Travel: California Road Trip Part 2 – Cambria, Santa Monica & San Diego

Hotel del Coronado San Diego San Diego's Hotel del Coronado celebrated its 125th birthday in 2013.

Last summer my parents, my husband and I flew to San Francisco, rented a car, and took a week to drive along the coast to San Diego.

It was only our second trip to California, so we chose to visit as many seaside communities as possible to get a taste for each one, with overnight stays in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Cambria, Santa Monica and San Diego.

Each city was so wonderful and unique. I gladly would have stayed the entire week in our San Francisco boutique hotel, Half Moon Bay luxury resort, Carmel historic inn, Cambria cozy bed and breakfast, Santa Monica swanky bungalow, or San Diego quintessential summer retreat.

It was truly the trip of a lifetime and a very special experience to share with three of my favourite people on the planet.

To read more about our California adventures, check out:

Below are some of the highlights from our incredible whirlwind trip. Click the titles to visit their respective websites.

Click here for California Road Trip Part 1 – San Francisco, Half Moon Bay & Carmel-by-the-Sea

STAY: Olallieberry Inn

Olallieberry Inn

STAY: Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows

Fairmont Miramar

STAY: Hotel del Coronado 

Hotel del Coronado

EAT: Robin’s Restaurant

Robin's Restaurant

VISIT: Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle

VISIT: Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

VISIT: San Diego Zoo 

San Diego Zoo

(All images: Aaron Barr)