Usa - California Driving Trip Los Angeles To Santa Barbara - Highway 101, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Solvang, El Capitan Canyon, Glamping
California Driving Trip Los Angeles to Santa Barbara - Highway 101, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Solvang, El Capitan Canyon, & Glamping (8/13-17/2012) – We loved our trip along California’s famous Highway 101 enjoying the beautiful tranquil California Coast amongst our Toyota hosts.
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| Wayne & Pat inward Solvang, California, with our Toyota Venza - California's Central Coast, USA |
California’s Southern Central Coast
On this trip, nosotros explored the southern share of California’s Central Coast (Los Angeles to Santa Barbara). California's Central Coast remains calm in addition to tranquil. Situated betwixt the megalopolises of San Francisco’s Bay Area in addition to Southern California, the complete Central Coast of California provides wide-open natural spaces, dainty beaches, beautiful Castilian missions, in addition to a to a greater extent than peaceful agency of life. The Central Coast includes some of the classic tourist province of California - peculiarly the scenic version of the sweat (or prepare ride) betwixt San Francisco in addition to Los Angeles. One of the U.S.’s most scenic driving routes, U.S. Highway 101 goes virtually its entire length offering beautiful sea in addition to countryside vistas.
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| Beach inward Santa Monica, California, USA |
Some places to see are Hearst Castle at San Simeon in addition to the Monterey Peninsula, habitation to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the 17-Mile Drive, Cannery Row, in addition to downtown Pacific Grove. Population inward the Central Coast is concentrated inward a serial of fun-to-visit minor to medium sized towns in addition to cities such equally Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Cambria, San Luis Obispo, Solvang, in addition to Santa Cruz.
The next are some of the places nosotros enjoyed on this trip:
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| Santa Monica Pier - View from Our Room at the Lowes Santa Monica Beach Hotel |
Santa Monica, California
Our get-go night, nosotros stayed at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel enjoying laid-back contemporary comfort correct on the beach. While Pat enjoyed the pool, Wayne bodysurfed some waves inward the shadow of the Santa Monica Pier (see photo). The Santa Monica Pier has been famous for years beingness the cease of the famed Route 66 Highway. We walked to the nearby cliff-top Palisades Park in addition to trendy Third Street Promenade.
We had dinner at The Lobster eating theatre located on the Santa Monica Pier. The master copy eating theatre opened inward 1925 in addition to became pop through the 50's, 60's, in addition to 70's. Our 3-pound lobsters amongst side dishes were amazing.
Toyota Venza
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| Wayne & Pat Enjoying Our 3-pound Lobsters at The Lobster Restaurant - Santa Monica Pier, California, USA |
Our get-go night, nosotros stayed at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel enjoying laid-back contemporary comfort correct on the beach. While Pat enjoyed the pool, Wayne bodysurfed some waves inward the shadow of the Santa Monica Pier (see photo). The Santa Monica Pier has been famous for years beingness the cease of the famed Route 66 Highway. We walked to the nearby cliff-top Palisades Park in addition to trendy Third Street Promenade.
We had dinner at The Lobster eating theatre located on the Santa Monica Pier. The master copy eating theatre opened inward 1925 in addition to became pop through the 50's, 60's, in addition to 70's. Our 3-pound lobsters amongst side dishes were amazing.
Toyota Venza
Toyota hosted us on this trip in addition to loaned us a novel 2013 Venza crossover machine (see photos). We had seen the fun ads on TV most the Venza showing the missy amongst hundreds of Facebook friends maxim it was non fair that her parents, having solely a few Facebook friends, were having thence much fun in addition to the guy wondering where is mom to spot upwardly dinner. At get-go nosotros were non certain most the Venza. We ended upwardly liking it in addition to became those fun-loving parents.
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| Pat Driving our Toyota Venza on Stearns Wharf - Santa Monica, California, USA |
The Toyota Venza ride is rattling smoothen in addition to comfortable in addition to the machine is splendid for a driving trip peril in addition to looks nifty for a nighttime out. It has some dainty features for us active retired or soon-to-be retired ‘parents’ including slow access to teach far in addition to out amongst a lowered back-end access amongst a mightiness liftgate making loading easier. The reclining dorsum seats flexure downwards amongst a uncomplicated clit of a lever inward the dorsum creating a large expanse to haul things around. The powerful engine made driving fun in addition to the Entune touch-screen multi-media scheme that includes navigation, entertainment, parent back-up camera, in addition to location data finding is fun to purpose in addition to useful. The Venza fifty-fifty has an iPod hookup in addition to hand-free telephone capability.
With all this in addition to Toyota’s nifty tape of ergonomics, safety, in addition to reliability, the Toyota Venza deserves a look.
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| Beach - Point Mugu State Park, California, USA |
Point Mugu State Park
We stopped at the beach at Point Mugu State Park (see photo). This State Park features v miles of sea shoreline amongst bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills, in addition to uplands. There are to a greater extent than than lxx miles of hiking trails. The beach features swimming, trunk surfing in addition to surf fishing.
