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12/08/2006 01:33:01 PM · #1 |
Since I have some vacation time left at work, I'm taking off the entire week before Christmas and have decided to take a photo road trip up the California coastline. :D I'll probably start up the coast from Newport Beach and make my way as far north as the Oregon border.
So now here's my question to all my fellow DPCers... If you had a FULL week to see and photograph any places on or near California's coastline, which would you visit and why? :)
Oh, and what time of day gives the best lighting there? ;)
Message edited by author 2006-12-08 14:04:39. |
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12/08/2006 02:04:39 PM · #2 |
What can I say, stick to PCH as much as possible.
There's likely to be surfing all along until you have to go inland North of Santa Barbara and the you can get back over to the Coast once you get North of Vanderberg AFB.
You could detour to Ojai near Ventura, which is a neat place. In Ventura, you should go to the beach at the fairgrounds. When I lived out there, it was a great place to surf. Probably still is.
Stop in Santa Barbara and walk about downtown, it's a really cool town.
Stop in Buellton for some Pea Soup, look for the Hotel from the movie "Sideways" Head over to Solvang for some pastry. Solvang is a tourist trap where the buildings are styled like a Scandanavian village. It's totally cheesy, but the pastries are excellent. Go visit a winery or six.
You can head over to Jalama Beach from there if you have some spare time. It's pretty isolated, and even though it seems like it not far from the main road, the road to Jalama in narrow and very twisty, so you can't go very fast at all, but it's awesome for windsurfing action and the campground is really cool. If there's a launch at Vanderberg AFB, they sometimes shut it down.
Stop in Pismo Beach. Have some Clam Chowder. Walk on the pier and watch the surfers.
North of there, get off 101 at the See Canyon exit and head West, turn right on See Canyon, and follow it all the way up to the top and down the other side. A lot of it is unpaved, but in good condition. The views to the West and North are pretty spectacular. Follow the road down the other side and you'll wind up in San Luis Obispo, which is worth a trip downtown, and then head west to Los Osos and Baywood park for some awesome beach views. Then take the road over to Morro Bay and get back on PCH going North.
Just drive and stop wherever you feel like it. It's all pretty great scenery. In Cambria, go to Hearst Castle, it's totally unreal to think that someone built it to actually live in. Stop in Carmel and Monterey, Go to the Aquarium. Spend a day in San Francisco.
That's probably 2 or 3 weeks of stuff to see/do/eat north of Los Angeles. You could easily spend an entire week in LA or SF alone without all this driving in between. |
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12/08/2006 02:25:02 PM · #3 |
There's plenty to see all along the coast. A few others I didn't see mentioned:
Madonna Inn near San Louis Obispo
Morro Bay
If you get into Pismo, stop at McClintock's to eat... you'll love it!
Solvang/Lompoc
17 Mile Drive (Monterey area) - never been but heard it's beautiful!
Carmel...
My advice... just explore! |
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12/08/2006 02:30:11 PM · #4 |
if you do go to san francisco, don't waste your time with pier 39 or fishermans wharf. the touristy sections are all highly over rated and usually overcrowded and dirty.
everything north of the bay area along the coast is incredible. you'll have no shortage of photo ops. if you do decide to drive along the coast, find some small resuraunt along the road and order whatever their fish of the day is. trust me on this. |
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12/08/2006 02:31:59 PM · #5 |
Here is a bunch of great advice I got when I traveled from Palm Springs to San Fran last spring. I only had 2 days, so I didn't have a lot of time to stop and shoot or plan for the right time of day, but the trip was wonderful. The stop at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park was probably my favorite spot, even if I wasn't able to do it justice photographically.
Edit to add a teaser photo of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It's a poor photo, but it gives you a sense of why it's worth the stop.
Message edited by author 2006-12-08 14:37:41. |
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12/08/2006 03:04:11 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by Hye5:
There's plenty to see all along the coast. A few others I didn't see mentioned:
17 Mile Drive (Monterey area) - never been but heard it's beautiful!
Carmel...
