SANDY VANS
July 2025
the infamous coastal california Road Trip Took us for a RIDE.
This trip was made possible because of our dear friends at SANDY VANS who provided us with their trusty, “Gordon Vansy” which YOU can absolutely buy!
Below is the link to their site to book your next adventure!
You won’t regret it!
5 apps you need before you start the journey.
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Tells you where all the campgrounds are nearby as well as where you can camp for free/disperse.
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Tells you where FREE camping can be found.
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Tells you where cool hiking spots are nearby, definitely great to have when you’re in good nature spots. You can also download the map and have it ready, just in case you run out of service.
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In my opinion, this is the best app to have — you should use this even when you’re not traveling.
It tells you where all the gas stations are on a map with pricing, locations and whatever gas/diesel you need.
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Obviously, because it’s a better map than Apple + again — you want the option to download so you have it if you lose service.
Where did we go?
Started out the trip hitting Santa Barbara, Solvang, and Morro Bay to make it to Big Sur by sunset to set up camp. This drive never ceases to amaze me, and it was even cooler being able to do it with my husband who is from Greece. It’s like taking the drive for the first time. We captured beautiful sunsets, views, and trees on this adventure and it was all thanks to Sandy Vans.
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We had a late start leaving San Diego so the first night we ended up staying in Goleta at our dear friends ranch to get some shut eye, and wake up early for a day full or driving the coast.
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I always see this location on photos of peoples road trips + I hear it’s a very charming town just off the main highway, so since we had plenty of time on this adventure with no time/destination needed. we went with it and had breakfast at a cafe here.
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Stopped here to fly the drone, grab lunch + just explore the town. It’s a similar to Fisherman’s Wharf, so there’s lots of good seafood along the water. We left here after a quick side quest to make it to Big Sur by sunset to set up camp.
Perfect Flying Conditions in BIG SUr
This trip was in collaboration with Jarritos Soda — the perfect, combo, for adventures.
Story time for Big Sur:
My initial idea was for us to camp at Plaskett Ridge Campground, which is a nice + clean spot with the ability to have a campfire. They have clean facilities the couple of times I have camped here has been amazing. Unfortunately this time I showed up, there was no availability and the camp groundsman had told us to head to Kirk Creek to see if they had openings. To our luck, they had ONE spot left + it was perfect for us!
Secret Tip: If you leave the Plaskett Ridge Campground + cross the street, there’s a large dead tree on the side of the road, pass the tree on a dirt path towards the edge and you will find the most remarkable sunset viewing location that’s private and away from others. Bring a blanket + a bottle of wine for a vibe.
Another secret tip: there is A LOT of disperse camping around that area that are FREE to camp on, the only thing is — you are not allowed to have campfires on disperse camp spots. So if that doesn’t bother you, then send it to Prewitt Ridge for amazing camping views. You will need 4x4.
The only way to get out of it is through it.
Disclaimer: the 1 is closed in the middle of Big Sur and we still had plans to get to Santa Cruz so we needed to get through the mountains and cut up and around to reach it to Monterrey and Santa Cruz. We started a 20 mile trek at 8am through the cloudy mountains of Big Sur and it was a little nerve wrecking. My hands would not stop sweating but it was freezing. The main focus was to take the stretch without a single car coming down the mountain while we were going up. With out incredible luck, not a single car came down + although the heights are high and the road is small, it was still a really incredible view at the top. My fear of heights was officially unlocked on this quest.
Onto the next segment of the adventure..
Next Stop:
SANTA CRUZ
No trip to Santa Cruz is compete without hitting the iconic boardwalk, so that’s exactly what we did. Showed up to the beach around noon and it was the perfect place for us to grab lunch, shoot some content + catch some rays. After the beach, we searched for spots to camp in the area, to our luck again — we found a perfect location tucked in the ‘Avenue of Giants’ and set up camp there for the night.
Take us to the trees.
Where did we camp?
Tucked a couple miles within the Henry Coswell Redwood State Forest lies a cool, tree filled campground with all kinds of amenities called, Cotillion Gardens. You can tent camp here, but most people are with RVs and Camper Vans. We wanted one more night underneath the trees and stars before our drive back down to San Diego and this did not disappoint.
We were able to book this spot directly from their website, linked below!
Final Stop:
Before heading back down to San Diego, we decided a trip to the aquarium was a must. If you haven’t heard — the Monterrey Aquarium is the best aquarium in California hands down.. could be the whole country. It’s really an amazing experience. After the aquarium, we hit a nice lunch spot in the wharf, enjoyed some oysters and seafood + set our way back south.
Best ending to our amazing road trip.
Monterrey Bay
Your next adventure awaits
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