What’s your dream vacation? Glamour asked 1,000 women that question—and then had 13 top travel bloggers plan your most-wanted trips, all for under $1,000! This week, we present everything you need to know about planning your best getaway ever. The first stop: California
Forty percent of you say your idea of the perfect vacation is a road trip. And it doesn’t get any better than this ocean-hugging drive between San Francisco and Los Angeles—think endless Pacific views, towering redwood forests, and pods of migrating whales.
HOW TO GET THERE: Brooke Saward of worldofwanderlust.com recommends starting in San Fran: “That way you’ll be driving along the cliff edge. It’s a long way down, but that’s the adrenaline rush of the trip!” If you’re renting a car, book it one way between the San Francisco and L.A. airports from lesser-known companies like Sixt, says Jessica Wray of curiositytravels.org: “You’ll avoid the drop-off fee—and get huge daily savings.”
WHERE TO SLEEP: In Big Sur, a rugged stretch of coast three hours south of San Francisco, “book the Human Nest at Treebones Resort [$150], which is exactly what it sounds like: an open-air wooden structure high in the sky with a killer view of the Pacific,” says Christina Pérez of insideelsewhere.com. “I love Santa Barbara, but the town of Goleta, 15 minutes away, is even cooler. Stay at the Goodland [from $167], a surf-inspired boutique hotel with morning yoga, DJs by the pool, and paddleboard tours.”
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK: “Load up at roadside produce stands for picnic lunches on the beach and at lookout points,” says Saward. Or watch the crashing waves from the patio at Moss Beach Distillery, 45 minutes south of San Fran. “In Carmel-by-the-Sea, pop into the Mediterranean-esque Dametra Café, for sure my favorite stop on the trip.” Lucy Laucht of theseforeignlands.com recommends Big Sur Bakery (“heavenly for morning coffee and a glazed donut”). In San Luis Obispo, Wray suggests a day exploring the vineyards. (Leave the driving to Wine Wrangler wine tours.)
WHAT TO DO: “Go kayaking in Moss Landing to see humpback whales, sea otters, and seals,” says Wray. Adds Laucht: “In Big Sur take a short hike to McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall that splashes right onto the beach.” En route to Santa Barbara, tour Hearst Castle (the inspiration for Citizen Kane’s Xanadu), and climb the dunes at Pismo Beach. “And definitely stop in Ojai, 45 minutes south of Santa Barbara,” says Pérez. “It’s a mystical little town with a ton of intriguing shops, cafés, and galleries.” Wrap up your trip with a wildlife cruise through the Channel Islands ($38 from Ventura).
HOT TIP: “Don’t get stung paying too much for gas,” says Saward. “Fill up before you get to Big Sur!”
