Get 5 recipes to simplify your life:
Get 5 recipes to simplify your life:

Photo Roundup: A Quick Trip Down the California Coast

pigeon point bluffs county beach

pigeon point bluffs county beach

Roughly halfway between San Francisco and San Diego is a little town called Solvang, CA. When my running-addicted San Diego-based friend told me she’d be running a marathon 50k just outside of said town, and staying for a few days, I knew a trip was in order.

I took the long route down, along Highway 1, snapping photos and chomping food along the way.

The day started out cold and gloomy with a side of fog, but that slowly gave way to warm sun and a vibrant coastline.

california coastline

Even as a California native, I had no idea how quickly the coast changed from beach to grass to forests and mountains and back again.

california coastline

A stop in Big Sur for lunch was necessary.

big sur off highway 1

A pork loin sandwich on house-baked bread and a cup of pea soup – yes please!

lunch from big sur bakery & restaurant

big sur bakery & restaurant

And back on the road I went!

california coastline

It seemed like every mile of the coastline was different than the last.

california coastline

california coastline

Eventually I made my way down to Morro Bay, home of this GIANT rock. Seriously. Giant.

morro bay

It was also time to eat again, so I checked out Taco Temple. I was also a bit behind schedule, so I ate this equally GIANT fish taco in the car. I’m telling you, there was about a pound of fish under there…

Taco Temple indeed.

taco temple, morro bay

morro bay

I finally arrived in Solvang that night and went straight to the hotel’s hot tub to wait for my friend to arrive, who was driving a much more direct route up from San Diego after working a full day. She’s a maniac I tell you.

The next morning we set out to explore this quaint little town, which is famous for it’s Danish charm and more importantly, baked goods.

solvang, ca

It turns out Solvang also has a brewery, so that was (of course) where we headed for lunch.

solvang brewery

We shared fries because we’re nice like that.

fries from solvang brewery

I got the Baja Burger, which in addition to a perfectly cooked patty, cotija cheese and some tasty guacamole, featured pickled jalapeños.

Cue my obsession with pickled jalapeños.

baja burger from solvang brewery

My lady lunch date got the Baja Wrap because we’re mildly the same person like that.

baja wrap from solvang brewing company

After lunch we walked around a bit and checked out some shops, including the store where it’s Christmas all year-round (how I didn’t get a photo of that is beyond me), and the As-Seen-On-TV store.

It’s an interesting town.

We picked some amazing treats from Olsen’s Bakery and ate them while watching crappy TV in the hotel room. That was basically the rest of our day.

solvang bakery

Once nicely stuffed and high on sugar, I took the direct route home up the 101. I did say it was a quick trip, didn’t I?

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!

This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.

Related Categories

Subscribe for email updates

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hey!

Thanks for stopping by kitchenetteblog. I’m kitchenetteblog, a line cook who’s hopelessly addicted to food, cooking, and talking your ear off about both of them.

Reader Favorites

Roasted Grape Panzanella Salad

Roasted Grape Panzanella Salad

End of Summer Empanadas

End of Summer Empanadas

Chocolate Smoked Salt Ice Cream

Chocolate Smoked Salt Ice Cream

Get 5 Recipes to Simplify Your Life!

Delicious, versatile recipes you can make over and over.