In Search of Warmth in California, Utah, and Arizona in February (page 11 of 13)

Hello Guillaume,

Yes, Scherwiller is great for *flammekueche* (tarte flambée) 😉

Phew... made it... I’ve caught up with the train... I’m completely out of breath... the Maratis don’t mess around 😉

Thanks for sharing your amazing trip with us, and kudos on the effort 😎

JF

Hi Guillaume 🙂 Your photos of Joshua Tree Park under the snow are amazing!! I really enjoyed reading your travel journal. Martine 🙂

I’m your travel journal lurking in the shadows, stepping out just to cheer you on to finish it.

Thanks, Fabrice—ending a travel journal is always trickier... The rest is coming... 😉

Hi Jef, It’s great to see you in this VF section! Are you considering a return to the West Coast after exploring southern Africa and Asia? 😛 Either way, I’m really looking forward to your upcoming reports from Cambodia and South America 😉

Yes, Scherwiller is great for tarte flambée

Oh, you know it too! Nothing beats a flamm’ with munster, Lapoutroie goat cheese, or flambéed apples with schnapps...

After Rincon Beach, we continue our journey north and leave the 101 to take a break in Santa Barbara. Why this city? Simply because, along the way, I asked Maxime to check maps.me to see if there was anything nice to visit. And besides several churches, he stumbled upon a "historic fort."

So, we head to this fort, "El Presidio de Santa Barbara." As we enter the city, we’re surprised by the general architecture of the buildings. This city has history, a soul, and we really enjoy wandering around.







El Presidio is a military fort built by the Spanish in the late 18th century, the second-oldest building in California. A few sections of this massive structure are still visible and open to the public.







This mix of historic construction, interspersed with paved streets and modern buildings, is quite surprising, but we love this place.



The restored chapel, the first place of worship for Santa Barbara’s residents.





We continue our walk toward Alice Keck Park, where we enjoy this spring-like warmth.









We’ll have to come back to this city to take the time to visit the churches, museums, and the historic fort in more detail.

It’s time to head to our campsite, located in Los Padres National Forest, just north of San Luis Obispo.



But along the way, as soon as we move away from the coast, we’re hit with heavy rain.





The rain is so intense that we can’t drive faster than 70 km/h on the highway. After this morning’s snowstorm, we’re now dealing with a full-on storm! 🏴‍☠️

We don’t feel like stopping to visit the San Luis Obispo Mission, and we’d rather skip the Tower Roaf campsite (spotted on freecampsites) to go much farther north along Highway 1, to Willow Creek Road (35.886967, -121.45916), the only area in the region where wild camping is tolerated.

The only available spot is unfortunately already taken by a van, so we quietly park next to them since it’s already dark.

Recap of this second-to-last day: The weather once again forced us to change our plans, and we experienced a stark contrast between the snow in Joshua Tree this morning and the mild temperatures of the California coast... An unexpected crush on the vibe in Santa Barbara—we didn’t see that coming, and this city deserves a longer stay to fully enjoy it on a future California road trip.

Fri 2/22 - California coast down to Monterey

We slept well for this last night of camping, with temperatures logically milder than inland. At 7 AM, we left our spot to head back south and started our day at the first beaches where we saw elephant seals.



Part of the coastline was still in shadow, but the landscapes we passed were gorgeous. 😎





View of the Piedras Blancas lighthouse



At the viewpoint for Hearst Castle, which we’ll visit with family, we turned around.



We spotted our first colony of elephant seals at Arroyo Laguna Beach, just north of San Simeon, and stopped to soak it all in...







We were alone, or nearly so...



I’m loving my new Sigma 150-600 C... (it’s not as good as the S, right Régis? 😛)







We thought that was the highlight not to miss, but a few miles later, at Seal Point, just before the Piedras Blancas lighthouse, we came across the largest colony of elephant seals on the coast. It was just incredible, and we stayed a long time watching the show put on by this colony.





The chatter, the squabbles.





We immediately recognized the dominant male of the colony—he was much bigger than the others.