My advice... just explore! |
Warning: 17-Mile Drive area is private property and photography is subject to restrictions.
The drive up Highway 1 from Cambira up past Big Sur to Monterey is excellent.
Before you get to Monterey, be sure to stop at
Pt. Lobos State Reserve, one of the most-photographed pieces of coastline in the world.
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12/08/2006 03:07:17 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Warning: 17-Mile Drive area is private property and photography is subject to restrictions. |
Never had been myself so I wasn't aware of that. Useful info to have. Thanks. |
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12/08/2006 03:21:33 PM · #8 |
After you get back on the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) and pass Cambria, tear yourself away from Hearst Castle and visit the elephant seal rookery just north of San Simeon. When you arrive in late December the action will be awesome! More elephant seals than you think possible will be on the beaches adjacent to, and within easy photography distance, of the road. There's even a parking lot, and docents.
I've had my best luck with photographing these incredible animals in the early morning although backlighting in the late afternoon can be exceptional. Plenty of inexpensive motels and a couple of pretty good restaurants (well, they're not Denny's) in San Simeon.
Action is great from about now till mid-February...but the most excitement is late December. |
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12/08/2006 03:36:09 PM · #9 |
OOOOOOOH my suggestion is in Oceanside California and it's the 1600 foot pier and down the beach is awesome... here's a picture I took of the beach there... the best lighting is around 4pm...
and a couple others that I took there....
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12/08/2006 03:56:01 PM · #10 |
If your traveling through the central coast this is right around Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo, montana de oro state park. Watch the video fo alittle better look around. I went to colloege in San Luis Obispo and this was one of my favorite spots to visit. It is full of giant bluffs, rocky beaches, and large sand dunes. Think the great sand dunes in colorado but on the ocean. The drive from there up through Big Sur is amazing also. In San Francisco, Golden Gate Park and Baker Beach are great photo opportunities. On the otherside of the Golden Gate Bridge head through the Marin Headlands for alternative shots of the Golden gate, and you can head to rodeo beach. From there north I would just stay on Highway 1 and explore Beaches. As for times I am a bad one to say, I usually make it out in the early afternoon and stay until dark and try night shots or until I run out of memory. Send me a PM when you are passing through the Bay Area and I'll join you for abit if you would want to someone to shoot with or get a drink :).
Message edited by author 2006-12-08 16:29:52.
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12/08/2006 04:27:41 PM · #11 |
The only advice I have is to try and hit the best spots when the light is good (am or pm).
Oh yeah, and if you're on the coast highway and don't see any great photo ops, just open your eyes. :D
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12/08/2006 04:28:03 PM · #12 |
| Wow, these are some GREAT suggestions! I love DPC. :D Thanks, everyone! Originally I thought that a week was a good amount of time, but I have a feeling like I'll end up being stretched for time now! :) BTW, anyone know of any good camping spots along the way? To save money on the trip, I'll probably be camping or sleeping in my car. ;) |
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12/08/2006 04:32:43 PM · #13 |
Specific camping spots, I don't know really, but the montana de oro link goes to the california state parks page and you can make reservations for campsites in different parks on your route there.
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12/08/2006 05:10:33 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by cutlassdude70:
Wow, these are some GREAT suggestions! I love DPC. :D Thanks, everyone! Originally I thought that a week was a good amount of time, but I have a feeling like I'll end up being stretched for time now! :) BTW, anyone know of any good camping spots along the way? To save money on the trip, I'll probably be camping or sleeping in my car. ;) |
Jalama Beach is a great place to camp. When I was living in San Luis Obispo, it was one of my favorite camping spots.
Montana D'oro is a nice park too.
Message edited by author 2006-12-08 17:12:08. |
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12/08/2006 05:25:33 PM · #15 |
Big Sur is great!
    
Carmel Mission has some interesting pic ops.
  
Point Reyes has some great coast shots as well.
Have fun! |
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