Driving up the California Coast

I’ve wanted to drive the old Highway 101 down California since I moved here last year. But here’s the problem -- it takes forever and I never really have a whole day just to drive. I always seem to have someplace to go.

On my last trip to San Diego, I decided to suck it up and take the time.

I got up early – really early. Yes, I was on the road by 4:30 a.m. and watched the sun come up over the hills.

It was lovely.

Getting up that early also helped me avoid the crazy LA beach traffic for at least a few hours.

I was able to cruise through Del Mar and Laguna Beach with just me and the surfers on the road. It was relaxing and I saw a part of California you never get to see if you take the I-5.

I was able to see why people move to the Los Angeles area. The coastal area is actually really nice. It has a completely different vibe than the city does. It’s laid back, and if you can get beyond the tourist shops, it’s quaint.

But that all changes by 10 a.m. Because that’s when the traffic starts and the relaxation ends.



Those black things are surfers.

From that time until I hit San Francisco nearly 16 hours later, it was bumper to bumper and not much fun. 

It was still nice to see the ocean around every winding turn though.

Maybe next time I’ll start in San Francisco and drive north towards Seattle see if the traffic is any better.