A Multicultural Experience in Southern California

The new year is off to a hopeful start, with the COVID-19 vaccine finally making its rounds across America, as well as the rest of the world! We may soon be able to travel safely by airplane again! But if you’re like me, and cabin fever is getting the best of you, a road trip may be just the thing to keep you sane. I loved that I didn’t need to leave California to experience world cultures, as California really is a melting pot. Please note that with the steady increase of coronavirus cases -- especially in Southern California -- all activities listed here are not guaranteed to still be open now. Please do your due diligence to find out if they are before heading on your adventure, and be sure to wear a mask properly at all times.

Keep in mind that right now is the only time when the SoCal freeways are open enough to make this trip possible in a short amount of time. The infamous Los Angeles traffic would typically make it a nightmare, if at all possible. My husband had a little less than two weeks of vacation time, so we were very selective in deciding where we stopped and how much time we spent in each city. I wanted to experience diversity while sampling California's beach towns, so that I'd know where to plan an Airbnb trip!

The Itinerary

In short, our journey started in San Jose and ended in San Diego. We stopped in Monterey Bay, passed through Big Sur and spent the night in San Luis Obispo, The next day we stopped in Pismo Beach, and spent a few hours in Malibu, before ending the day in Santa Monica. The next morning was spent in Santa Monica, afternoon in Venice Beach, and the evening in Huntington Beach. Our last day heading south saw Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and two San Diego cities. Keep reading to find out what worked out for us and what didn’t. I also share my experience with hotels along the way!

San Luis Obispo

For one thing, we would have filled our tank before leaving Monterey because San Luis Obispo’s gas stations know that after the four hour drive across Big Sur, drivers are going to stay at the first hotel they see and with a low tank, so they hike their gas price way up. The Motel 6 there was super affordable, at about $65 per night for two people. Though truthfully, showers and WIFI were a priority for me throughout this trip, and in these areas, it truly felt like you get what you pay for. Their shower stall was so cramped that my back was up against the wall, and there was no shelf for soap. They did not provide free WIFI.

Pismo Beach & Malibu

Though we only stopped in Pismo Beach for breakfast, it is worth mentioning the Mexican cafe, Zorro’s Cafe & Cantina. When possible, we like to support small businesses and they did not disappoint. I recommend the Crab Benedict! In Malibu, we ate early dinner takeout from Malibu Seafood and I loved their shrimp pasta. We hoped that the Greek Museum, Getty Villa would be open, but since it was not, we stopped for a minute to check out the beach and then continued on.

Santa Monica

What Malibu lacked, Santa Monica definitely made up for. From the Santa Monica boardwalk, to a lively Muscle Beach, we were thoroughly entertained both days we spent there. You’re going to want to stay at the former California Hotel, which is now the Ocean View Hotel, assuming it's still operating with the covid discount. Our room was about $110, and we noticed a poster in the room showing the normal price of almost $700. The knobs in the shower were unclear and difficult to regulate, and there was no place to put soap, shampoo, and conditioner there as well. They did however have free WIFI which I appreciated. The room was very adorably decorated with a surfer aesthetic, which was a really nice touch. Muscle Beach, the origin of the physical fitness boom was bustling with local body builders, skateboarders, and bikers. It had a life size chess board, but because of covid, the pieces were put away. We were about a 15 minute drive away from Venice Beach, so after enjoying a cup of coffee, that’s where we went.

Venice Beach & Huntington Beach

The best way I can describe Venice Beach's hippie culture is to say that it is basically like Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley California, but on steroids. You probably only know what that’s like if you’re from or have been to Berkeley or San Francisco's Tenderloin district. Think lots of homeless people, people who look like homeless people, local artisans selling stoner art and crystals, drum circles and the smell of cannabis in the air. It was one of the funnest days we had in the trip. Make sure you get a bite to eat at the Ocean Front Kitchen! Our next stay was at the Holiday Inn, in Huntington Beach, and had a far better experience. It was great to have a tub for the first time, to be able to take a bath and to wash my hair. The room was about $130, but came with more luxuries, such as a microwave for our take out, the tub as previously mentioned, and free WIFI. We decided it was worth the price and avoided Motel 6 the rest of the way.

Huntington Beach

The next day in Huntington Beach, we were surprised to find ourselves very much outside of our element. I never imagined that in California, I would walk past a pro-Trump protest. I was also shocked to see store employees encouraging customers to come in despite not wearing masks. Starting in Huntington Beach, I learned that the closer to the border I got, the less serious they took the pandemic. If you love Brazilian food, a great authentic family owned restaurant in Huntington is called Taste Brazilian Style Gourmet. It’s very down to earth and affordable, currently offering take out only. We walked along the pier, and then hurried out to Newport Beach, where the vibe was much less toxic, while still being fairly conservative, and we had a great time driving a rental cart along the beach.

Laguna Beach

We’d hoped to see the Heisler Park art walk in action when we reached Laguna Beach, but probably due to the gloomy weather, no one was out. Still, we saw some sculptures and enjoyed the unique texture of the beach. Laguna Beach also had some of the most reasonably priced boutiques in all of Southern California! Ladies, do check out the stores Stitch & Feather and 2Bella. I may dedicate another piece to shopping for clothing and or souvenirs in these cities, so stay tuned if you’re interested in that information. My only complaints about the Hyatt in San Diego were that the pillows were hard as bricks, and that some of the other guests were insane.

San Diego

Balboa park is supposed to be one of the main attractions of San Diego, but everything was closed. In the park, there are ‘houses’ dedicated to cultures around the world, but they were closed. Even the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park was closed, which I really didn't understand. We decidedly drove further south to Imperial Beach. This beach town had a sort of country western vibe, home to many ranches where people can go horseback riding, but unfortunately as we didn’t plan ahead, they were all booked. It also had another uniquely beautiful beach worth seeing.

Thank you for reading and sharing!

If you’re from California, and want to sample California beaches, I hope this helps you plan an even better Pacific Coast road trip or decide where to spend some time away from home! If you have any questions, please feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, or shoot me an email. I am new to travel blogging, but have written many pieces offering insights into Brazilian culture and into the migrant experience! You can find and read these pieces on Queen Media Collective.