Last month, Patrick and I took a nine-day road trip within California (and a bit of Nevada). After deciding how long we were comfortable being away, how much time we were willing to spend in the car (including charging because I drive a Tesla), and where we felt safe going due to COVID-19, I put together an itinerary. We decided to do a bit of a loop, beginning the trip and heading home different ways so that we could visit a range of places. I will break down the stops we made, how long we were there, and what we did while we visited.
In most places, we experienced restaurants that were closed when we thought they would be open, hours that were different than what were posted, and a lot of places that required reservations due to the fact that outside seating was limited. I just want to be upfront that it was (obviously) different traveling during a pandemic than in normal times. We were careful to think about where we were going and staying and what days of the week we wanted to be in certain spots. We also packed the essentials like cleaning wipes, face masks, and hand sanitizer.
That being said, I will admit that it was nice to have a little adventure and to visit some places that we had never been before or hadn’t visited in a long time. As someone who is used to traveling very frequently, I loved having something to pack for again and somewhere to go to get a change of scenery. To be honest, it was also just nice to actually plan something again – I absolutely love trip planning. It was also nice to pack up the car and not worry about squeezing everything into one suitcase or liquids into three-ounce containers.
I hope you all will enjoy reading this itinerary and getting a glimpse into where we went and what we did while we were away. For more trip photos, check out my Instagram posts and travel story highlights too (IG: livingthebetslife).
Stop 1: Monterey for 1 night
Cue the Big Little Lies soundtrack, right? We left Santa Barbara early and arrived in Monterey midday. We stayed near Fisherman’s Wharf, so we were able to park the car and explore by foot. Monterey was very serious about mask wearing and there were signs that you could be fined $100 if you weren’t wearing one. We walked by the beach to Old Fisherman’s Wharf and then to Alvarado Street (the main downtown area). In the morning, I enjoyed a foggy walk around El Estero and the beach before we got back in the car.
Places We Went:
Dust Bowl Brewing Co. Tap Depot
Wedo’s (Food truck parked at Dust Bowl)
Step 2: Sonoma for 2 nights
We purposefully went to Sonoma during the week to avoid being there when it might be busier. I made dinner reservations probably a month ahead of time. The wineries were all over the place in terms of who was open, who was only taking reservations for members, who even had spots left for reservations, and who allowed walk-ins. Some tasting rooms were closed while we were there and others had limited hours as well. We had a nice dinner our first night, went on a hike the next morning, enjoyed a lovely breakfast/lunch, and visited a couple of wineries (beautiful). We were supposed to go to another fancy dinner, but we settled on burritos from a casual Mexican restaurant instead. No regrets – sometimes you just want to relax. If you are set on visiting specific wineries, wine tasting rooms, or restaurants, I recommend calling ahead and making reservations if you can.
Places We Went:
Montini Trail (hiking)
Sweet Scoops Homemade Ice Cream
Stop 3: Lake Tahoe (Incline Village) for 2 nights
We were able to see some of my extended family at this stop, which was great, and we also stayed at a house, which was nice after some small Vrbos and hotel rooms. Patrick and I walked to drinks and dinner (it was a longer and more uphill walk than expected – my bad) our first night there. I went on an absolutely gorgeous walk around the lake with my first cousin once removed the next morning, and we then had a family lunch on the lake which was stunning. Patrick and I had a sunset happy hour around the lake, went to dinner, and relaxed at the house.
Places We Went:
Tahoe East Shore Trail (walk)
Stop 4: Mammoth Lakes for 2 nights
We stayed right in the village so we were able to walk to shops and restaurants. Our first night, we hopped around hitting different spots for drinks, dinner, and dessert. The next morning we woke up early to drive to Devil’s Postpile. There is normally a shuttle that runs, but because of the pandemic, you have to drive. I would suggest going early (we probably arrived there at 8 am) so that you can beat the heat and also get a parking spot as parking is limited. The trail takes you to the Devil’s Postpile National Monument (really cool), but then you can also keep walking to reach Rainbow Falls (worth it). Post hike we had lunch, spent a little time at the pool (it was very hot), and then grabbed dinner before heading to the hot springs before sunset (so beautiful).
Places We Went:
Bleu Handcrafted Foods Market & Kitchen
Devil’s Postpile National Monument & Rainbow Falls (hiking)
Stop 5: Big Bear Lake for 2 nights
We stayed in a little, mini cabin right by the lake, but we were still able to walk to Pine Knot Avenue (the main downtown street). We walked there our first night to check out the main area and grab dinner and drinks. In the morning, we hiked Castle Rock Trail, which was a lovely and fairly quick hike. We went back to Pine Knot Ave. in the afternoon/evening (that’s really where everything mainly is) before relaxing in our cabin and watching Friends reruns on one of a few channels.
Places We Went:
Castle Rock Trail (hiking)
