Roadtrip up the Pacific Coast Highway: Santa Monica, Malibu and Santa Barbara.

We had wanted to do this trip for months and so after university had finished we finally had the time to actually plan it and go. We wanted to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, famous for its beautiful coastal scenery to Santa Barbara, stopping along the way at Santa Monica and Malibu. 

Our first stop was Santa Monica, we walked along the pier, famous for being the end of Route 66 and went on the Ferris Wheel which had amazing views of the LA area, mountains and coast. We then had fun relaxing on some swings on the beach. We also walked down the main street which is great for shopping and got a burrito at Chipotle for lunch.

Santa Monica Pier

Route 66

Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

View from the Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

Waves

Santa Monica's Main Street

We then drove further up the coast to Malibu which is known for its beautiful beaches and stopped to have a walk along the beach.

Malibu Beach

Surf/Swim

Driving up Pacific Coast Highway

We had booked to stay in the Holiday Inn at Carpinteria which is before Santa Barbara on the coast. We dropped our bags in the room and walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. The view of the mountains on the way really reminded me of those in Hawaii, it was hard to believe we were not even that far from LA. It was a quiet town with not much to do but it had a great beach for the sunset. We found a spot and had fun taking photos. We went to I-Hop to have pancakes for dinner and then went back to the hotel to relax in the hot tub under the stars.

The Mountains of Carpinteria

Carpinteria Sunset

Silhouettes

The next day after breakfast we continued driving and reached Santa Barbara. It was a very windy day making the walk down the pier a bit of a struggle, however it was clear just how picturesque the town was, with the mountains, ocean and old style Spanish buildings. It almost felt like you were in another country.

Santa Barbara Pier

We stopped by Tourist information to get some information, we were given a map and told to start at Santa Barbara's Courthouse in the Old Town which is a lovely area with lots of shops and restaurants.

Old Town Santa Barbara

The Courthouse, built in 1926 after an earthquake destroyed the earlier building, is an example of how the town has been influenced by the Spanish Colonial style. It has beautiful interior decoration with patterned ceilings and walls, large murals and also tile mosaics. The mural room's paintings reveal some of Santa Barbara's interesting history and the extensive murals make the space very dramatic. However, the most impressive part of the Courthouse is perhaps the view from the clock tower. You can see 360 degrees, to the coast, the mountains and to all the pretty tiled buildings of Santa Barbara.

Courthouse

Patterns

The Mural Room

Mountain View from the Clock Tower

Ocean View from the Clock Tower

After we had visited the Courthouse we walked through a little area, La Arcada, which had some nice small shops and restaurants. There was even a fountain which had turtles swimming inside. The atmosphere was very relaxed and felt quite European.

La Arcada

Mozart Trio

We went to the Santa Barbara Mission after lunch. Built in 1786 it was the tenth mission of twenty-one in California, which sought to convert Native Americans to Christianity to help their attempt at colonisation. Over the years parts of the mission have been rebuilt due to earthquake damage. The missions are the oldest buildings in California and have historical significance for the state. This was the second mission I had been to and it was smaller than the first, however still interesting and pretty to see. It is intriguing to see some of California's history, where it began and how it has influenced the state to this day.

Santa Barbara Mission

A Franciscan Friar

Spanish Colonial Style

The Chapel

I loved this road trip, the places we visited were so picturesque and I wish we could have gone for longer. I'd like to drive all the way up Highway 1 to San Francisco so I guess it just means I'll have to go back and do it one day!!