Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

May & June are ideal times to travel the Hwy 101 from Santa Barbara to Carmel-by-the-Sea. Mornings can be a bit foggy, but not a problem on this lovely drive through gorgeous ranch country and historic side stops like Harmony and Cambria.

My favorite destination in Carmel-by-the-Sea is a favorite family owned hotel, Hofsas House Hotel. Owner, Carrie Theise is always hostess with the mostest and so welcoming to guests at her lovely family owned property located in the center of Carmel, with a pool and ocean view.

Between Santa Barbara and Carmel their are so many amazing destinations to visit and enjoy. San Liuis Obispo is a darling community with great boutique hotels in their center, the SLO Mission, and the renowned Madonna Inn, located right off the Hwy 101, where breakfast at the Copper Kettle is always a welcome and delicious experience.

Beautiful ranches and wineries dot this California route, and provide nice side-stops to do wine tastings, buy wine or have a quick bite on your way up the highway.

It is difficult to think of Cambria and not get a vision of Hearst Castle located above the coast nearby. I've visited the Castle on many occasions prior to the pandemic, and highly recommend it for a beautiful history lesson on the family who built it, and California history in general. It is also an opportunity to purchase Hearst beef and wines at their winery just off the highway. Hearst Castle, on a clear day offers a unique and heavenly view of the Hearst property site.

Cambria is in a world of it's own, and offers some of the best food

delights on this favorite journey of mine. Robin's Restaurant is outstanding for unique and delicious healthy recipes (celebrating 38 years) in a colorful flash to the past 70s environment. Linn's Bakery is world renowned for their ollieberry delights and delicious home-made

favorite recipes. This town is literally overflowing with delightful and artistic shopping venues and offers some cosy and inviting hotel/motel accommodations.

There are 21 missions along the California coast from San Diego to

San Francisco, and traveling from Santa Barbara to

Carmel-by-the-Sea there are eight missions including Santa Barbara, Santa Ines, La Purisima, San Luis Obispo, San Miguel, San Antonio, Le Soledad, and San Carlos Mission. The California Missions offers maps and detailed directions and information on the mission sites that enables travelers to obtain informtion on these sites, including picnic and touring availablity. They are beautiful and offer valuable historic information on their locations. (photos: Carmel Mission interior & Sanat Barbara Mission external).

Arriving in Carmel-by-the-Sea is always a joyful feeling and the small

city is always buzzing with locals and tourists. Sometimes more than others depending on what

event s are happening. If you check the chamber schedule you will note there are special events that draw large numbers to their community. My most recent visit was for the Carmel Restaurant Week in it's third year, with a delicious Giovanni's evening, and also the Monterey Artichoke Festival, a long running event featuring chef demonstrations and everything to love about the California Artichoke.

Other events I've covered included their amazing Art Festival,

featuring talented artists from the coastal area that offers personal introductions and art purchases. Carmel is such a perfect environment for these kind of gatherings, and so many visitors are 'be backs' who plan their vacations around visits to Carmel-by-the-sea to attend events of interest. It is such a walkable town, minutes to the beach and Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch for an unforgetable brunch with an ocean view.

Driving around this area and discovering what's happening is so much

fun! Just a few minites to the Monterey, featuring an amazing sea aquarium, cannary row, the lovely Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa that has a super spa with the best ocean view in the area, along with countless seafood restaurants and some totally blissful weather.

However, even during fall or winter when the weather gets cooler, it is also fun to travel up the coast with my puffer jacket or sweater in hand and do the tourist routes to visit countless wineries, art galleries, museums and specialty shops where restaurant menus change to comfort foods and yummy flavored coffee, hot chocolate or brandy become the number one beverage of choice.

I am looking forward to my revisit in October to enjoy my room

with a fireplace at Hofsas House where I enjoy writing, working on an annual painting to raise funds for a local charity, while sipping hot tea. Long walks to enjoy the ocean and visit with favorite friends and business owners is always a pleasure.

This is such an enjoyable way to travel, and savor our California coast that I love so much, and highly recommend for locals and people wishing to experience the best of well known and secret little coastal cities like Harmony, California.

Hope you can visit your AAA office for helpful maps and travel information to assist in planning your opportunity to experience some of my favorite haunts while visiting Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Cambria, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and more. It's an easy peasy Hwy 101 trip with great opportunities to enjoy everything fabulous about many of our California historic sites and small coastal communities. Happy Coasting!