About 20 meters away, a younger male tried his luck with a female who didn’t seem indifferent to his charms... So much so that she started responding with special calls! The mood got steamy—I already closed Tim’s eyes... 😛



But tough luck for the young male, because the old grump—with his Rastapopoulos nose and who seemed to be dozing—woke up right away and immediately ran toward his rival to show him who was the strongest!!



No contest, and the young male had to settle for admiring the beauty from afar... 😕

And off we went...

We never get tired of the succession of viewpoints along this scenic route!



Big Creek Cove point



Next stop at McWay Falls and McWay Beach, accessible from the entrance to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Most people settle for the classic viewpoint from the road, which offers the best view of the waterfall and the turquoise-blue water!



But by skirting the bay to the south and ignoring a few "no entry" signs, you reach an equally nice viewpoint—with the added bonus of not being backlit in the morning.



Beautiful view of an arch





Another waterfall not visible from the road



We continue our journey northward,



all the way to Bixby Creek Bridge, the iconic viewpoint along Highway 1. From a distance,



Zooming in a bit, we could already tell we wouldn’t be alone!



Lots of people there, and everyone’s snapping selfies like crazy...





Just before Carmel-by-the-Sea, we take a walk in Point Lobos State Reserve. View of Bluefish Cove.





But we found the place overcrowded and overrated—not necessarily prettier than the landscapes we’d been enjoying all morning...

We don’t linger at Point Lobos, then head to Carmel-by-the-Sea. This little town is our second favorite spot along the coast. Stunning houses line the streets as you wander through the neighborhoods. There’s no excess in the architecture, but most of them exude an incredible charm. As the Routard would say, *croquignolet* vibes...







But if you want to buy here, you’ll have to wait a while: even the smallest house costs well over a million dollars... Same goes for restaurant or hotel prices... But I’m sure there are some great tips to uncover!

A limousine with its driver, who looks pretty bored waiting for his client



Charming atmosphere in the different streets of the downtown area!







We’re totally smitten with the Normandy Inn—hopefully, we’ll get to stay there next time. 😉





We take a quick stroll on the beach at the end of the main street, then head to the neighboring town of Monterey.

Coastal road,



Then a few streets with Victorian houses, just like in San Francisco!









Later in the afternoon, we head to the Motel 6 in Salinas to pack our bags for the return flight the next day, which goes off without a hitch. 🙂

Wrap-up: A fantastic day spent exploring Highway 1 from San Simeon to Carmel-by-the-Sea, with a wide variety of viewpoints, walking opportunities, and—most of all—the elephant seal colonies that are worth the detour all on their own!

Hi there! 🙂 This coast is really lovely! Worth considering for a second trip... even though the first one hasn't happened yet! 🤪

Conclusion: What to remember? We knew the timing wasn’t ideal, with a higher risk of bad weather... Well, we got what we asked for!! Sandstorms, snowstorms, rainstorms! 🤪

But none of it made us regret traveling then, for the simple reason that our favorite moments (not too many over two weeks) required taking this trip in winter: - Death Valley, especially the loop hike starting from Zabriskie Point: Gower Gulch – Golden Canyon - Valley of Fire, which can also be visited in spring without suffering too much heat - The deserts of southern Arizona and California, particularly Organ Pipe Cactus NM, which we were lucky enough to see in bloom!

Just these three spots alone make a winter trip worth it! 😉

Given we probably experienced the worst weather possible in February, if you go, your trip will likely be less chaotic... Plus, you’ll probably avoid the voodoo doll that followed us the whole time! 😏

The big flop of the trip: our 3 days in Kanab-Page, where I’d planned an ultra-packed itinerary (7 days’ worth), but nearly all the outings fell through due to torrential rain the day we arrived...

Two months after returning, we still remember our unforgettable hike in the White Domes as if it happened yesterday—even though it ended in failure.

We also remember our "bad luck" at Joshua Tree with that snow, which turned into an extraordinary stroke of luck far more memorable than an ordinary visit! 😮

I also appreciate the huge help from VF members, who allowed us to pivot quickly and set off on new adventures without a single dull moment. That’s the VF spirit!

