🌊 23-Day West USA Road Trip: Santa Barbara Edition 🦭

Don’t drive straight from Monterey to Santa Barbara—it’s a 5-hour journey with too much to miss! Break it up with a stop in San Simeon to see elephant seals and enjoy the coastal vibe. 📍 San Simeon From Monterey, take the scenic 17-Mile Drive (enter at Pacific Grove Gate, exit at Carmel). 🎫 $12.25 – 17 stunning viewpoints (allow ~2 hours). Drive 2.5 hours to San Simeon. Stay at Morgan Hotel San Simeon 🏨. Just 10 mins away: Elephant Seal Beach 🦭 – hundreds of seals sunbathing! 📍 Santa Barbara San Simeon → Morro Rock (30 mins 🦦 – often spot sea otters!). → Solvang (Danish Village) 🏡 (1.5 hrs): Stroll the fairytale streets, try pastries at Olsen’s Bakery 🍪, and shop for fresh fruit at local markets. → Santa Barbara (1 hr). 🌟 Santa Barbara Highlights (My favorite town on the trip!): 🖼️ Santa Barbara Museum of Art: Features Monet and Impressionist masterpieces. ⚖️ County Courthouse: Stunning Spanish-style architecture + lush gardens. 🅿️ Street parking available. 🎣 Stearns Wharf Pier: Fresh seafood restaurants + sunset walks along palm-lined paths 🌴🌅. 🏨 Stay: Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn 🍽️ Eat: FishHouse – seafood with ocean views and palm-tree ambiance! #USARoadTrip #SantaBarbara #WestCoastTravel #TravelUSA #ElephantSeals #Solvang