Looking to get away for a day or two to recharge? Looking for some new suggestions of places to safely drive to that aren’t quite so crowded or overrun these days? There are quite a few charming towns to explore by car on the West Coast that are slowly beginning to accept visitors. More than you may have guessed! Read on a for a few of my favorites.
If you are like we are, you skipped traveling on Labor Day weekend. With so many others out and about for the long holiday weekend, we decided we would pick other weekends to explore. It is nice to take some time away from work, and away from the news cycle for a little R&R.
If you are still deciding where to go, start by checking out these fantastic driving destinations on the west coast. Just remember that many of these towns are small and many of the residents are retired, possibly more susceptible to the virus. Please be considerate of your hosts and remember to pack your hand wipes for high touch surfaces in your hotel room or AirBNB. (Read this article about ways to stay safe in hotels during the pandemic)
Solvang
Solvang is a quirky little town. For starters, the downtown is a cute little Danish-Inspired village. There are windmills to see. Five windmills, to be exact. But better than that, there are several Danish pastry shops and many shopping boutiques. Still better, there are approximately 125 wineries in the region with many tasting rooms right in the downtown area to visit. The wineries have setup outdoor areas which make for a pleasant outdoor experience.
Love to cycle? The area is relatively flat a you can take a leisurely ride along highway 246 between several different wineries. Be sure to ride by the Mission Santa Inez. The mission is currently closed during the pandemic, but you are able to walk the grounds. If you prefer hiking you might want to try hiking to the base of fern covered Nojoqui falls. After your ride or hike you can refuel in one of many outdoor eateries.
Quirkiest of all? Just between Solvang and Buellton is Ostrichland, USA. Yup. A ranch entirely devoted to Ostriches and Emus. A hundred of them according to the staff. The ranch is outdoors, open, and very kid friendly.
Cambria
Cambria is one of my favorite towns on the west coast. Like many of the recommendations here, it is a smaller, but scenic town which gets busy in summer. Situated right on Coastal highway 1 just south of Hearst Castle, Cambria is a great town to go to get away for a weekend. (Note – as of publication date, Hearst Castle has not yet reopened to the public due to the pandemic).
Start your day with a short but spectacular hike at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. It is a gorgeous trail right along a pristine ocean bluff. For a longer hike, you can actually hike to the Ranch right from downtown – the trail starts behind the Bluebird Inn and goes up and over the bluff. But be warned – you will cross Rte 1 with no overpass. The trip is totally worth it.
You could also take a hike along the coast to see the Piedras Blanca lightstation, and check out the elephant seals at the trailhead. Then hit the downtown for some wine tasting, antiquing, or a stroll at the farmers market.
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is definitely a fun town. There never seems to be a dull moment in this funky, new age town. Always with a festival or street fair, Shasta attracts a lot of folks in from out of town. Locals claim that there is a secret, hidden society living deep inside the mountain. Some claim this hidden city hides survivors of a lost, sunken continent. Others claim that the inhabitants are survivors from a crashed alien ship. In either case, several crystal shops intermingle with the other shopping in the downtown.
Start your weekend with some hiking in the Shasta-Trinity area. Be sure to check your weather report, because even in July the higher peaks will still have snow and ice. A good option for a snow-free hike up to a vista is Black Butte. Cool off at Lake Siskiyou, which has a large beach suitable for cooling off and a gorgeous view of Shasta. It is one of the prettiest reservoirs in California and has re-opened for day-use.
Head into downtown for dinner at one of the cute outdoor cafes. After dinner you can enjoy a short but beautiful walk on the Sisson Meadows Trail. This can be accessed right from downtown off of Castle Street.
Mendocino
The dramatic coastline of Mendocino County has long attracted visitors to the little village of Mendocino. The village is full of amazing eateries and sleeperies to match the amazing views. In fact, the biggest news headlines in this county are mostly of the culinary flavor.
To start out your amazing weekend, check out Hendy Woods State park, Van Damme State park, or one of the other string of green belt areas to see the majestic scenery and Redwood forests. Head back into the charming town and enjoy a stroll through the victorian village. After lunch take some kayaks out to enjoy the headlands. Or enjoy the headlands from the top on the easy Mendocino headlands trail.
Most of the town is open, including the boutique shopping and the wineries for takeout or outdoors tasting. Taste your way out of town through the Anderson Valley vineyards.
Murphy’s
Murphy’s is a gentrified gold rush town halfway between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Long a visitor’s mecca, Murphy’s is slowly relinquishing its dusty victorian image in favor of a hipper vibe. Dozens of wineries line the downtown areas, in between eclectic shopping and antiquing.
Not far from downtown is the Calaveras Big Trees State Park, a great place to go for hiking, mountain biking, picnicking or just to see the enormous sequoias. If you are more of a road cyclist, the area has many gently rolling routes to choose from. Or try kayaking or rafting on the Stanislaus River.
If you are a history buff, you can use Murphy’s as your base for a visit to some of the many nearby ghost towns from the gold mining era. Some of them are beautifully preserved and they are all relatively close by. Make sure to bring your camera because the ghost towns are obscenely picturesque.
