Weddingbee

My wife and I recently took a road trip to the Central Coast of California. I’ve lived in California my entire life but the beauty of the state still never ceases to amaze me. I couldn’t stop raving about the trip so Mrs. Bee asked me to write about it as a possible domestic honeymoon destination.

Starting from our home in Orange County, we drove past Santa Barbara and made Solvang our first stop. (approx 150 miles)

This quaint village, which was founded by Danish immigrants several decades ago, maintains the charm of a Scandinavian folk village. From the architecture to the food, one could easily forget that they are in California. Things to do include trying out Solvang’s famous pancakes, shopping, as well as taking a leisurely walk while enjoying the unique atmosphere and architecture. A few hours should be enough time to experience Solvang since it only takes about twenty minutes to walk from one end to the other.

We then continued north and switched roads to the scenic Highway 1. Our hotel was located in San Simeon and the views that we saw on our way included pristine sandy beaches, rugged rocky beaches, and wine vineyards on the rolling hills. The Best Western, which we stayed in for two nights, was quite nice. It is the only oceanfront hotel in San Simeon, and we could see the beach from our room.

Fireplaces are located outdoors as well as in your room. Not only do they provide a romantic mood, but we also roasted sausages and marshmallows in the fire as we sipped on Coronas.

The next morning, we toured the Hearst Castle. This mansion was built by the newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst back in the twenties and thirties.

We got to see one of the guest houses which is as large as your typical mansion, as well as the main complex and swimming pools. The scale is grand and the architecture and design is impressive.

The decor inside the rooms were very meticulous and done in good taste. This was my second visit to this place and I was able to appreciate it more this time around.

We soon hopped back on Highway 1 toward Monterey. A few miles north of our hotel, we saw a group of people observing something on the beach. As we got out to see what they were looking at, we realized that they were watching at least a hundred Elephant Seals basking on the beach. The males were jousting at times with their massive bodies which can reach thousands of pounds. It was exciting to see wild animals in their natural habitat.

The road between San Simeon and Monterey will provide you with some of the most spectacular ocean views your eyes have ever seen. Dramatic mountains and cliffs abruptly drop into the crystal blue waters of the Pacific. There are many vista points where you can stop and take pictures. I would recommend stopping at as many points as possible since the views are distinct and equally surreal. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to experience Big Sur which was right off Highway 1.

(image via Mike Levin)

This area allows you to get up close and personal with the coastline. I dearly regret not having enough time to stop here since it is probably the single most magnificent location on the Central Coast….

To be continued…

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