I agreed we don’t mind because it was beautiful. And cold! Again, we had sweaters on in July.

The town of Cambria is very quaint with cute coffee shops and bakeries and lots of dining options. We grabbed a burger at Main Street Grill for our first dine-in experience in over 4 months. There was enough room inside where we felt comfortable sitting apart from everyone. But not everyone was wearing a mask coming or going. And there were no sections marked off to keep people apart so most people were sitting right next to other diners. Needless to say, we ate quickly and left.

Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo.

We headed to San Luis Obispo the next day and had to stop at Bubblegum Alley. I don’t know where I heard about this spot but I’m so glad we stopped. It’s a tiny alley in downtown San Luis Obispo that is covered with millions of wads of chewing gum. It’s horrifying and cool at the same time. Chan and I wanted to get out of the car to check it out but Chris wanted no part of it. He stayed in the car while we we looked at the gross gum.

Dinosaur Cave Park in Pismo Beach.

Then we headed south to Pismo Beach for a quick look at Dinosaur Caves Park and headed back to LA.

Vista point in Central California

We planned this so that we could do at least one night in our house to do laundry and check in on everything before heading out again. We left the next morning for Palm Springs.

Mod Mansions vacation rental in Palm Springs.

Everyone was very excited for this leg of the trip because we were going to be chilling at a house with a pool for a few days. We found a great vacation rental through Mod Mansions. It had an adorable Palm Springs feel but also felt very homey.

Mod Mansions vacation rental in Palm Springs.

After a day at the pool we ventured out on a day trip to the Salton Sea and Salvation Mountain. If you’ve never been to this area I highly recommend it. Not in July, but sometime in the fall or spring maybe. It was over 100 degrees and we were so hot. So we just got a few quick pictures of this desolate, Mad Max area then headed back to the pool. That’s where we vegged out for a few days until it was time to go home.

The Salton Sea

Our California road trip took us from Central California, to the SoCal desert and it was absolutely everything we needed. And throughout the trip we stayed away from public areas, washed our hands frequently and wore our masks. It was nice to know we could be safe about our travel and still have a good time!

Mod Mansions vacation rental in Palm Springs.

Have you been to any of these places on a California road trip? What recommendations would you share for this trip?