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| Pat amongst Venza at Beach - Santa Barbara, California, USA |
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is less than 100 miles from hyper-metropolitan Los Angeles but differs vastly. With a temperate climate in addition to lush nature surroundings, Santa Barbara has broad sandy beaches, highly rated wineries, in addition to a large diversity of shopping in addition to dining choices. Santa Barbara’s 90,000 residents relish the form of cultural in addition to social amenities commonly flora solely inward much larger cities.
We had tiffin at the oceanfront Harbor Restaurant on Stearns Wharf and drove through Santa Barbara’s downtown's main street (State Street) in addition to the Santa Barbara County vino province made famous inward the pic Sideways(see photos).
We had tiffin at the oceanfront Harbor Restaurant on Stearns Wharf and drove through Santa Barbara’s downtown's main street (State Street) in addition to the Santa Barbara County vino province made famous inward the pic Sideways(see photos).
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| Dinner inward Barrow Room - Stanford Winery, Santa Barbara, California, USA |
We had a special even out planned for us past times our Toyota hosts at the Sanford Winery amongst vino tasting in addition to a catered dinner inward their barrel room (see photo). The prime number rib amongst cognac sauce was rattling impressive. Sanford Winerywas 1 of the get-go wineries that took payoff of the unique combination of climate in addition to soil atmospheric condition inward this expanse that are much similar those inward France's famed Burgundy province. Sanford Winery produces award-winning Pinot Noir in addition to other wines.
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| Our Cabin - Glamping at El Capitan Canyon Resort, Santa Barbara, California, USA |
Glamping at the El Capitan Canyon resort
An increasing pop move sense is called glamping – glamour camping. Yes, y'all are out inward nature. The departure is nosotros saw a deer from the window of our cabin that featured room service in addition to spider web access at the El Capitan Canyon nature resort (see photo). Located merely xx miles N of Santa Barbara, the El Capitan Canyon resort is spread out over 300+ acres on the picturesque Pacific coast amongst miles of hiking trails in addition to walk to El Capitan State Beach. El Capitan Canyon is a house for those who accept the wishing to unwind, relax, in addition to commune amongst nature.
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| Here We Are Going 'Fishing' at El Capitan Canyon, Santa Barbara, California, USA |
In a camp-like surrounding at El Capitan Canyon y'all tin relish services in addition to amenities, similar massages amongst a view, typically flora inward a traditional resort - actually roughing it. Nestled inward historic groves of oak in addition to sycamore trees along El Capitan Creek, cedar cabins in addition to safari tents are grouped inward villages called Stone Pine, Peace Tree, Lone Stone in addition to Shaded Creek.
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| Pat amongst Rambler - Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch, Solvang, California, USA |
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| Solvang, California, USA |
Solvang
Danish immigrants founded Danish-themed Solvang in addition to a expose of Danish descendants alive here. The sweat to this expanse is beautiful in addition to it is fun to wander some the pretty trivial town of Solvang. Driving through the tree-lined Santa Barbara hills, nosotros visited the Quicksilver miniature Horse Ranchwhere nosotros met the miniature Equus caballus Rambler (see photo) in addition to nosotros stopped for freshly picked tree-ripened apples at the Apple Lane stand.
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| Lobby of SLS Beverly Hills Hotel - Beverly Hills, California, USA |
SLS Beverly Hills Hotel
Ending our trip dorsum nigh Los Angeles, Toyota hosted our remain at the contemporary luxury SLS Beverly Hills Hotel (see photo). The SLS is a completely novel invitee experience. The essential components of the SLS invitee sense are style, luxury in addition to service - in addition to they delivered inward a unique way. The SLS Beverly Hills Hotel is merely steps from The Beverly Center in addition to nearby are the sparkling storefronts of Rodeo Drive, transcend Beverly Hills in addition to Los Angeles restaurants in addition to nightlife venues, celebrity haunts, in addition to The Getty Center.
Our trip’s cheerio dinner at the SLS was amazing. We were treated to 21 split modern Castilian cuisine “tapas” at the Bazaar past times José Andrés. This wonderful culinary sense is nil similar nosotros accept always had earlier blending Old World delicacies amongst avant-garde delights - 1 amazing dish later some other amongst vino parings.
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| Wayne at the End of the Famous Route 66 - Santa Monica Pier, California, USA |
This trip was merely a 5-day driving peril in addition to nosotros await frontward to render in addition to explore to a greater extent than of the wonderful California Central Coast.
We gratefully give cheers our Toyota hosts for having us equally their guests on this wonderful experience. The Toyota Venza is a rattling comfortable cruising machine amongst many dainty features – nifty for having an adventure. It made our trip to a greater extent than enjoyable. We liked this machine rattling much in addition to straight off miss it later our trip. You should check out the Toyota Venza.
Please run across our other vii weblog posts on beautiful California:
California Driving Trip of the Central Coast – Highway 101, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Santa Barbara
California Driving Trip of the Northern Coast in addition to Wine Country – Highway 101, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood, California, USA
Del Mar & Torrey Pines, California, USA (Our Home Town)
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood, California, USA
Del Mar & Torrey Pines, California, USA (Our Home Town)
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