Cali Coast 2

If you haven’t read it, check out the first half here
Continuing south we stopped for at Hearst Castle for a tour. Randall Hearst was a businessman owning many of the papers in the early part of the 20th century, along with many other businesses. He used his riches to build many different houses, but his Castle in San Simeon was one of the most elaborate. He imported art and materials from Europe to mimic both the style of Spain and Italy. Our tour showed us some of the rooms he built along with the artwork he displayed there. It was quite impressive and really reminded us of our tours through the chateaus and cathedrals in Europe. I think the multiple pools were the most interesting features.


The next day brought us further south to Santa Barbara where we ended up staying 3 nights near the beach. Our first trip to the Channel Islands was cancelled due to rough seas, so we caught up on our chores of cleaning and doing laundry and checking out Malibu. But ultimately we made it out to the Channel Islands on a beautiful day. The islands have been turned into a reserve after many years as ranches, being so far from shore, it had many species which evolved separately from those on the mainland, namely the pygmy mammoths, but even today you can see some unique species such as this tiny and super cute fox.

We had about 5 hours on shore allowing me to take a long hike and then enjoy the beach with Charissa. The trip out and back really added to the whole day, with beautiful views and some sea life sighting. We were lucky enough on the way back to encounter a megapod of dolphins, over a thousand dolphins together making their way south. For nearly an hour we were slowly motoring along and across this huge group of dolphins. Many dolphins were interacting with the boat and the wake jumping and playing as we came along. And the water was crystal clear so we could see them swimming along so well. It was such a cool experience, and I was able to capture a couple cool videos.

This part of the coast was a lot less nice, it was built up more with restaurants, beaches and campgrounds, so there was no shortage of places to sleep and play. But the highway and the railway followed along the coast very closely, so all the campgrounds and beaches were overrun with noise from cars and trains. Santa Barbara and Ventura were nicer cities also with lots of beaches, so if I returned I would stay in one of those towns to enjoy the beach and the city life.

After Channel Islands we unfortunately had to leave the coast and turn east to eventually make it back home. Overall the coastline was a mixed bag, some really over the top nice places but lots of places I wouldn’t want to return to ever. So pick your place carefully when you come for a visit.