Mad Libs. License plate bingo. The “quiet game,” a universal parent savior. Long live Slug Bug, where kids with zero self-control punched each other in the arm every time they saw a VW Bug in the wild—an activity no doubt invented by some Volkswagen marketing intern who now quietly runs the world. A family that cruises together bruises together.
So many threats to pull the car over and leave unruly progeny on the side road for good. GenXers are such baddies because our parents actually followed through. But we tracked those boomers down—or just walked into the wilderness and formed angsty flannel bands. We survived.
There were no downloaded movies back then. No seatback entertainment. Just a mythical road, a few bug-gutty windows, and the fast-moving summer world beyond. Seatbelts ignored, hot air whipping a frenzy of hair and beef-stick child scent.
Very few chaoses match being trapped in a moving car with your entire bloodline. It’s unimaginable, but we kinda liked it.
The road trip was always about endurance, discovery, adventure, creativity, and memory. Somewhere between gas station hot dogs, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and musty motels with coin-operated vibrating beds—the bored between moments of mutual expedition sealed our love of the long distance car ride.
To respark road lust, we’ve put together a coastal California run up the 101 and Highway 1. The state’s famed road trip siblings, with ocean on one side and possibility in every direction. We analyzed what’s incoming, just-arrived, compelling, or a classic in need of a reminder in almost every county along the way—the kind of places we’d drag our family (or dog or best friend) to.
We start our trip just outside San Diego County lines and work our way through San Francisco. Because, by then, it’s time to turn the car around and do it all again.
The road is still the main character.
Laguna Beach
A 90-minute drive from downtown San Diego, Laguna Beach is home to serene coves, big-deal art events, miles of hiking trails, and the greatest number of beachfront hotels in California. Among the latter is the newly revamped icon, Surf & Sand Laguna Beach. Along with tweaks to the guestrooms, pool, and onsite Splashes restaurant, the remodel includes a new spa, Aquaterra. Wake up to ocean views, then get outside: Go tide pooling at Shaw’s Cove, or descend to Thousand Steps Beach and spend the day stretched out with a salacious summer read. For dinner, get fancy at the upscale (no swimwear allowed!) Studio Mediterranean at the Montage Laguna Beach hotel. Led by Greek chef Dennis Efthymiou, it serves feta-, phyllo-, and fish-forward cuisine inspired by his heritage.
Newport Beach
Head another 15 minutes up the road to Newport, an unlikely destination for adrenaline junkies both relatively tame (family-friendly thrill rides at the Balboa Fun Zone amusement park) and willing to risk life and limb (30-foot waves at the Wedge surf break). It’s also increasingly a killer place to eat, with Luke’s, of international Maine-lobster-roll fame, having recently opened locations in town. James Beard Award winner Tyson Cole just opened his sleek omakase and sushi restaurant Uchi this year. Once you’re stuffed, lay your head at Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel, a midcentury-inspired, 25-room boutique resort overlooking the sea. Watch the waves from beside the hotel’s rooftop fire pits, or paddle out on surfboards provided free for guests.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach has been an icon of California surf culture since the 1910s thanks to Hawaiian Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku. Surfers still chase waves near his old haunts, including the Huntington Beach Pier, where the aptly named Huntington’s on the Pier is scheduled to arrive this fall in the location of the old Ruby’s Diner (RIP, Ruby). It’ll serve seafood, obviously, plus livestreamed videos of groms wiping out just a few feet away. Sports here don’t always require wetsuits: Mini-golf bar Playground is equipped with the obvious, as well as arcade and pinball games. Or bypass physical exertion en masse at the new Holistic Lounge at Hyatt Regency. It’s packed with newfandangled healing tech that uses light, heat, and electromagnetic fields to allegedly repair stressed skin and muscles tired from lifting mojitos.
