Buckle up, this is going to be a long oneβ¦.
Being islanders for nearly a year on the Canadian west coast definitely had itβs adventures with stunning, nature saturated scenery, but we were craving another good, long road trip; comparable to the one that began our lives west when we drove across 3 Provinces from Ontario to Alberta, and then one more Province further west to our now home in British Columbia. We had fallen so in love with the raw and rugged coast and lush forests of our beautiful western Province, that we wanted to explore it further on a road trip to California on the Pacific Coastal Highway, akaβ¦ the PCH. So we packed up the car and the family and began our trip south to the US border into Washington.
We drove through Seattle in the dark and didnβt really stop to keep on schedule, but the night time views of the city and seeing the Space Needle all lit up was enough to add it to our Bucket List to explore it on its own at a later time.
Our first pin drop on the map was a stop in Astoria, Oregon to check out the Goonie house and other landmarks from the iconic 80βs movie such as the Haystack Rock formations shown near the end of the film. Being 80βs kids, and my husband, a huge Goonies fan, this was an exciting highlight! Our daughters were also Goonie fans through us and so they too could relate and be equally excited to be here. A number of other movies were filmed in this little town such as Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy and Short Circuit to name a few and it was neat to recognize some of the buildings and landmarks from the movies that were filmed here.
We crossed into Northern California in the early evening, checking into a room at the Oceanfront Lodge in Crescent City and enjoyed the pool and hot tub amenities before turning in for the night. Being dusk on arrival, we had little notion of the spectacular views that awaited us in the morning. This Lodge definitely lived up to its name with beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean from our room, to the restaurantβs floor to ceiling windows for breakfast.
Continuing on, we came up to Klamath, CA to experience the Trees of Mystery located in the heart of the Redwoods, in the center of the Redwood National and State Parks. We explored trails through giant Redwoods, chainsaw sculptures and carvings that told the story of the legendary logger, Paul Bunyan.
As we continued south, we took in the spectacular views from the highway in awe. This is what the PCH experience is made of! Rocky bluffs, rugged coastline, wildflowers and crashing waves below. The energy was exhilarating to experience so we had to stop and get out to really appreciate it (and get a family photo op in). We continued along to our next stop in Eureka, CA to the Avenue of the Giants in the Humboldt Redwood State Park. The trees were massive! So massive that you could literally drive a car throughβ¦and so we did. The Shrine Drive Through Tree measures 375 ft tall and 64 ft in diameter. We really couldnβt believe that our Lincoln MKX would actually pass through so we even put the mirrors in, just to be safe haha.
En route to our next destination, we came across a little roadside attraction that looked worth stopping for. Not part of our set plan, yet things like this were however, part of the plan to check out things unplannedβ¦if that makes sense. So here we were at the Legend of Bigfoot Carvings and Souvenirs in who knows where ( Google search shows its in Garberville, CA). We were so glad we stopped here. We all enjoyed checking out the carvings and familiar characters like Shrek, a few of Snow Whiteβs Dwarfs, and of course the Legend himself, Bigfoot! We drove on to check out one more drive-thru tree in Memorial Grove. Here, the Chandelier Tree stands at 315 ft and is 21 ft around.
Behold, we have arrived to our first major destination! Hello San Francisco!!! This was so exciting and a major highlight of our trip. Now I fully understand how oneβs heart could be left in San Francisco, like the song says. I instantly fell in love with this beautiful city in the bay! Crossing the iconic Golden Gate Bridge was an experience in itself! I couldnβt help but hear the Full House theme song in my head as we crossed. We drove through the downtown core, straight to the Fishermanβs Wharf, but not before stopping at Candlestick Park, former home of the 49βers β¦yes we are huge 9βer fans so this was a big deal.
Fishermanβs Wharf was alive with music, food and so many tantalizing aromas. Shopping, more restaurants, street entertainers and even a carousel awaited us at Pier 39, a whole other experience in itself. San Fran was where it was at and we were thrilled to be taking it all in. Stellar Sea Lions barking in the bay, Alcatraz in the distance, the ringing bells of the trolleys zipping up and down the streetsβ¦literally up and down, and of course, the fresh baked bread filling the air from Boudins Bakery, with its intricate alligator loaves being made right in their storefront window for you to enjoy! Itβs hard to put into words the feeling you get when youβre here. Itβs absolutely something that stays with you.
We had a blast checking out the Victorian houses, better known as the Painted Ladies, and even better known as the Full House houses. Again, the Full House theme song came to mind here. Mrs. Doubtfire was also filmed in this part of the city along with many other films and sitcoms across the Bay Area. We also took a drive down the worlds βcrookeest streetβ, Lombard Street. A steep street with 8 hairpin turns and fabulous views below as we made our way down. We ended our stay in the Bay City at the Golden Gate Park, where we had amazing views from below of the iconic bridge. I was left already looking forward to our next trip here, and we hadnβt even left yet.
