Highway 1 California Vacation
You know that old adage, “travel together, stay together.” Yeah, me neither, but it sounded good for a minute. Haha. Alright, you lovelies here is the lowdown on our Highway 1 California Vacation! First, I have to tell you it was super fun! Harry and I flew into San Francisco in February for my birthday! Yay! The warm bay air and sunshine was a welcomed reprieve from the cold rainy days back east, we even came home to snow.
Anyway, we landed in San Francisco and caught an Uber to pick up our rental van. We rented a camper van from Travellers Autobarn. One, let me tell you there is nothing classy about these rental vans, but sleeping in a van isn’t classy, to begin with! But they are perfect for a great adventure! After our first night of camping in our campervan, we finished our trek to Yosemite and holy heavens it is gorgeous. I know what you are thinking! Yosemite is not off Highway 1, but who goes to California and doesn’t go to Yosemite? Just wait we will get to Highway 1.
All of Harry’s dreams of seeing El Capitan, Half Dome and more are all coming true! And it was magnificent to watch him marvel, like a kid in a candy shop! Next up we headed to Autocamp where we spent two nights glamping in a super cute airstream, which was just perfect! I highly recommend Autocamp. Part of our trip was to attend a photography workshop which you can see more of here!
Highway 1 Adventure Continues
Our next venture was to head to Highway 1 and drive south. We drove south to San Simeon to see Hearst Castle which was super cool. It’s kind of like the Biltmore of the West. If you love history you must go! Next was a little surprise we did not plan on seeing but a colony of elephant seals was not far from the castle. So we stopped and marveled at them all washed up on the beach making the most obnoxious noises, the males fought with each other and the moms kept the babies cool in the sand. High-quality entertainment I can assure you.
Next, we got back on the road and made our way to Big Sur. We camped on Highway 1 and woke up the next morning with the perfect sunrise overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Our next stop Pfeiffer Beach was worth the whole $12 we spent to see it. I promise! This amazing beach is absolutely stunning and like nothing, we have on the East Coast. The magnificent rocks that are right off the coastline are beautiful!
After crossing the famous Bixby Bridge we made our way to Carmel By The Sea. We stopped at the Old Spanish Mission, which is beautiful. Next to Monterey where we went to the Fishermans Warf which was a pretty cliche tourist trap. But gorgeous views of the bay. If you are in Monterey don’t miss stopping by Captian and Stoker. The barista noticed I was shooting a film camera so the place has my heart.
Colorful Adventures
Next on our journey, we passed through a town I randomly found surfing Instagram. Capitola, California is known for this few rows of super colorful houses right on the water. We wished we had spent more time here!
After cooking, sleeping and brushing our teeth in our beloved camper van one more night we made our way back to San Francisco. We spent the day hitting the high points. The Golden Gate Bridge of course! We also made our way to The Palace of Fine Arts then onto lunch at Boudin Bakery! So Yummy. After some Ghiradelli Ice Cream, we popped in and out of City Hall, because who doesn’t love gorgeous architecture! And made our way back to drop off our van, crashed in a hotel and took a hot shower, then back to the East Coast, glad for a grand adventure!
Perks of being a wedding photographer is that sometimes you get to travel to amazing places. We loved our visit to California and hope to head back soon. Check out some of our favorite images captured on our adventure.
