The Journey Inward

This morning began with a grocery run at the local Target. From there, a stop at a beautiful stretch of Santa Barbara waterfront. I have a huge blister from all the hiking, so it was a flip flop day and ended up being more of a day of rest and driving than exploring on foot. The roads were curvy and high with sheer drops. The mountains were awesome, but being the lone traveler, pictures were not advisable. My fear of heights was again tested.

San Luis Obispo was next up. The town was adorable, but the Mission was my mission! It is the fifth of the original 21 missions and was founded in 1772 by Father Junípero Serra. The mission bells were cast in Peru in 1818 and were named Joy, Gloria and Sorrow. I loved that! I attended a few minutes of the service and listened to sweet music while taking in the whimsical tiles.

Morro Bay was a vibrant town. The main attraction was Morrow Rock, a 576 foot volcanic plug at the entrance to the bay that can be seen from many vantage points. The name was given by a Portuguese sailor in the 1500s and means crown shaped mount. The friendly sea lion sunning himself made my day! I pulled over in San Lucas to get a shot of one of the many vineyards and stopped for an In-N-Out burger meal from California’s first drive-through restaurant. I excitedly told the kid who waited on me that it was my first time and he came and found me and gave me a sticker! 😂

I chose not to head up to Big Sur because the road beyond that was closed and would’ve meant backtracking and then going around the mountain, adding two hours to my drive. I was disappointed, but there was no shortage of natural beauty. I covered a chunk of the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach and Monterey and had my fill of beautiful vistas. As luck would have it, I arrived just as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car show was kicking off!

My day wrapped by stopping in Moss Landing on my way to my Airbnb in Santa Cruz. The pictures of me and the sporty little Audi were taken of me, by me, because that’s the theme of this little road trip! My friend texted today and said, “How is my road warrior?” and I responded, “Bad ass, baby!!”

This is truly a trip I will cherish, both for what is happening around me, but also what is happening within me. Along the way, I have had so many interesting phone conversations with friends and chance chats with strangers. I’ve spent some of the miles in between marinating my thoughts and feelings around the fantastic topics.

Time for some push-ups, a shower, and a good night’s sleep! Day three of my road trip kicks off early tomorrow!

Photos: 9.15.25 by LA