Continuing south we come to the city of Malibu. Where mansions upon mansions take up the hillside on one side, and surfers take on the waves of the Southern Pacific on the other as you drive in. We stopped briefly to watch the surfers and stretch out our legs before carrying on to Santa Monica Beach and Pier. The girls loved riding the rides, having themselves sketched by artists at the Pier and playing in the surf.
The following day it was high energy in downtown LA! From Sunset Blvd to Hollywood, Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills, we did it all. At first we began to explore on our own but then found we could cover more ground by hopping on a sightseeing bus. It took us around to the night club scenes, old and new like Johnny Depps (at the time) Viper Room to the more relevant hotspot the Keyclub, where the likes of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and other celebrities would party it up. The tour also took us past celebrity homes and iconic landmarks and places in film like the Beverly Hills Hotel, the fire escape from the scene at the end of the movie Pretty Woman and of course the Hollywood sign to name a few. Once back on our own, we followed the stars on Hollywood Blvd and took in the amazing shopping and atmosphere at the Hollywood & Highland Entertainment Center, filled with world-class shopping, dinning and the location of red carpet movie premieres like the Game of Thrones premiere taking place at the Chinese Theatre while we were there. Before we knew it, day had turned into night and everything was aglow around us. The streets were buzzing with tourists and businesses doing their hustle of buying and selling. Every other shop had a massive, limited time blowout sale that after a while, seemed to never reach the limited time advertised lol. It was such a vibe to be in!
On the road againβ¦. (I warned you this was a long one lol). Our next big adventure was Disneyland. On our way there we stopped at what I would say was one of the nicest beach communities I had seen yet. Behold beautiful and welcoming Huntington Beach, home of world class sandy beaches and surfing, its long beach pier, (measuring 1850 ft in length) and film location to Baywatchβ¦ if youβre old enough to remember the hit series of the 90βs starring David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. I was just in love with this charming seaside city where everyone was pleasant to meet and everything around was pristine.
Finally we arrive in Anaheim, CA! Home of the most magical place on earthβ¦Disneyland! We checked into our hotel room just outside the Disneyland gates and cooled off in the pool before heading out to Downtown Disney, an impressive outdoor shopping centre featuring shops, restaurants, entertainment and everything Disney. The experience is a great prelude of what to expect in the theme park with things like Lego World showcasing amazing Disney characters and sculptures all made of Lego pieces. It is truly mind blowing to see.
The next morning was an exciting one and we were all up early to take in as much of the day as possible in Disneyland. We fuelled up with a hefty breakfast and made our way into the gates. We were immediately tickled with happiness and didnβt know which way to turn. We decided first things first, βwe need our mouse earsβ, so the hunt was on. We were greeted by some big Disney celebrities along the way and the girls got some good squeezes in from Minnie Mouse herself (I may have snuck in a hug as well). The whole day was a whirlwind from beginning to end. Space Mountain, Small World Boat Tour, Princess Castle meet and greet, The giant Disney ferris wheel, Haunted Mansion, the smells and sounds of Orleans Street, the famous Disney parade and fireworksβ¦I could go on but this blog is already going into novel territory as it is and we still have Vegas to cover so Iβll just say thisβ¦Disney does not miss a thing! Right down to the landscaping sculptures with speakers pumping out every Disney tune one could imagine, I wondered at times if there was fairy dust being blown into the air as well because it truly was magical and made you connect to your inner child. The fireworks display narrated by Julie Andrews was the icing on the cake and a perfect ending to our time in Disneyland. It left us exhausted from high endorphin levels all day, the best kind of exhaustion one can have.
VEGAS BABY!!! Leaving the ocean behind and making our way through the Cacti and sandy hills of the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas Nevada, we were wowed by the change in landscape in just a short time from leaving California. The outside temperature reading on our vehicle was showing values in the 40βs as we drove through Death Valley. Once we got to Las Vegas, it was a comfortable 24Β°C (75Β°F), which to our surprise was below normal temperatures as they were experiencing a cold front passing through. The Canadian in us thought is was just perfect. We checked into our room at the Circus, Circus Hotel and were pleasantly overwhelmed with all of the stimulation and energy the hotel offered right down to dazzling Aerialists swinging and spinning from the ceiling. We hit the pool right away and relaxed a bit before our amazing all you can eat buffet style dinner and then some fun in the indoor amusement park. Once we exhausted ourselves on all the rides and games, we took in the city lights of the Vegas nightlife as we drove up and down the strip and even into Old Vegas.
The next day we enjoyed Vegas in daylight and took in all the sites and architecture, appreciating how different everything was from the night scenes before. We made a wish at the Caesars Palace fountain and was entertained by the Fountains of Bellagio water performance, a popular, must see daily event every 30 minutes. We shook hands with lots of Elvisβ and were wowed by the Can Can girls and their elaborate feathered costumes. Sin city did not disappoint and left us unscathed β¦ for now.
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