my guide to california
reflections on living in the golden state
Two and a half years ago, I moved to California! People often say they admire how I just “went for it,” but in reality I had a huge safety net of people supporting me. I came here on a whim because I took a road trip with two strangers; I “tried it out” for a month but once I got here I fell in love and kept figuring out new ways to stay. I didn’t know how badly I need a physical change of scenery, a blank canvas to paint on. Once I got here, it just felt right. When something feels so right it is much easier to say “YES”!
Even though I am in the same country, I still feel culture shock. California’s population of 39.2 million is triple the size of my home state of Pennsylvania. If California were its own country, it would be the world’s fourth largest economy. There is new history to learn: casually passing by the Japanese internment camp Mazenar during a drive home from the mountains, the forgotten names of giant Sequoia trees following the genocide of Native Americans. It’s full of social problems; lack of affordable housing and a growing homeless population are pushing people to leave the state, climate change is causing erosion to our coasts and burning our forests.
So why do I love California?
California is night buggies riding through desert washes, watching for snakes in desert craters, tangy fish tacos and salty burritos, Tesla charging stations, and crossing the street next to robots delivering food in LA. It’s paddle boarding while Navy planes touch down in Coronado, wetsuits left to dry over the fence, and neighbors leaving figs from their tree on our front stoop. California means learning to identify a seal vs. a sea lion, Ikon passes, Camp Flares, parental leave, abortion access, and workers’ rights. It’s the art of a well-stocked cooler, whale watching, bobcats, and YVON CHOUINARD!
Below is a list of my favorite places in the golden state of California! I hope you come for a visit soon :)
SAN DIEGO
Little Italy
Beer at Mikeller or Ballast Point (creator of sculpin). San Diego is definitely a beer town, hazy IPAs are very good
Love Vino Carta for natty wine. They have “Sunday school” where you can get a specialty flight and some great education on wine
The Saturday morning farmers market in Little Italy is bougie
Get a drink upstairs at beautiful bar of Born and Raised and order steak to share🥩
South Park
Pick up coffee in a cute airstream called Communal Coffee
Shop at the cute stores like Thread + Seed for clothes, Angelica B for beauty, Gold Leaf for home goods
Grab lunch or dinner at The Rose wine bar - amazing food and natty wine, plus it’s woman owned :)
North park
Shop for holistic facial products at Shop Good; cute Mexican goods at Artlexia
Enjoy music and lounge vibes at Part Time Lover
Try a cocktail at Polite Provisions; grab takeout at Fortunate Sons
Have a sicilian dinner at Cori or warm up with ramen at Underbelly
Ocean Beach
Go surfing with the locals, take your dog to Dog beach, or walk along the pier
Get fish tacos at Mike’s and eat them on the beach
Try a seafood sammie at Mitch’s on the bay side of Point Loma, grab a beer at Eppig
Walk Sunset Cliffs and get a California burrito at Sunnies or breakfast at Little Lion
Barrio Logan
Enjoy delicious tamales from Mexican grannies at Quatros Milpas
Shopping along Logan Ave, I love Santa Aroma for beauty and jewelry and art stores in the Art Hub
Check out an art exhibit at Bread + Salt
Grab a beer at Mujeres, a woman owned brewery with yummy pop-up tacos
Visit Chicano Park and be inspired by the beautiful murals
Central Coast
Central coast is my favorite region of California. Spend the morning riding bikes around Morro Bay. Go kayaking with the sea otters take a walk on the wide beach. Drive to Los Olivos and stay in a b&b so you can taste natural wine at Solminer. On your way home stop in Paso Robles for dinner.
Santa Barbara & Ojai
Shopping and eating in downtown Santa Barbara. Spa and wellness center in Ojai. Ride bikes to Ventura.
Bay Area, Marin County
Stay in Saulsalito, Tiburon, or Mill Valley. Have a sleepy coffee and people watch at a cafe in Tiberon. Walk through the town and see the fancy houses perched above the bay. Take the car through Golden Gate Park. Drive to Stinson beach and have a picnic and fire on the beach (the airbnbs in Stinson beach look to die for). Drive up to Bodega Bay and stop for oysters along the way.
