Written by Flying High On Points @ Flying High On Points
I’m ashamed to admit that as a Los Angeleno, for whatever reason, I haven’t adequately explored the nearby Central Coast region of California very much at all. The pandemic has given me a reason to stay local and rectify that. And the first stop on my tour of the Central Coast is the Mar Monte […]
The post Review: Mar Monte Hotel appeared first on Flying High On Points.
Read MoreWritten by Jake Redman @ modhop.com
There’s news about Sun Country’s plan to become something resembling a Low Cost Airline AND British Airways getting you to the terminal faster. Plus, we chat with our work friend
The post Podcast 17 | British Airways Super-Fast Bus Ride and Santa Barbara With Alyssa H! appeared first on modhop.com.
Read MoreWritten by mccown @ Weekend Blitz
Sunny southern California was just what my pale skin needed in dreary February and to get to spend the time with my mom made the trip extra-special! The area around Santa Barbara was just beautiful– no wonder the celebrities flock here! Perfect weather, gorgeous beaches and delicious restaurants… what’s not to love? Plus, there’s such a variety of things to see and do — from old Spanish missions to presidential libraries to restaurants on the pier — there’s plenty to keep you busy for days.
After leaving San Diego behind us, we headed up the coast on Highway 101 and drove about two hours to the San Juan Capistrano Mission. There are 21 missions in California (built by the Spanish Franciscans to spread Christianity among the Native Americans between 1769 – 1833 and ranging from San Diego to San Francisco, these missions were built about one day’s walk apart). This particular mission, though, is world-famous because the swallows come back here year after year on the same date. Although not as many swallows come now as used to, the mission is still a beautiful site and there’s much to learn about its history, including the Native Americans who lived nearby. Tickets are $9/adults and there’s a free self-guided audio tour. We stayed here about 1.5 hours before continuing on, but could have spent the day basking in the sunlight and sitting under the ruins of the old church.
San Juan Capistrano Mission
San Juan Capistrano Mission
San Juan Capistrano Mission
San Juan Capistrano Mission (can you spot the sparrow nests near the roof?!)
San Juan Capistrano Mission
San Juan Capistrano Mission
From there, we headed north towards Malibu. The drive was absolutely gorgeous and we could see a view of the sparkling blue water at every turn. Traffic on this Thursday afternoon wasn’t so bad — even when passing the outskirts of LA, it was never stop-and-go. We drove past the LA skyline in the distance and then passed billion-dollar houses built right on the water in Malibu — although I’m not so sure I’d want to spend so much money on a house if Highway 101 passer-byers could look at my back porch!
We stopped at Malibu Seafood, an order-at-the-counter type with outdoor seating overlooking the Pacific. Although the street is in between the restaurant and the ocean, the view is still spectacular and the restaurant itself has a casual, beachy feel with fried fish options. We sat outside at the picnic tables and gobbled up their tasty fish tacos while relishing in the salty ocean breeze.
Malibu Seafood
views of the Pacific from Malibu Seafood
Fresh fish tacos at Malibu Seafood
Another highlight of our itinerary was the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. We met a family friend there one morning and walked in to find an event going on: the celebration of President Reagan’s 104th birthday! They had a ceremony on the lawn with speakers and even his family in attendance… and complete with birthday cake! — it was a bit of a shock but we were […]
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