California Coastal Trips

Ojai, California

Los Angeles to Carpinteria to Pismo, the Back Way!

from: Road Trippin’-a Guide to Absolutely the Best West Coast Road Trips, Ever!

Some of the best roads in the western US involve the California Coast. The scenery is spectacular, the weather is pleasant (mostly), the food is good, and the roads are great. Spring is the best time of year, as the wildflowers are amazing, especially around the central coast. In summer, the traffic is heavier, and some of these areas can get extremely hot. Winter is when the rains come (maybe), but hey, it’s California, how bad can the weather get?

There are several neat towns to stop and check out along the way. Old Town Fillmore has some good eateries as does Santa Paula. Santa Paula also has a great little museum dedicated to the origins of the oil drilling industry. Ojai is a wonderful artsy community with a great music festival.

You can start anywhere you want, but you want to get to the I-5 North form LA. Exit north of Magic Mountain on CA 126 West. Exit on CA 150 North in Santa Paula. This will take you through Ojai. Outside of Ojai, turn Right to stay on CA 150 toward Lake Casitas. Up over the hill, bear right on CA 192, then left on Linden Ave. This will take you to downtown Carpinteria.

This is one of our favorite coastal towns. Parking in the summer may be an issue, so if you are planning to spend the day, the best bet is to park at the state beach (one of the nicest beaches in California and a great place to camp, if you are so inclined) and walk back to town. There is public parking near the train station, but it’s usually full, especially in the summer. Either way, it’s a short stroll. There are lots of antiques stores up and down Linden Ave., as well as on some of the side streets. The Worker Bee Cafe is a great place for breakfast and you can’t beat The Spot for lunch. This is a classic burger stand that has been there forever. I ate there as a kid so it must be old! Tony’s Pizza is another old favorite, and be sure and check out Robitaille’s Candy Shop. If that name is familiar, the owner is the uncle of Luc Robitaille, hall of fame hockey player for the LA Kings. They are good enough to supply after dinner mints to the White House! The Palms is good for dinner and has rooms as well. There are several B&B’s in town and even a decent Motel 6. In addition, there is a monthly flea market at the historical museum (check the museum’s web site for details), and the city also puts on an annual car show.

To get home, the easy way is HWY 101 south through Ventura and back to LA. From there, take whatever variants you need to get you back. Round Trip is about 200 miles or so.

If you are up to a bit more adventure, this next bit is still within the realm of a one day drive. It’s a bit longer, but easily doable without spending the night. More beach towns! More funky stuff, and good food to boot. Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Guadelupe, Oceano, and Pismo Beach. What’s not to love? This adds about 125 miles from Carpinteria, so about 250 miles to a round trip. You can head back at any point, just follow the 101 South. Santa Barbara has a wonderful art fair every Sunday. Obviously there is great food there as well. Further up the coast, in near Oceano are a couple of great places to eat. One is the Rusty Pig, a BBQ joint on the left at Halcyon Way. The other is a 50s style diner inside two railroad passenger cars called the Rock and Roll Diner. It will be on the left as you go, it’s hard to miss! Guadelupe has some fine Mexican food, as well as the famous Far Western Tavern, This is a place you have to check out.

From Carpinteria, take Hwy 101 West/North towards Santa Barbara. Continue past Santa Barbara and just past the Gaviota Tunnels, exit for CA-1 to Lompoc. Follow CA 1 through Lompoc and you will go through Guadelupe. Hwy 1 continues from there to Pismo Beach. To get home, follow Hwy 101 south towards LA. In and around Pismo, the traffic gets a bit thick, especially in the summer, so get into cruise mode for that part of the drive.

Pismo has a lot to offer. Good food abounds as well as a wide range of places to stay. Everything from Motel 6 to luxury spas. Triple A has some good recommendations. Pismo also has regular arts and craft fairs in the summer so you might want to check these out. Overall, not a bad place to stop for the night after a long day in the saddle. On top of that, the beaches are generally cleaner and less crowded than the usual spots in LA or OC.

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