Beautiful Days in California...
Pacific Coast
In July we traveled to Santa Barbara, Carmel, the Pacific Coastline and Half Moon Bay. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. If you’re from the East Coast, it’s like a different country.
I did really well with my packing on this one, except that in Half Moon Bay, the temperature was 12 degrees colder than the forecast. So I had to buy a wrap and a sweater.
Here’s a pictorial of our trip with some info tidbits here and there!
We stayed at the gorgeous Ritz Bacara in Santa Barbara,
Room with a View
The grounds were wonderful to wander and the hotel is right on the ocean. Gorgeous views and plantings!
They have a beautiful hawk on the property that keeps the seagulls away from the pool and restaurants.
The lobby was very well done.
Like I felt like a cool C-list celebrity hanging out…
Next to the hotel is the Chumash Nature Trail, which was a great walk. It’s in a protected canyon that the Native American Chumash people have inhabited for centuries.
The hotel has two nice restaurants on property: The Bistro, which is down by the ocean and the pools - delicious and more casual, and Angel Oak, which is outstanding, with a phenomenal view and fine dining.
This was my morning walk every day for a mile or two and back along the beach. So so nice.
I made my usual cairns for Whitten, and my brother Wally, and Chip’s sister Jane. ❤️
Along the walk were large platforms for ospreys and in the distance, an old oil rig that was all lit up at night.
We went downtown one night and ate at the best tiny Sicilian restaurant, Bedda Mia - really really yummy. We ate outside under the trees. I tried to visit Rooms & Gardens but they closed early and I just missed them. I’ve also heard there are many other great shops in the area - The Well/Big Daddy’s, Botanik, and Porch - but I was too lazy to put down my cocktail and get up off my chaise lounge to check them out!
When we left Santa Barbara we drove up the coast to Carmel. The scenery is just jaw dropping.
Morro Rock at Morro Bay. It is a volcanic remnant with a causeway to the shore. Impressive.
My driver…
I dunno, I guess his uniform was at the cleaners…
PS - yes we did take some pictures of both of us. tragic.
This is Big Creek Bridge, one of a series of concrete arch bridges built in the 1930’s, to span the canyons on the Big Sur coast. Much of this building was done by convicts from San Quentin.
We spent the night in the Carmel Highlands on our way to Half Moon Bay. It was drizzly and moody, but still beautiful. We stayed at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands and loved it. We were only there for one night, but I loved the 60’s vibe. I really liked the restaurant and bar overlooking the cliffs, right on the water and our room was a two story apartment, also with a great view. Brad Pitt had just bought a home in the area - honey, I was on the lookout.
We ate dinner at our favorite place when we have been out there before - Mission Ranch. It was an old sheep ranch and farm that Clint Eastwood rescued from developers and renovated as an Inn and Restaurant.
Last stop on our trip was to Half Moon Bay, where we stayed at the Ritz Half Moon Bay and the golf links next door. This is another beautiful property with views that go on forever. The weather was on and off, but it was serene and relaxing.
The car park out fronT
We had a beautiful room.
Can you tell I’m into light fixtures? That’s how you can tell. The lobby was gorgeous - I felt like an A lister in this one. But still no Brad Pitt…And here’s the property….wait for it…
The last two shots are from the golf course, which we walked one afternoon. Every night at sunset, there was a bagpiper. We left from here for the San Fransisco airport. All in all, it was a wonderful time with cool weather, while Virginia was having a heat wave.