Sierras
Start at Sequoia National Park and work upwards! Hike! Bike! Camp! Hug a tree! From Sequoia explore Kings Canyon and finally Yosemite. Sequoia and Kings Canyon are all about the trees. Yosemite is about the valley :) You will be surrounded by giant granite monster rocks. Staying in the valley at a campsite is a must, and biking is too. Mammoth Lakes are on the “other side” (eastern Sierras) and most known for being the go-to ski spot for bunnies in LA and San Diego. Sneak off the ski mountain for a beautiful, snowy, hike at Barney Lake trail.
THE DESERT
Anza Borrego (Ocotillo Wells, Agua Caliente)
Cuyamaca
Joshua Tree National Park
If you want to go to the desert, you have Anza Borrega, Ocotillo, and Joshua Tree all close by from San Diego and LA! The desert is healing. The dry air and the blazing sun purge all impurities out of you. The night is cold and perfect around a campfire. You can see blooming ocotillos in the fall and feel like you’re walking in a snow globe as the shooting stars jet over your head at night.
Must do activities in California
Water activity! Try surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, anything - but get out on the ocean!
Hippy activity! Try sound healing, take an outdoor yoga class, have your tarot cards read or indulge in reiki!
Appreciate our diverse culture! In San Diego we have a transborder culture with Mexico. The San Ysidro border crossing is the busiest in the country and fourth busiest in the world, with people crossing daily for work, school, or personal reasons. Be sure to appreciate what makes California so great.
I just read these awesome tips on the central coast, my fav part of CA, on "Yolo Journals".
"One of my favorite restaurants in the world is Bell’s in Los Alamos (we wrote about it in our Summer 2021 U.S. issue). I like it the most for lunch—and while everything on the menu is incredible, the egg-salad sandwich is something I dream about. In fact, I’ve almost driven there from LA just for lunch. I know that the Los Alamos/Los Olivos/Santa Ynez area isn’t on the coast, but since you have to drive inland after Santa Barbara, it’s a worthy stop to consider. Some great places to stay in the area too: Hotel Ynez, Skyview Los Alamos, Hotel Alamos Motel, and the new Auberge resort, the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern. Just writing about this makes me realize we need to do a whole big story there, so stay tuned for that! Moving north and over to the coast, if you love old school, you must stop at the Madonna Inn, if only for a coffee and a bathroom break. (I’m totally bypassing San Luis Obispo because I never stop there, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t! Also, you’ll need to fact check what is open and closed on the PCH between Morro Bay and Big Sur, because if roads are closed due to all the rains/slides, you’re better off sticking to the 101 and cutting over to Carmel and backtracking to Big Sur if that’s on your agenda.) In Morro Bay, stop at the little Morro Bay Oyster Company stand and get a dozen oysters looking out at the water that they came from that morning. There’s a good taco spot in town on your way north called Taco Temple—it’s not for the purist as it’s a very California approach to Mexican food, but it is great. Cayucos is the next town up—for years I would say my dream was to have an avocado farm inland and live in Cayucos (hmm need to revisit that!). Years ago there used to be a very charming inn there, but it closed and I haven’t personally been back in a while, so I don’t have a rec there…but if you’re there for the nature, it may not matter so much, especially if it’s just one night. There are plenty of ‘70s-era sort of generic but family owned motel/hotel setups further up in Cambria. A while ago we stayed at the Lucia Lodge, which is probably the best-sited hotel I’ve ever stayed at. It’s very sweet but not renovated or Luxury, so if you want sexy views, continue up to the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. Also in the Big Sur area we love the historic Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn—bear in mind the walls are paper thin and it’s funky. And on the hippie side of things, there is Esalen, which I’ve never stayed at, but plenty of my SF friends love and drive to as a weekend getaway. My favorite beach of all time is in Point Lobos State Park (China Cove Beach), which you’ll pass as you head north to Carmel. I never spend time in Carmel (a big shame, I know), but we have a Postcard about it here. Santa Cruz is also a worthy stop, but you’ll have to do your own research on it as I always drive right through. I do make a stop at the Pezzini Farms just off the highway in Castroville to get a steamed artichoke. My next favorite stops before you get up to SF are Pescadero, where I make a bee-line for Duarte’s Tavern for lunch—usually something made with artichokes, maybe a crab cioppino, and followed by a piece of their homemade pie. For an overnight, I love the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, right on the ocean. And then we drive into the town of Half Moon Bay and have dinner at one of our favorite Japanese restaurants, Sushi on Main Street."
I’m bookmarking this for my next road trip. Thanks for the tips!