California Road Trip 2 Weeks | Yosemite and the Pacific Coast Highway
In 2021, international travel was still either not allowed or very difficult, so it seemed like a great year to plan a California Road Trip over 2 weeks! In 2020, I had finally seen the Grand Canyon on a road trip with my cousin and loved all the stops we made. For this trip I set my sights on two California places I had been wanting to visit: Yosemite and the Pacific Coast Highway.
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California is not Budget Friendly
I found a crazy good flight deal from Orlando to Los Angeles so my friend and I booked our less than $150 round trip ticket! This was the only deal we found.
Though neither of us are major camping types, we decided to book a van that would allow us to camp some of the nights. If you are a camper, this might be a great option. Turns out the tent we rented with the van was missing poles so we ended up sleeping in the van. Maybe that was safer, but it certainly wasn’t the same. We did end up getting a refund for the tent, but it wasn’t much extra to begin with.
The other thing worth noting is California gas prices. They are outrageous. Paying for gas will put a sizable dent in the budget. Food isn’t cheap, but you can save some money with some grocery trips.
We stayed in as cheap but decent hotels as possible. I pre-booked the L.A. and San Francisco hotels before flying over as those require some research and allows time to find a decent deal. However, outside of camping, accommodations are not cheap. This is generally true of USA travel overall. So it may not surprise you, but 2 weeks of road tripping California is not easy on the budget.
If you’re not interested in driving, there are plenty of tour options!
Week 1 | California Road Trip 2 Weeks
Los Angeles | Day One
We landed in L.A. and stayed somewhat near the airport and the place where we would be picking up the van. The day we arrived, the van agency was closed, which is why we didn’t get the van straightaway.
The area we stayed wasn’t necessarily nice, but after checking in, we ubered to Abbott Kinney Blvd in Venice Beach. I had learned about this area my previous time in L.A. but never quite made it there. So we enjoyed some of the shops and stopped for lunch. Eventually we walked to Venice Beach and along the boardwalk toward Santa Monica.
If you are ever at LAX and need a place to spend some time that’s relatively close, this is a good spot. Just make sure you consider traffic to ensure you get to your flight on time!
Change of Plans | Day Two
The original plan of our California road trip was to stop in the Sequoia National Forest. Wildfires prevented that from happening, so instead we headed toward Yosemite. After getting the van, we stopped at a grocery for some snacks and water. Eventually we stopped for lunch at an IN-N-OUT Burger, before settling for the night in Fresno.
Yosemite | Day Three
Finally made it to the Yosemite Area and started with Wawona and the Mariposa Grove. I had lofty dreams of major hikes in Yosemite, but in my dreams Yosemite was at sea level. These simple hikes were a reality check this Florida girl needed. My lofty dreams of major hikes slowly dissipated.
That aside, this area is beautiful! The trees are impressive and certainly worth a visit, especially if the National Forests were off limits like they were for us!
Yosemite | Day Four
While I had given up the lofty goal of completing major hikes, we still headed for a famous hike. We started the hike on the Vernal Falls trail and made it to the Vernal Falls Bridge. Food was left in the car and we weren’t sure how serious the “don’t leave food in the car due to bears” signs were, so we decided to turn around. We didn’t want to have to explain a bear breaking into the rental van.
The AllTrails app states this hike, (Vernal Falls and Clark Point via Mist and John Muir Loop) is hard. I can confirm that is accurate based on just the tiny part I hiked. Again, being far from sea level was very apparent. Still, the hike to the bridge was beautiful. We saw a bear high up in a tree. Enjoyed the scenery and the friendly hikers.
Once back to the car, we decided to drive to the area with Taft Point and Sentinel Dome. This area is so beautiful and definitely started off easier than the previous hike. We started by going to Taft Point and when we came to the crossroads of either heading back the way we started or loop around the other direction, we chose the path we hadn’t experienced yet. That path was much, much more difficult, but so very beautiful! But way more difficult. This hike overall was beautiful, with beautiful views and enchanted forests.
This hike overall was beautiful, with beautiful views and enchanted forests.
