CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY 1 PHOTO DIARY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRAIG MACKAY
On Sunday morning we left early from San Francisco and headed south on Highway 1 towards Monterey. Almost immediately after leaving the City the views were absolutely breathtaking. Every turn was even more beautiful than the next.
We spent Sunday in Monterey and drive over to Carmel State Beach which was only about a 5 minute drive. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. White sand and crystal clear, turquoise water. There were great waves and a bunch of surfers out, the water temp is really, really cold though, I couldn’t believe people were swimming.
STRIPE TEE / JEANS / WATCH / HAT
Everyone had their dogs off leash running around and playing on the beach.
On Monday we continued South to Ventura to spend a night at my Mom’s. On the way we drove through Big Sur. Below is Bixby Bridge which you drive over as you enter Big Sur.
It’s really hard to drive and look at the insanely beautiful scenery. Luckily there’s a lot of pull off spots on the side of the road so you can stop and take it all in.
I couldn’t get over the color of the water as we drove along the coast. There is so much unspoiled coastline and miles of beaches.
Once we got into Big Sur we stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Beach. A friend of ours told us about a waterfall that’s only a short hike (less than 5 minutes).
So we decided to stop there and check it out. We were not disappointed. The most beautiful waterfall coming out from rocks over the beach. Not to mention there was not a cloud in the sky and it was almost 80 degrees. We were in heaven.
The trails are blocked off so you can’t go down to the beach but I desperately wanted to get down to it and dip my toes in the water. It looked so inviting. I know it was probably freezing but the color was magical.
JEAN SHORTS / TANK / SNEAKERS / SWEATER / HAT
We were pretty surprised by the very hilly and windy roads that went on for most of the drive. If you are afraid of heights I honestly wouldn’t recommend it. There are no guard rails along the drive and very steep cliffs as you drive along.
But the views are worth it. Every turn is more beautiful than the next. We came upon this beach where there were hundreds of Elephant Sea Lions on the beach. You can get out and take pictures. People were pretty close to them on the shoreline.
After stopping in Ventura we headed south to Palm Springs. We’ll be here for a few days so stay tuned for more photos from our trip!
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Gahhh, nature never cease to amaze me! Always love seeing your adventures in pictures x
http://www.ashrealasitgets.blogspot.com
Incredible locations and views!! WOW!! Thanks for sharing!
http://lartoffashion.com
I can not lie that as I am sitting here shivering from the cold I AM JEALOUS of these pictures. They are gorgeous and making me miss summer and shorts BIG TIME!
http://www.lifeisjustrosie.tv
This looks like such an amazing trip! I can’t wait to explore the California coast line now that I’m on the west coast! — SC at http://www.samanthachic.com
These photos are so gorgeous! The water really does look amazing.
xo Lauren
http://www.earthtostyle.com/
Wow…absolutely love your photos! I follow you on insta but this my first time to your bog! I love the colors of your photos..so stunning!! I live in the Bay Area, and driving down the 1 is literally one of my most favorite things. It’s just so breathtakign every single time. So glad you got to enjoy it! Xo
@stylemelauren
http://www.stylemelauren.com
I love this post, it makes me crave summer in a major way.
I’m curious about your straw hat, I’ve seen you wear it on other vaca trips- any tips on packing it? I always struggle to fit items like that.
Thanks!
Unfortunately it’s sort of an unpackable hat. I usually just wear it on the plane or bring a big tote and put it in that as my carry on. It tends to get a lot of compliments along the way, haha.
I’ve only owned two straw hats before. One that was huge, floppy and impossible (like you’ve experienced), and the other was a tad smaller, floppy but could actually fold and bend without getting ruined. Honestly, I wish I could describe it more, but I think just buying a hat that you can roll up for a day (then pull out of your suitcase soon after) would help loads during travels!
Kim / http://simplylovebirds.com
Gorgeous photos! I hope to make this trip someday! I love water views~
Kim / http://simplylovebirds.com