At the beginning of the new year, I went on a road trip along the lush Central Coast while California was experiencing some periods of heavy rain. Although the weather didn’t make it as suitable to sit out by the beach, the rain added a mysterious and happy feeling of solitude, making it a wonderful get away during the off season. My husband and I visited nine towns on the way to Los Angeles from the Central Valley. We spent more time in some places than others, but enjoyed all the needed rain and pits stops along the way. All of these are gems and worth a visit. Keep on reading for more recommendations.

1. Cambria
This town of less than 6,000 inhabitants was amongst my favorite during the road trip. This charming seaside village has a lot to offer. The Moonstone beach boardwalk is a must and from there the rest will fall into place. The shops, restaurants, art, and various activities one can engage in, will leave you wanting to stay for days on end. We stood at El Colibri Hotel& Spa and had a lovely room with a fire place and jacuzzi. We were walking distance from one of the main strips and ate at Madeline’s Restaurant & Wine Cellar. We indulged in some delicious starters, truffle risotto, and wine from the region. Our room led us to the boardwalk and we ended every evening at the beach. It was a magical stay.

2. Harmony
This tiny community off of SR1 was a very quick drive by. The name caught our attention so we had no choice but to drive by. There are roughly less than 20 inhabitants that live here. Originally it began as a settlement for Swiss immigrants and due to some interesting history of disagreements, eventually it was named Harmony to settle a truce. There’s a pottery shop and a few other businesses that one could visit. We didn’t see in activity but again, it was a rainy day and off season, so I’m sure they were resting.

3. Cayucos
This coastal town in SLO county has roughly 2500 inhabitants. It’s named after the Spanish word for canoe. The original inhabitants of the land, the Chumash people, would use small canoes to fish near the present day pier. This is the town that we stopped to grab a bite. We walked down the lonely pier and enjoyed the gloomy ambiance. We parked right by the pier and eventually walked into Duckies Chowder House. It was there that I had the tastiest crab melt. So rich in flavor, buttery, and the hot sauce gave it that extra kick to leave your mouth watering. I ended my food journey at Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies. I bought a small pack of six and snacked on them until we arrived at our final destination. Make sure to stop by the chowder house, so worth it!

4. Morro Bay
This was my second time visiting Morro Bay. I had vacationed here some years ago and had a wonderful time with my family. We drove as close as we could to the morro, giant hill, that can be seen from far away on the highway. This is another wonderful little town to stop by and grab something to eat or just hang by the pier.

5. Baywood–Los Osos
This was a rest stop turned meal opportunity. This town means “the bears” in Spanish. It is said that Spanish voyagers would call it this because of the amount of bears seen in the area. I’ve never heard of this town but on the outskirts of Morro Bay we came upon it through the backroads. We originally wanted to order something to drink at this café joint but decided to order food, and I’m glad we did. This was a very local hip spot. It reminds me of a hang out spot in a college town or Berkeley. Inside there were a couple of students working on a project, a couple that seemed to be frequent guests, and a couple of workers. Super chill vibes and some very fresh and good oily food. The quesadillas were made out of blue corn and were fried really well. The sliders were buttered up, and sides refreshing and juicy. I highly recommend Beerwood, the perfect gathering spot.

6. San Luis Obispo
It had been over a decade since I’ve visited this town or the mission. This would be the last stop we would make before our destination of Avila Beach. It started raining right after Beerwood, so we only drove through the city and stopped in the mission. Since it was the holiday season, it was decorated with lovely lights and poinsettias. It was founded in 1772 and built by the Chumash people, not by choice. This historic landmark is a good reminder of the history of the state and the different people that occupied this land before it became California.

7. Avila Beach
The second town we stood in was Avila Beach. It was established in the 19th century. Inland there are many vineyards throughout the region and this town had plenty of tasting rooms. We stood at the lovely Avila Fonda Hotel. I can’t stress how attentive and kind staff were. It was off season, but every night they hosted themed evenings for the guests, we made it to one them, which was a European cheese and wine night. They also provided guests with warm fresh croissants in the morning from a bakery around the corner. The hotel was decorated in Spanish/and or Mexican decor, I felt like I was in another country. It was situated right by all the shops and food. We decided to use their voucher to sample a flight of different wines at Alpay Cellars, which was walking distance from our room. It was a great way to unwind after the drive. It stormed and poured down at night. It was quite relaxing, yet a bit frightening to watch. The waves were very aggressive and there was a possibility of loosing power. Thankfully that didn’t occur, so we enjoyed some wine and jacuzzi time before bed. The following morning after eating our croissants, we went down to the beach. The foam and residue of the storm was left on the road close to a section of the shops. Many locals and visitors were observing the aftermath. It’s just another reminder of how powerful mother nature is and unfortunately how unstable the climate is. Needless to say, we will absolutely be back in this little town. It’s very special.

8. Pismo Beach
On the day we were headed to LA, we decided to make two stops, one of them was at Pismo Beach. This beach town was a lot larger than the rest, it has almost 9,000 inhabitants. We were craving some fresh seafood and stopped by this fantastic joint right off the strip, Pizmo Fish Co. It was a little after 10am, so there was no lunch crowd. One of the classic things to eat along these coastal towns is the classic fish taco. It reminded me of a scene from Rocket Power, an old Nickelodeon show. I was craving fresh oysters, and my husband had a fish taco and ceviche. This place is a must. Some classic CA beach town eats for your mouth.

9. Solvang
Before I spent so much time in Germany, I had wanted to stay in this town. Now having spent much time in Europe, I don’t have the need to stay here but did want to drive by to see what the hype was about. On the exterior it did remind me of Denmark. Not the modern Denmark, the more traditional architectural stereotypical version of Denmark. Since it was sprinkling we didn’t feel like getting off at any of the stops, but I can only imagine the things they sell in the shops and the types of food. If a person from Denmark came to visit I feel like they’d giggle. But it’s cute and I’m sure during the holidays it’s very festive.

There you have it. A quick summary of the places I stopped by along the Central Coast. It’s absolutely worth driving down the 1 for. Scenic and inspiring. It makes me proud to be from this state despite what everyone says about it. All of these places are worth stopping by on your next visit. Enjoy!