USA 2019 - Week 3, Carmel by the Sea to Los Angeles

After an early start to a (false) fire alarm, today we did the longest drive yet from Carmel By the Sea via Big Sur national park, Hearst Castle, Santa Barbra, Malibu, and Santa Monica, before arriving at the weird-cool Ace Hotel in LA.

The drive through Big Sur was magical; driving between the forrest and the ocean is something very calming for the soul.





We stopped for a tour of the extravagant Hearst Castle, how the rich can live! Our favourite part was the roman baths with gold plated floors, and learning about the turkey vultures, one of the common birds that roam those areas.









Santa Barbra Pier (more like pee-er) was a serendipitous find while we were looking for a public toilet to stop at. We thought we'd park close by then walk, but it turns out you can get 90 minute free parking to drive all the way up the pier!



We stopped at an awesome grocer in Malibu, and then enjoyed the drive past the most expensive looking houses ever to the colourful stretch of Santa Monica. We splurged on the roller coster which was actually a really fun ride!







Arriving at the Ace was pretty hectic since there was some sort of event on, so we had to scramble to figure out where the hell to park. The bar and restaurant looked cool but I was keen as I've ever been for pjs and a dinner in after the long drive!