Leo Carrillo State Beach, is north of LA and is a very pretty
beach where they film commercials and segments of movies.
It is in the Malibu area. There aren’t public restrooms so you
will have to use the facilities at a nearby restaurant, which I
don’t recall the name of. Drive further north to Hearst Castle,
and arrange to take one of their tours. They have two inside
and one outside I believe.
Big Sur was one of the prettiest coastal areas until recently,
when the massive fires spread to that area and townspeople
had to evacuate. I have yet to hear if it’s safe to go back for
them yet.
Carmel Valley, and Carmel the village, are two locations
known for shopping. And Carmel has the queen of the beaches anywhere along the California coastline. There are some stretches of beach that are so beautiful they have to be seen to be believed. Take a drive through the 17 Mile Drive in Carmel the village, for a look at how the ‘other half’ live. You will see mansions and even a castle, once owned by the man who wrote the theme for the Wizard of Oz. There is Seal Rock where alot of sea lions call home. And to the right, you can see the glass fronted home of Clint Eastwood. Doris Day lives in the area as well, among other notables. The Pebble Beach golf course is also in that area. Clint is one of the new owners.
There is the mission of Carmel which is a well known subject
of photographers and painters alike. And there are storybook
buildings that house all sorts of cute shops and galleries.
Take a walk to the Lone Cyprus tree, which has survived
a few fires and has a weather beaten look but still remains.
Shops also are in Carmel Valley which now has it’s own
postal address and shops and restaurants. There’s one
where all the locals go, and the owner grows his own
vegitables in the back of the property. I don’t remember
the name of it, but the locals all know it. It’s plain and
without any fan fare, and it’s very clean.
Then in Monterey there is Cannery Row, made famous
in the book by John Steinbeck and movie. There you’ll find an assortment of shops and a few seafood restaurants and a merry go round and arcade for the kids by the railroad tracks. They also have a large aquarium (expensive), where you can get up close and personal with the inhabitants of the glassed insections.
There is also the nearby Mexican Presideo which was
part of early Californias’ history, when the land was under Spanish occupation. It was a naval port that ships would anchor in and unload their wares to be sold locally. You can take a walking tour to the many buildings preserved by the California land and park management.
There are also shops along the pier at Monterey and there
are sea lions who try to mooch food from the tourists. But
they don’t want them fed any longer since they don’t want to
forage for their food anymore. They have a very pretty marina
with alot of sailboats that are great for picture taking. There
are many other small sites to see which you can pull over
and check out as you drive around the areas. I know there’s
a town north of Monterey, where it’s known for the Verbena
flowers that grow over the rocks that line the viewpoint areas
for views of the ocean. And I have seen the beauty there.
It’s located at Pacific Grove. There is also a beach there, well known for the Monarch butterflys that fill the trees and there’s “arch” in the name of that beach and I can’t remember the name now. But these rock arches or what’s left of them come up out of the tide waters and are photogenic against the blue water and sandy beach.
You can drive from there to Salinas and Castroville and
check out the fresh produce sold at the outdoor stands
there in Castroville. We used to drive over from San Jose
to get them quite often. Or in Salinas you can visit the
John Steinbeck house, which is now a restaurant. Or try
the Mexican owned and run taqueria nearby, for some
authentic Mexican food that’s inexpensive. That’s all Stein-
beck country and was written about in his books long ago.
There’s plenty to see and do just in that area alone.
I would like to suggest, if you are into western movies, or
anything western, you may find it of interest to go to the
Autry Western Heritage Museum near the zoo in LA, for a tour through some amazing rooms full of western memorabilia
from movies and the actors who played in them. On a wall
is a mural of a stagecoach, and the young woman looking
out of the stage coach window is our daughter when she was a young girl, and worked for Mr Autry. It was added after the museum was opened to the public. And the
painter was exact in painting her likeness back then.
Enjoy your vacation. You’ll have to google some things to
see which you absolutely don’t want to miss and others you
may want to postpone for another visit. I hope you’ll have
enough time to hit all of the major attractions you now have
in mind. Maybe you’d even want to visit Disneyland in
Anaheim, California. Lots of people do.

Highway 1 is a beautiful scenic route. Monterey and Carmel probably my two favorite spots.

Check out the Carmel by the beach only beach in california with WHITE sand it is beautiful great shops too!

Hearst Castle, Cambria, Pacific Grove, 17 Mile Drive, Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, Santa Cruze Beach and Boardwalk, Ano Nueveo Preserve, Half Moon Bay, Fort Funstun, SF Zoo, The Cliff House.