Peace – and Cool Temps – Await on Coastal California Getaways
So you’re driving along in Hollywood, the Valley, Pasadena, even closer-to-the-ocean Beverly Hills, and your car tells you it is 105º just outside your air-conditioned vehicle’s cocoon, and the thought hits you – “I need to get away to somewhere cooler!”
Angelenos know that those scorching temperatures can happen well into October and even later in the year; and while the temptation might be to just get on a plane and head for Banff up high in the Canadian Rockies, here some closer-to-home road trip ideas to escape the hotbox often found in the City of Angels.
The Central Coast Calls
Incredibly comfortable climes year round await along California’s Central Coast, where ocean breezes blow and even a bit of regularly occurring fog drops the temperature. From sand dunes to vineyards, whale watching and otter spotting, fine dining and comfy hotels, wild adventures juxtaposed with luxurious relaxation, there’s always something cool up the coast.
So head north to find relief in places that feel far, far away from L.A.; these are some of our favorites up the coast.
Oxnard, Ventura and Zachari Dunes at Mandalay Beach
Discover a wide, empty beach with a luxury resort that’s an easy drive from Los Angeles in a slightly unexpected place - Oxnard. That’s where the all-suite Zachari Dunes at Mandalay Beach beckons sweaty Angelenos to this breezy Ventura County spot just north of Point Mugu.
Pool cabanas, frozen margaritas and ocean waves combine for easy fun at the resort, while thrilling adventure awaits via Explore Channel Islands Expeditions, who leave right from Oxnard’s nearby Channel Islands Harbor. Spend a full day on and in the ocean paddling sea kayaks around Anacapa Island and into sea caves, then jump off and snorkel to see the kelp forests under the sea, all part of the always balmy UNESCO World Heritage Site Channel Islands National Park.
Ventura is just a bit more up the coastline, a bustling beach community where Island Packers Cruises focuses on marine sanctuary wildlife non-landing boat trips to the Channel Islands. They’re designed for visitors looking for a less-strenuous way to view those amazing islands and all the critters that live on them and under the ocean, too.
Selections from Brophy Brothers
See migrating whales, pods of frolicking dolphins, yelping sea lions and exotic birds like the black-footed albatross as you ride in comfort. Boat lovers can even spend the night on the water in Ventura Harbor by booking one of Boatel on the Water’s yachts, sleeping anchored in the marina and breakfasting on the comfy deck. And everyone who visits Ventura will find plenty of shops and waterfront restaurants in Ventura Harbor Village, including Brophy Bros. Clam Bar & Restaurant, a local favorite famous for its fish and chips, New England clam chowder and their Perfect Margarita.
Mussel Rock Dunes, The Five Cities and the SLO Coast Wine Region
Gas or charge up for a longer ride north of L.A. to end up in some of the Central Coast’s most quaint communities, collectively known as the Five Cities. That’s Oceano, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach and Shell Beach, where this part of San Luis Obispo County stays temperate all year round and the “SLO” lifestyle is in full swing.
That means languid stays at appealing oceanfront hotels - like Oceano’s Pismo Sands Beach Club, where your very own casual cottage or beach campsite awaits, or the more posh Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach - and time for fishing, kayaking and surfing on mostly gentle waves.
For nature lovers, this is the coastal place where huge sand dunes like Mussel Rock Dunes (part of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes) have endless hiking trails through varied ecosystems, where encounters with flower blooms, birds and many other creatures make every day’s trek different.
Find adrenaline thrills by heading to Oceano Dunes, one of the few places in the state where ATVs and dune buggies are allowed on the sands (and can be rented at Sunbuggy Fun Rentals in Pismo), making for a fun and often dirty journey; or take a horseback ride along the water’s edge, where you’ll probably get wet.
Beginning in October and going to February, Pismo Beach is the place for nature lovers, as every year, thousands of western monarch butterflies migrate to the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, spending the late fall and winter months nestled in the eucalyptus trees found in the grove. It’s a magical place and it’s open from sunrise to sunset daily.
This cool-climate coastal region is unique in another way, as it’s in the midst of the San Luis Obispo (SLO) Coast AVA, a wine region dedicated to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other grapes that don’t like the heat. We love tasting the Pinots at Tolosa Winery, while the Chardonnays that Baileyana pours in the circa 1908 Independence Schoolhouse (the winery’s tasting room) are excellent. There are over 50 wineries and vineyards in this AVA that is considered one of the coldest wine-growing regions in the U.S., making it a perfect place to wine taste when temperatures are scorching further inland.
Morro Bay and Paso Robles
Go a bit out of your way to discover Morro Bay, that lovely little bayfront town with the very big rock. It’s up Route 1, off Highway 101 as you go past San Luis Obispo; you’ll know you’re there when you see that massive volcanic rock. With temperatures rarely over 70 degrees Fahrenheit, this scenic spot is always a place to beat the heat. And there are sea otters - lots of them! See those adorable critters, as well as sea lions, seals, cormorants and more from up close in the water with a self-driven electric pontoon boat rented from Estero Adventures, or try a kayak or stand-up paddleboard for an even closer wildlife encounter.
Spend the weekend at the new, ultra-sustainable HarborWalk Inn, where cozy modern suites boast their very own fire pits overlooking the bay. This local, family-run inn is in the perfect spot on the Embarcadero, so just park, move in and walk all weekend. Don’t miss the exemplary seafood served up at the elegant Galley Grill and the more casual Dutchman’s Seafood House, which has done a practically perfect fish fry since the 1960s.
There’s a beach by the rock, too, and plenty of art galleries and shops along the water to while away an afternoon. Make Morro Bay home base for a wine foray into Paso Robles, just up the inland road, for to miss this burgeoning wine region would be a crime despite its often warmer temps. We love meandering up into the hills to Halter Ranch Winery in the Adelaida AVA for top-notch organic wine blends like the Ancestor (Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec); stopping into Daou Vineyards and Adelaida Winery to see their gorgeous valley views and sip the beautiful reds both offer; and discovering new wineries in that AVA like Copia, who pair their luscious Rhone-style blends with delicious light bites.
Plus, Sensorio, Paso’s incredible Field of Light art installation by Bruce Munro, just added Dimensions by Hybyzco, a new installation from Los Angeles-based art duo Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu. Both make a nighttime visit to Paso a must-do, and be sure to take a jacket, as even warm Paso gets very cool once the sun goes down. If you decide to stay the night, Allegretto Resort is the place with its own vineyards, a soothing spa and even an alpaca to meet.
No matter which part of California’s Central Coast you choose, one thing is practically guaranteed - it’s not going to be anywhere near as toasty as Los Angeles tends to be in the endless summer of the fall months.
-Jenny Peters