Today, Phillip and I planned to visit Santa Barbara as part of our road trip to San Francisco. I woke up around 10 am, feeling surprisingly relaxed despite staying up late working the night before. The three UK girls—though I suspect they were actually from Ireland—joined the party last night. One of them ended up vomiting in the dorm, which was quite the spectacle, haha.
The Road Trip Begins
I informed Phillip that we would depart at 11 am. While waiting, I took a shower, burned a CD, and headed to Subway for breakfast. Opting for a rare choice, I purchased a 6-inch sub; typically, I go for the foot-long sub. Upon returning to the hostel, I enjoyed my meal there.
At around 11:15 am, we finally set off. With Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” playing on repeat at maximum volume, driving felt invigorating. Knowing Phillip’s fondness for partying, I laid down some ground rules before we got into the car: split the fuel costs, maintain cleanliness, handle navigation duties, and take the majority of the pictures. To my surprise, Phillip proved to be tidier than I had anticipated. Observing his lifestyle in Hawaii, I had expected him to be less organized. Over the next few days, I would come to learn more about him.
We departed and headed towards Santa Monica Beach. Within just 30 minutes, we reached our destination and began our journey along the scenic California coastline. Passing by the bustling pier, we encountered a traffic jam that slowed our progress for a while.
Cruising Through Luxury
Phillip pointed out the array of fancy cars surrounding us, including Mustangs, Porsches, Ferraris, and more. While I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about cars, Phillip shared details like horsepower and engine size for each one. As we left Santa Monica behind, the traffic eased, and the speed limits were favorable, allowing for a comfortable cruising speed of up to 70 miles per hour.
Near Malibu, we decided to make a pit stop at the McDonald’s drive-through for a drink. I mentioned to Phillip that it was my first time experiencing a drive-through, which elicited laughter from both of us. Typically, I preferred to sit down, relax, and eventually utilize their restroom facilities.
We pressed on without pausing in Malibu. Though JP had mentioned its charm, I was eager to reach Santa Barbara and explore before continuing our journey northward. With our destination set for tomorrow afternoon, I aimed to keep us on schedule, considering the considerable distance we still had to cover.
Phillip took most of the pictures. “If I post the picture of that Coca-Cola van on Facebook, I’m sure I’ll get some reactions,” I chuckled, explaining to Phillip my well-known Coke addiction. “They might even think I’m getting sponsored,” I added jokingly.
Arrival in Santa Barbara
In the late afternoon, we reached Santa Barbara. We made a stop at a gas station for Phillip, who needed to buy a USB cable for the car since he had an iPhone, and I only had a cable for my Galaxy S2.
After the gas station, we headed towards Santa Barbara’s East Beach. I found a parking spot and paid the meter, which charged 2 dollars per hour, a reasonable rate. We strolled around for a bit before finding a spot to relax. Despite the wind making it a bit chilly for Phillip, I felt comfortable. He mentioned that the weather further north would be even colder compared to Los Angeles.
Bathroom Adventures
After our walk, I headed to the restroom at Reunion Kitchen Drink Santa Barbara, which was just 100 meters from the car. Their restroom setup had a rather amusing privacy issue – the walls were surprisingly low, allowing a clear view of people inside. It was quite a contrast from what I was used to back home, as well as in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. Additionally, their flushing mechanism was quite unique; it resembled that of a large airplane toilet, with a powerful suction effect.
Chillin’ at East Beach
Returning to the car, we reclined our seats and rested for a solid two hours. The long stretch of driving had taken its toll on me, and I welcomed the chance to recharge. While Phillip dozed off, I spent the time listening to music and scouting for potential spots to park for the night. I turned to the Wikicamps USA app on my phone, hoping to find a suitable free campground along the coast, but options seemed scarce.
After a two-hour rest, we felt rejuvenated and ready for dinner. Phillip suggested Taco Bell, and since I’d been curious to try it for some time, I agreed. With Phillip navigating, we easily located a nearby restaurant and headed inside.
Taco Bell
While dining, I couldn’t help but observe an American customer causing a scene. He was loudly berating the staff because his vegetarian burrito had meat in it, despite ordering it an hour ago. It struck me how many Americans seem unconcerned about their public behavior. Just yesterday, at Santa Monica Beach, I encountered a particularly big (and I mean obese) woman who, from a distance, seemed to be yelling nonsensical sentences. Initially, I thought she was unstable, but as she approached, it became apparent she was simply making jokes. “Maybe tone it down a notch,” I thought to myself. It’s irksome when people draw so much attention to themselves (figuratively speaking). But I suppose this is just part of the authentic American experience, and little did I know, it would only escalate in the days to come in San Francisco. But no spoilers!
Finding A Place to Rest
Staying on track, after indulging in burritos and tacos, I opted for a change of clothes, donning trousers in anticipation of the evening chill. We then resumed our journey northward, aiming to get as close as possible to our next highlight for tomorrow morning. A stunning waterfall, eagerly awaited and on my bucket list, awaited our exploration. We drove for another 2-3 hours until we finally reached our destination.
As we drove, the sunset painted the sky in breathtaking hues, adding to the scenic beauty of our journey. Yet, the best was yet to come. By around 9 or 10 pm, we reached Morro Bay, a quaint town (unfortunately we missed out on Morro Rock) nestled along the coast. Parking our car on a quiet street beside some grand villas, I focused on my laptop while Phillip caught up with friends over his mobile. As the clock struck midnight, we called it a night and settled into bed.
A Chilly Night
The alarm jolted us awake at 5 am, an ungodly hour by most standards. Our aim: to catch the waterfalls at their prime, which meant embarking on another 2-hour drive from our current location. Following the waterfall excursion, we anticipated another 2-3 hours of driving until we reached our ultimate destination.
Feeling the chill of the early morning, I made a decision around 4 am to start up the car and crank up the heater. With Phillip snuggled in his sleeping bag, I found myself regretting having donated mine back in Auckland. After a brief 10-15 minute drive around the area, the car began to warm up, making the chilly morning a bit more bearable.
Upon returning to the same street, I opted not to contort myself onto the cramped back seat for a restless nap. Instead, I reclined the front seat to a sleep-friendly position and settled in, knowing I had just an hour before my alarm was due to sound.