Long Beach
Drive another 40 minutes north to one of the world’s biggest shipping ports. Long Beach will get another record-holder come July: The $21 million Long Beach Amphitheater will seat 11,000, making it the West Coast’s largest waterfront amphitheater. Catch a concert, then grab dinner at Marathon Burger. Named
after an album and brand by rapper and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle, the restaurant was opened by the late artist’s brother, who began slinging Wagyu smashburgers out of its new Long Beach location in March. Lay your head at the newly reopened City Center Hotel. A respectful overhaul of the original 1962 motorlodge retained its midcentury modern architecture but added Olive & Rose, a French-ish restaurant helmed by siblings Lauren and Philip Pretty, whose other eatery, Heritage, earned a Michelin star in 2023.
Santa Catalina Island
No coastal road trip is complete without a detour to Santa Catalina Island. Home to the Gabrieliño/Tongva people before the Spanish rolled in, the island was purchased by William Wrigley Jr. in 1919 and is still owned by the Wrigley family. Fun fact: Catalina was the spring training locale for the Chicago Cubs from 1921 to 1951
(no wonder they couldn’t concentrate). Modern-day road trippers take a one-hour ferry to Avalon, where golf carts outnumber cars and pastel storefronts give a time-capsule-y feel. Go inland with the Catalina Island Company for a bison tour or a “halk walk.” Eat at the newly renovated Topside and take in the panoramic views, kayak Avalon Harbor at night, or chase flying fish on the Cyclone. Or, skip the hotel and camp on a floating harbor platform, or sleep on a boat in a cove near Two Harbors.
Marina del Rey
The clean-cut, sleepier next-door neighbor to Venice Beach, Marina del Rey is popular among boaters, birdwatchers, paddleboarders, amateur artists, and yacht rockers with skin tanned the color of Dr. Pepper. Learn to throw pots or mold mugs at the recently opened Bitter Root Pottery Aqueous, or paint with prosecco at Counsel & Canvas Art Gallery. Speaking of vino, Stoa Wine Bar & Market is also new with wine, cocktails, pizza, and antipasti as well as philosophy lectures and craft nights. Your athleisurewear isn’t just for show and art gives you the yawns? Stay at the freshly renovated Marina del Rey Marriott, where you can take a surf lesson, follow a guide on a seaside bike ride, or just warm your weird toes by a beach bonfire.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica’s a star. The famous beach town is the setting for hundreds of films dating back to the 1929 Buster Keaton movie Spite Marriage. It still honors its retro roots with attractions like the recently opened Funhouse at Pacific Park. Located on the pier, this maze of optical illusions and creepy clowns is a nod to the long-gone Toonerville Funhouse. For fancier history, stay at The Eden, which opened last June in the former Hotel Shangri-La (most rooms have jet-equipped soaking tubs). Eat at Seline from chef Dave Beran, whose collection of James Beard Awards and Michelin stars is almost as long as the restaurant’s tasting menu (up to 18 courses!).
Conejo Valley
The Conejo Valley encompasses Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Oak Park, and Agoura Hills—and a whole lot of hiking trails and gardens dotting the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Wander until you finally arrive at beer. Malibu Brewing Company’s Agoura Hills outpost is expected to debut in spring or early summer (try the Sand & Sea, a creamy, maize-spiked Mexican lager). Hunger pangs? Keep an eye on The Drop Yard, a 40,000-square-foot food truck park with shipping-container bars and an outdoor stage, expected to open at the Hyatt Regency Westlake later this year.
Camarillo
Named after rancher Adolfo Camarillo, the city of Camarillo still retains some of its rural flavor, even as it’s steadily suburbanized. Visitors can hike oak-lined mountain trails, then hit the shops at the Camarillo Premium Outlets (if scoring deals is your primary motivator for stopping here, stay at the new 122-room Home2 Suites by Hilton beside the outlets). Or improve your swing at the spanking-new Green Room Golf Club—with an indoor putting green and golf simulators that track speed, spin, and distance. Now that you spent time sucking less at golf, reward yourself with a treat from Carrara’s Pastries, an Italian bakery planning a Camarillo location this year. The tiramisú is a no-brainer, but don’t sleep on the sfogliatelle, a flaky pastry stuffed with ricotta, orange zest, and ensuing serotonin.
