From Napa to Anaheim

Napa to Monterey

We departed Napa on a Friday morning and took three days to get to Anaheim. On the first day we drove from Napa to Monterey. On the second day we made it to Santa Barbara, then arrived at Anaheim on Sunday.

The trip from Napa to Monterey is about four hours. We have been selecting routes that keep us as close to the coast as possible because our goal is to travel the coastal scenic routes from Oregon to the bottom of California. This drive took us over the Golden Gate Bridge for the third time since we arrived at Napa, and once again it was too foggy to see the complete bridge. Once we are out of the San Francisco area the fog lifted and we were able to enjoy the scenery.

About 50 miles south of San Francisco we stopped by the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America. It was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. It’s still an active U.S. Coast Guard navigation aid that uses an automated LED beacon rather than its original Fresnel lens.

That evening we stayed at the Old St. Angela Inn in Pacific Grove. It was a traditional bed and breakfast that was very charming.

Monterey to Santa Barbara

Saturday morning we didn’t rush to leave the area, instead we spent a couple of hours walking along the coast. We saw the area where John Denver’s plane crashed just offshore, we saw Kissing Rock, the Point Pinos Lighthouse, seals and many other coastal sights. We sat on the rocks and watched the waves for a bit.

Before leaving that area we popped over to Monterey Bay to see Fishermen’s Wharf and have lunch. As we approached the pier we could hear the seals barking and splashing, it was like they were performing for all the people watching them. We toured the oldest government building in California, then had lunch at the end of the pier.

A big seaside portion of this leg of the journey is not accessible due to damaged roads caused by mudslides so we were forced to take an inland route to Pismo Beach, then on to Santa Barbara. Our stay in Santa Barbara was not the best. We only needed a room to rest so we rented a room in someone’s home through Airbnb. Unfortunately the home was filled with demonic idols, but the Lord was our guard and we left before 7am.

Santa Barbara to Anaheim

We had a delicious breakfast in Santa Barbara and then headed down the 101. We tried to stop in Ventura Beach to get a photo with our toes in the sand but it was pretty much impossible. Access to the beach costs. I am very disappointed with our overall experience with beach access along the southern part of the state.

The Ronald Reagen Presidential Library was our next stop. I had visited the library by myself years ago while in this area for work, but they have added some significant displays like Air Force One and Marine One. Dale and I have always been Reagan fans, every since he was president when were in high school. If only we had a president like that today.

After spending a couple of hours at the library we took Malibu Canyon Road back toward the coast. We planned to visit a beachside restaurant I have been to a couple of times, and enjoy their famous chocolate cake. However, the coastal road from Malibu and all the way to almost Santa Monica was overwhelmed with traffic and we crawled along for hours to get to Anaheim.

It was weird for me to be in this area with Dale after visiting here several times over the years. I worked almost 20 years for a company whose headquarters are in Simi Valley, and used to be in Westlake Village.

We arrived at our resort in Anaheim Sunday afternoon. It’s literally right across from Disney. Dale took the next day off and we planned to drive to Oxnard to watch the Dallas Cowboy Training Camp. More on that to come!