Yosemite | Day Five
Today we drove on the northern road (120) all the way to Lee Vining, stopped there for some coffee and drove back. This drive was absolutely stunning. We made stops along the way to take photos and enjoy the scenery. It was a perfect day to follow up the more challenging hikes we did the day before. This National Park is breathtaking and this drive did not disappoint. It was also considerably less crowded in this part of the park.
Yosemite was a major motivator for this California road trip and was definitely a highlight of the 2 week trip!
Napa Valley | Day Six
We made our way to Napa Valley, approximately three and half hours away from where we were staying by Yosemite. We’re not really into drinking wine, but when in Rome. If you are really into wine, do some research and book ahead of time. We found a spot at V. Sattui Winery that was reasonable and easy to get a reservation. We enjoyed the grounds, the wine tasting experience and the cheese and baguette from their store.
After the wine tasting, we walked around the downtown area of St. Helena which was incredibly charming. Yountville is another cute area, which we only saw after dark, but recommend checking out if you’re in the area.
Point Reyes | Day Seven
We headed over to the coast to the Point Reyes National Seashore. The views were amazing. It’s possible we saw whales way out in the distance, but being so far we just had to take the Rangers word for it.
On the way, we passed through Point Reyes Station and decided to make a stop on our way back. It’s a cute little town that capitalizes on the tourists coming through but still with its small town charm.
Eventually we made our way over the Golden Gate Bridge. After checking into our San Francisco hotel, we walked toward the Golden Gate Bridge and took in the sunset.
Week 2 | California Road Trip 2 Weeks
San Francisco | Day Eight
After breakfast, we walked to see the seals at Pier 39, but stopped to see Lombard Street on the way.
After watching the seals for a while, we made our way to the Ferry Building Terminal where we tried Humphry Slocombe ice cream and perused some of the shops.
From here, we rented some scooters to see the Full House house, before heading to Mission District for food and thrifting. There is plenty more to do in San Francisco but we did fit in quite a lot at a relaxed pace.
Pacific Coast Highway | Day Nine
We started the drive down the Pacific Coast Highway of our 2 week California road trip making stops along the way for photos. The drive is beautiful. I mean, really, really beautiful! Once we checked into our Monterey hotel, we headed to the coast for the sunset, which did not disappoint.
Monterey and Carmel | Day Ten
This day started at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. The hikes were easy and the scenery was beautiful. From here we stopped in Carmel for a couple hours. Carmel is very cute, but we didn’t feel the need or interest to stay long.
It was highly recommended we visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium which proved to be worth the hype. After the afternoon here, we chased the sunset yet again, but headed further south. Do not neglect the sunsets, because they are worth it!
Big Sur and Piedras Blancas | Day Eleven
This stretch of the drive of our California road trip was breathtaking and several unplanned stops were made. Big Sur was a planned stop and so beautiful. This is a state park and does require a fee. We really only looked, took some photos and left so it felt like a hefty fee for what we did, but I’m in support of these places being maintained and the more a place is visited the more likely it is to be abused. So we paid the money and enjoyed the scenery!
Continuing our drive South, we made more unplanned stops, including at Piedras Blancas once we realized there were seals on the beach. My friend loved the seals in San Francisco and watching them on the beach was equally enjoyable. There was a volunteer ranger there and she was great about answering questions. I recommend planning a stop here!
We booked a camp site in Morro Bay and once we saw where we would be staying, we headed to the beach for the sunset. Morro Bay has a rock (Morro Rock) on it’s beach adding to the beauty.
Solvang and Santa Barbara | Day Twelve
Continuing our way towards Los Angeles, we stopped at Solvang, a Danish style town. It feels so random, but it’s so cute! Eventually we made it to Santa Barbara where we had lunch at East Beach Tacos, a place my younger sister recommended. It was delicious if you’re in the mood for tacos!
After exploring Santa Barbara, we headed to Ojai. While Ojai is a cute little posh-hippie style town, there is not much to do other than eat. And we weren’t that hungry. We drove a little further before calling it a night.
Malibu | Day Thirteen
Our final full day started at Malibu. We enjoyed the shops and eventually grabbed lunch at the pier. We had to bring the van back by a certain time, so we had to head out after lunch.
After dropping the van off, we Ubered to our hotel where we just relaxed until our flight the next morning. I hope this post helped you if you are planning a California road trip!