Oxnard
Known for beaches and berries, Oxnard is one of the world’s leading exporters of strawberries. In other superlative news, it’s now home to North America’s largest Staybridge Suites. With 252 rooms, it’s got pickleball and tennis courts, free breakfast, and the Dallas Cowboys (it’s the host hotel for their training camp). For eats, there’s Immigrant Son Caffè, the Ventura Italian restaurant that expanded to Oxnard in January. Try the breakfast lasagna (béchamel, mozz, marinara—plus bacon and eggs) then, after the brief pleasure coma, head to Wagon Wheel, a roadside stop turned mixed-use neighborhood with local businesses like Wagon
Wheel Brewing Company (get the Foxy Red amber ale) and Honey Cup Coffeehouse & Creamery (three words: crème brûlée croissant).
Ventura
Like your friend Ted who under no circumstances should be referred to as Theodore, Ventura goes by its nickname—the city’s full name is San Buenaventura, after the mission established there in 1782. Its default to the shorter, less stuffy moniker matches its laidback energy. Check out the Ventura location of Corazón Cocina, a counter-service Mexican restaurant from Guadalajara-born chef Ramon Velazquez that’s earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction. Explore the 1,645-acre Ventura Hills Nature Preserve, established this year, to see killer ocean views and wildlife like quail and red-tailed hawks on five miles of hiking trails.
Santa Barbara
In 1903, Milo M. Potter opened the opulent Potter Hotel. Framed by rose gardens and an onsite zoo and equipped with billiard halls and a bowling alley, the hotel helped Santa Barbara grow into a popular tourist destination. The Milo, opened in 2014 where the Potter once stood, recently redesigned its 121 guest rooms, wrapping them in wallpaper that features fluttering herons—a call back to the birds that once lived at the OG hotel’s zoo. Santa Barbara also claims the oldest continuously operating hotel in SoCal, the Upham. Bistro Amasa, a New American spot from the team behind Michelin Guide–recognized Barbareño, opened there in November. For more history, visit the new McHurley Film Center, an arthouse theater showing documentaries, foreign films, and indie movies every day.
Santa Ynez
The Chumash are the original peoples of Santa Ynez, their ancestors dwelling for thousands of years without Spanish contact in what is now a prolific wine-producing region of Santa Barbara County. The 14,000-square-foot Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center opened last year to preserve and teach that history. Go there. Then go wine tasting—a must in Santa Ynez—and ponder what you learned. If you need a break from grapes, head to Pony Cocktails + Kitchen, a revamp of Italian-born chef and mixologist Alberto Battaglini’s Pony Espresso coffee shop. There, Battaglini is laying down nitro negronis and savory mushroom “donuts.” For a quicker bite, try Stica for grab-and-go pizza, salads, and paninis from chef Luca Crestanelli, another Italian transplant who also runs the pasta restaurant SY Kitchen out of an old farmhouse.
Solvang
Built by Danish settlers, Solvang is a charming, theme-parky California town dotted with windmills. At least 10 Danish bakeries offer on-theme treats. New arrivals include The Gathering Table—the Ballard-area restaurant that closed in 2022 but has now returned with Asian-French fusion from chef Budi Kazali (formerly of Boston’s Beard Award–winning Blue Ginger). Kanok Thai Cuisine opened its third location here after winning over Santa Barbara and Goleta (get the tom yum). For lovers of weird, there’s the new tasting room for Final Girl Wines, a local winery making organic, biodynamic, and small-batch sips. The tasting room echoes the label’s horror movie inspiration with spooky décor and a Halloween pinball machine. Or detach and cosplay Yellowstone at the historic Alisal Ranch (their BBQ Boot Camp event brings the best slow-and-low chefs, May 2-5).
