California 2022 (Part 2) Sequoia - Hollywood - Santa Barbara - Big Sur - Monterey

The next day we visited Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon. Here’s another tip for you: Cars use the Lower Falls Entrance (closer to Mono Rock and General Sherman the world’s largest tree) and RVs use the Kings Canyon Entrance at the top. This entrance is about 90 mins further North, exactly the reason you can’t get an RV up from the bottom entrance. They do run shuttles but only from May to September. Another great day looking at nature and it’s still averaging 34 degrees with clear skies. Later we went swimming in the campground swimming pool and were invited to sit round a big camp fire with a dozen Americans had a few cans and listen to little bit of music. It reminded me of a previous trip when we were in Colorado with all the John Denver fans. Next stop, Los Angeles to stay at Walnut Campground, a lovely urban site with excellent facilities including a pool. This ground is in walking distance of a huge shopping mall so we spent the day shopping and sunbathing by the pool. We had a great meal out at our favourite American chain restaurant, Outback. A Blooming Onion to start, followed by Caesar Salad and a Steak. The next day was spent in Santa Monica, only 30 mins in an Uber from where we’re staying. We weren’t able to take the RV in as there was no parking near the front for large vehicles. If you plan to visit in a car, parking would be approx $20. This town has 22 miles of golden sands and is the official end of Route 66. There is a lovely pier that was quiet in the morning but extremely busy in the evening. Third Street Promenade is where you’ll find most of the shops and restaurants and there were plenty of places to rent a bike which many people were doing. A great day exploring. The next day, we took a full-day tour, starting at Santa Monica and included Beverley Hills, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Farmer’s Market, Hollywood Hills and Rodeo Drive. We thought this was the best and easiest way to see everything not having a car and it cost $90 each. Worth every penny. We got to drive past many celebrity houses, although many of them do live in gated communities which you can’t access. We got 30 mins to walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and I managed to see two of my favourites John Denver and Bruce Lee. Then we had a lunch break at the Farmer’s Market - fascinating place with lots of different international eateries to choose from. We didn’t see any celebrities. Then we travelled up the hills to take pictures of the HOLLYWOOD sign. Finally, we walked down Rodeo Drive which is something else! Almost every shop had a security guard dressed in Armani suits and people queuing to go inside. I had to gently ease Mrs H in another direction or it could have been an expensive afternoon. A fascinating city which was well worth visiting to see how the other half live. Time to leave LA for Santa Barbara. It’s a 90 minute drive. The sunshine seems to have gone but it’s still mid 20 degrees. We’re staying at Santa Barbara Sunshine RV Park; it’s only a small park with no pool this time and 10 mins out of the town centre. We caught the local bus into town, only $1 each, and had a gentle stroll on the beach. The next day we took an Uber back in to Santa Monica. The town is quite quiet. State Street is where everything is situated – bars, shops, restaurants. There’s a food market every Tuesday with gorgeous organic fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s not cheap, but it is delicious. On almost every street corner there is a piano and lots of locals play, so the atmosphere is fun and lively. Santa Monica was generally quieter. Great for chilling and walking. Lots of water sports to watch from the harbour and beautiful beaches to explore. Back on the road again, 90 mins drive down the Pacific Highway 101 to Pismo Beach. The campsite is actually in Avila and has its own beach but also close to Pismo Beach, with State Beach perhaps only a few miles away. Mrs H tells me that we are here during the National Clam Chowder Weekend, with live music, entertainment and an opportunity to taste and vote on the best Clam Chowder in town. Great festival. Pismo beach is beautiful and really enjoying our time here. The town is very friendly with great fresh food markets and stunning coastal walks. Great weather for a beer. Moving on 2.5 hours drive along the beautiful coastal highway to Big Sur. There’s fantastic scenery with miles of steep twisting winding roads. You certainly need to concentrate in a large RV but a doddle if you’re in a car. We stayed in a forest in a campground called Big Sur by a river, no Wi-Fi so it was nice to be off-grid for awhile. We would have liked to have stayed another couple of days, but we were late booking and this and other campgrounds nearby were all booked up. We had lunch next to the river we’re some people sat on chairs in the river to eat, I’ll not only remember this place for its beauty but the smell of the pine and the forest. Our penultimate stop was 90mins away to the small seaside town of Carmel. We absolutely loved it here; full of character with a gorgeous beach. It is probably the most we have paid for a campground, Carmel by the River, but well worth it and I would pay it again. Our last place to visit, and the one we are most excited to visit, was Monterey. We saw the John Denver Memorial Plaque, this is where he died in a plane crash back in 1997. I fell in love with the houses on Ocean View Blvd and thought I might buy one until I found out they all cost around $3m, which is just a touch out of my price range. We visited the Aquarium, claiming to be one of the best in the world, and it was awesome. It was $40 entry fee and worth every penny, loved it. We walked Monterey Cannery Street which was full of unusual buildings and shops before heading to the harbour to see more seals. We saw Robert Luis Stevenson’s house and had fish and chips. We had late afternoon tea on Fisherman’s Wharf before walking down the road to the only British Pub we’ve seen all holiday, needing to rest our tied feet after 7.6miles of walking and of course had a couple of beers. One of the best days of the holiday and a great way to end before the drive back to San Francisco and home. If you would like to book a bespoke trip like this, please get in touch. These are my speciality. Next up: Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand – December & January 2022/23