Of course, the incredible experience in Organ Pipe NM made me want to find that same vibe in another country. So next summer, we’ll likely explore northwestern Argentina, where we can enjoy desert landscapes with saguaros (around Salta), some Red Rocks, colonial towns, and a bit of adventure on the high plateaus among lagoons, salt flats, and other stone deserts.

Thanks to everyone for keeping this story alive and motivating me to finish writing it!

The California coast is really gorgeous under this beautiful sunshine 😎. When we went there a few years ago, we had thick fog 🙁 and yet it was in August 😮. No more travel journal to write... you're gonna be bored now 😛.

Thanks Guillaume for sharing! 🙂

Not really, I’ve got work to do on Plan B in Lesotho, then finalizing the NOA route—wilder than Peru 😛—and still free from mass tourism... but not for long! And since we’ll be doing a self-drive trip, we can’t afford to get lost in the Puna at 3,500–4,000m. Otherwise, no travel journal... and I won’t be able to convince you to go there either ;)!

Not really, I’ve got work to do on Plan B for Lesotho, then finalizing the NOA route—wilder than Peru 😛 and still off the mass-tourism radar... but not for long!

It’s true that Peru is way more touristy, but I’ve got a friend who’s dreaming of Machu Picchu, so I promised to take her for her 50th 😎.

And since we’re doing a self-drive trip, we can’t afford to get lost in the Puna at 3,500–4,000m. Otherwise, no travel journal... and I won’t be able to convince you to go either 😉!

Yeah, you’d better not , but now that I’m already tempted by Bolivia, you’re just making my top list even longer...

Not really, I've got work to do on Plan B in Lesotho, then finalizing the NOA route, which is wilder than Peru 😛, and still free from mass tourism... But it won't last! And since we're doing a self-drive trip, we can't afford to get lost in the Puna at 3,500-4,000m. Otherwise, no travel journal... and I won't be able to convince you to go there next 😉!

And you still find time to work with that schedule? 😛

Good evening,

This coast really looks inviting—well, off-season at least... it’s invigorating! But it seems like you’re breaking a lot of rules on this trip. Some other forum member might say, ‘great example for the kids’ 😎

Vinciane

And you find time to work with that schedule? 😛

Work... I don’t get the feeling Guillaume works much—he’s always on vacation 😉. On the other hand, Laeticia’s working for two, poor thing 😕.

It’s weird, I can’t really picture Guillaume getting bored... He’s got tons of roadbooks to prepare for the coming years (up to 2030 at least), Plan Bs, Plan Cs, even Plan C-bis... GPX tracks to create, info to share with all the forum members who ask him, and maybe some tiling if he has any time left! 😊🙂😉😎

It's weird, I can't really picture Guillaume getting bored... he's got tons of roadbooks to prepare for the coming years (at least until 2030), Plan Bs, Plan Cs, C-bis... GPX tracks to create, info to share with all the forum members who reach out to him, and maybe some tiling if he has any time left! 🙂😉😎

Yeah, you're right Vinciane, he's so hyperactive... we can barely keep up with all his plans 😉.

And since we'll be self-driving, we really don’t want to get lost in the Puna at 3,500–4,000m. Otherwise, no travel journal... and I won’t be able to convince you to go there next time 😉!

Yeah, you really don’t want to , but now that I already want to go to Bolivia, you’re just making my top list even longer...

The NOA (Northwest Argentina) has the advantage of being at lower altitudes, so less freezing wind, less cold, and a slightly lower risk of AMS. Plus, except in Antofalla, they at least try to heat the rooms, even if it doesn’t save you from buying expensive -20°C comfort sleeping bags for safety reasons (in case of mechanical breakdown). Also, I forgot to mention... The main reason is that Diamina advised me to do it this way so the kids can acclimatize gradually to high altitudes... and I’m going to follow her expert advice 😉! But like you, I dream of the Bolivian Altiplano for later