Buellton
Perched at the junction of the 101 and 246, Buellton is a familiar California road trip stopover. For years, visitors were drawn by a cartoonish landmark billboard beckoning them to Pea Soup Andersen’s. Sadly, the OG Andersen’s closed in 2024 (the Santa Nella outpost is still serving if you’re hankering). Last year, another Buellton institution, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. (founded in 2010), swapped its in-house restaurant for Hudson Grill, which serves beer-friendly bites like burgers, pizza, and fried chicken sandwiches. Might wanna save that for after your visit to Highline Adventures, where you can ride California’s longest zip line or take little ones to run around the new Skynet Playground, a netted, more kid-friendly version of the park’s obstacle course suspended in the trees.
Santa Maria
Foodwise, this fertile region’s best known as the birthplace of the Santa Maria grill (a California barbecue icon). People also flock for the low-key wine country, odd little roadside moments, and the ever-expanding trail system at Los Flores Ranch Park. After loading up on allergy meds and braving nature, grab some hand wipes and tri-tip at The Swiss Restaurant & Bar. Take a winding drive along Foxen Canyon Road, a 30-mile stretch of wineries. Stop at the strikingly modern Presqu’ile Winery and leave with a keepsake linocut dropped into your hand from a vending machine. Skip the tidy hotel and kick the sand off your feet at the Dune Surfer Inn, a surf shack with a glow up.
Pismo Beach
The “Pismo Beach disaster” of Clueless fame is not real—but if that gets you here, then welcome. Go inland to the Pismo Preserve for coastal trails and ocean views. Pismo once crowned itself the Clam Capital of the World, but overharvesting has…well, you know the rest. Instead of digging for ocean gold, catch the seasonal
magic at the Monarch Butterfly Grove and snap Insta-worthy sunset pics at Dinosaur Caves Park. For something less naturey, head to Ox + Anchor (in nearby San Luis Obispo) for a newer Central Coast standout. Fictional disaster aside, the cinematic charm of Pismo Beach is very real.
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo’s original name was tiłhini (or titini), meaning “place of the full moon” in native Chumash language. Take advantage of the area’s wide open heavens at Nightsky, a glamping resort slated to open this month at San Luis Obispo’s Dairy Creek Golf Course. The property’s 45 “eco-tents” have real beds and private decks for stargazing, and there’s a sauna and cold plunge onsite. Spend a day unplugging, then head into town for dinner at Nicola Restaurant. There, you can try the rare bachiche cuisine. Developed by Italian immigrants in Peru, it combines elements of both countries’ culinary rituals. Then hit Anderson Social, a jazz club and cocktail bar in the 1923 building that once housed the lively Anderson Hotel.
Paso Robles
Now a top California wine producer, Paso Robles once drew visitors for a different kind of liquid: Its first mineral hot springs resort was established in 1864. Nowadays, it’s a rapidly evolving Central Coast destination, courting big names like New York restaurateur Charlie Palmer whose Aureole restaurant earned a total of 13 Michelin stars before closing in 2020). Palmer opened the Western-themed Cattlemen’s Bar in the Paso Robles Inn in February (with a fancier spot, The Pass by Palmer, expected soon). In the city’s quaint downtown, mosey through tasting rooms and antique shops, and stay at the new Ava Hotel, a Hilton property with three restaurants (including one on the roof). Venture into the hills to sample local vintages at the wineries themselves. McPrice Myers Wines serves sustainably minded, Rhône-style sips from its eponymous self-taught winemaker in a new tasting room.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, artists and writers fled to Carmel-by-the-Sea, ensuring its esoteric allure for generations. Skip the main drag and wander Carmel’s deliberately hidden micro-districts—Der Ling Lane, Seven Arts Court, and the Court of the Golden Bough—where clusters of small studios hide in plain sight, and artists are still making work by hand. Talk to them. Buy something from them. Celebrate your new acquisition over a meal during Carmel Culinary Week (June), or slip into Michelin-recognized Stationæry. Lay your head at the newly remodeled Carmel Beach Hotel if you’re feeling flush or the Carmel Cottage Inn if you’re feeling like your bank account got flushed. Carmel-by-the-Sea is nothing if not romantic.
