A few days ago we set off on a road trip from Santa Barbara to Carmel and saw some amazing sights...like crazy, amazing, blow your mind vistas, colors and landscapes. The pictures don't do it justice though. You lose the enormity of it all.

If you have a chance, take this amazing drive. Here's a sampling of what you can see if you take the pacific coast highway route from San Simeon up to Carmel.

One of the first stops would be to see The Hearst Castle in San Simeon. We had done that once before so we opted out for this day but it is a pretty amazing tour. After that, you can pull off the highway to watch a colony of Elephant Seals.

A little bit beyond the seals, the trees and hills get bigger and the views become more and more incredible by the mile.


There were so many places that I wanted to stop and photograph but with 2 kids in the car it makes it a little tricky. The area has tons of campsites and places to stay (hotels, inns, etc. if you are not a camper). However you do it, put this drive on your bucket list. You'll be glad that you did.