During the early months of the pandemic, I scrolled enviously through Instagram as the folks I followed took advantage of remote work by traipsing around California. I was too swamped with my day job and overseeing online learning (and plain chicken shit, to be honest) to plan an excursion before getting vaccinated, so I settled for living vicariously through others for the time being.

It wasn’t until earlier this month that The Astronomer, June, and I were finally able to get away for a weeklong road trip through California’s Central Coast. Our itinerary took us to the wooded forests of Santa Barbara, along the rocky coast of Big Sur, among the picturesque inlets of Monterey, and more. It’d been over a year since we’d vacationed and it was as magnificent as we’d hoped.

For those itching to hit the road and to explore the Golden State too, here’s a glimpse at our itinerary.

The first stop on our road trip was at Cold Spring Tavern. Located in a picturesque setting, the former stagecoach stop from 1886 promised a really good tri-tip sandwich with a side of history. Make sure to check out the Road Gang House located behind the tavern. It was built in 1868 and occupied by Chinese laborers who paved the toll road through the San Marcos Pass.