Monterey
Damn, California’s gorgeous. That’s what you’ll be thinking as you land in Monterey. Long before it was a postcard—or the Spanish capital of Alta California—this coast was home to the native Rumsien, a subgroup of the Ohlone people. That layered history lingers in the adobes tucked between tourist throngs. Time your visit for low tide along the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, where you’ll see anemones, sea stars, hermit crabs, and more shells than you can imagine (look, don’t take). Back in town, consider a table at Maligne, known for its seasonal, wood- fired cooking. Or go full thespian at Paper Wing, an intimate dinner theater staging everything from live music to cult-favorite shows.
Gilroy
When a recipe calls for one garlic clove, the best life advice is to make it three. Garlic makes everything better, and Gilroy has turned the aromatic bulb into a municipal pride. The Gilroy Garlic Festival is the Coachella of alliums, and it’s back after a hiatus (typically held in July). But the real draw is its delightful oddballness that might pique Clark Griswold’s curiosity: Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park, where the rides wind through gardens and the surreal Circus Trees, living sculptures that have grown into spirals and knots. Round out this scenic route with a spin along Hecker Pass Highway, which is dotted with small wineries and roadside farm stands. Stop and patronize these small makers. Stretch your legs at Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park before heading back to the normieland of Santa Cruz. Yes, we write that with a sarcastic side eye.
Santa Cruz
If San Diego is coin-bounced-on-a-military-cot obedient, Santa Cruz is AWOL. In a head-to-head weird-off, it’d take Austin down. Visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for classic kitsch, the famously gravity-defying Mystery Spot for full-on disorientation, and the dreaminess of West Cliff Drive for those who like to pretend every vacation spot could be their home. Catch a show at The Catalyst, a 60-something-year-old rock club icon where Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Neil Young, and Tom Petty frequented (and now with raves, drag shows, niche-music nights), or wander Evergreen Cemetery, one of California’s oldest with massive Chinese burial architecture and gold prospector tombstones. Refuel at The Penny Ice Creamery and Taqueria Vallarta before seeing what’s what at Indexical, a small, experimental art space where sound, performance, and visuals collide.
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Morgan Hill
Another inland detour, Morgan Hill is a deep breath before arriving in San Francisco. The town is named for early landowner Hiram Morgan Hill, and the collective agricultural roots still persist. This is wine country’s quieter side hustle—less polished, less formal, a casual person’s pinot (especially if coming from Santa Cruz). Along the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail, you’ll find small producers and laid-back tasting rooms like the Guglielmo Winery, a family-run spot pouring since the 1920s. Nobody here will judge if your tasting feedback leans more “Ew, bitter!” than “Ooh, robust structure!” After wine tasting—or before, if you’re experiencing wine in midlife—move your body at nearby Henry W. Coe State Park, which offers miles of rugged, uncrowded trails. The big, long delayed arrival everyone is waiting for is The MOHI by Appellation—a 76-room boutique hotel in Downtown from iconic wine country chef Charlie Palmer, hospitality pro Christopher Hunsberger, and vintner Frank Léal—with a rooftop pool, spa, you name it. ETA: 2027.
San Francisco
So much to do in San Francisco, such limited word count. Hop to the reopening of The Fisher Collection at SFMOMA; skip to The Wave Organ, a sound sculpture built from cemetery stone that gurgles with the tides; and jump to GLIDE Memorial Church for a Sunday service, all denominations welcome with gospel, community, and a spirit of radical inclusion that’s distinctly San Francisco. Enjoy le dîner at the brand-new JouJou, a French Brasserie from David Barzelay of two-Michelin-starred Lazy Bear. If it’s the ferry that blows your hair back—and it will, count on it—head to Oakland, walk a mile or so to Mighty Mighty Studios to take an art class or pick up a gift for your creative friend (aka yourself) in its gorgeously curated shop. Head back toward the water. Slip into Bar Shiru, a Japanese-style listening bar that runs on vinyl and good behavior (“be nice or leave”). Ferry back after sunset, because nobody’s ever been disappointed by the sparkling night view of the Golden City from a distance.
