Who doesn’t love day trips? They’re fun, they’re manageable and they almost always produce fond memories. But they have a built-in limitation: It always seems like you run out of day before you’re ready to end the trip.

That was certainly the case when a friend and I recently embarked on an excursion from San Francisco down to Monterey. After borrowing a day trip necessity—a car—we set out on a cool and delightfully sunny morning, intending to hit Monterey and then head back to the city along coastal Highway 1. I was particularly excited because this was not only my first visit to the Monterey Peninsula but my first opportunity to see the California coast south of San Francisco.

We got a bit of a late start and decided to make up time by taking US 101 south. Now in most cases a freeway’s virtue is that it gets you efficiently from point A to point B; beautiful countryside can be but usually isn’t part of the equation. That wasn’t the case on this drive, however. Rolling hills—some a tawny buff color, others cloaked in green courtesy of the first winter season rains—stretched to the east, while clumps of evergreens punctuated by tall, skinny-trunked palm trees stood to the west. I was certain that exits signed “Millbrae,” “Redwood City” and “Mountain View” led to interesting towns with lovely backdrops, but we were on a mission; that meant one pit stop at Starbucks to grab coffee before exiting 101 on SR 68 at Salinas and heading west on toward Monterey. (click on the map to see the details of Greg's route)

This mostly two-lane road wound up, down and around hilly terrain dotted with trees, passing dairy farms where groups of cows grazed, seemingly oblivious to their idyllic surroundings. Every now and then the scent of eucalyptus hung momentarily in the air thanks to roadside stands of this fast-growing, aromatic genus of trees. Members of the myrtle family and natives of Australia, they were planted in California beginning in the 1850s primarily to serve as windbreaks for farms.

I let out a few ooohs and ahhhs at my first glimpse of Monterey Bay, even though it was from a distance. And actually we didn’t spend any time in Monterey, which looked absolutely delightful and would take a series of blogs to cover. Instead, we continued on to Pacific Grove, parked and spent an hour following the paved walking path that runs along the bay. The water was steel blue, but in the shallows where waves lapped—and occasionally crashed—against the rocky shoreline, it was a translucent aquamarine. Mats of ice plants (a creeping succulent with fleshy, red-tinged green leaves and pale yellow flowers) carpeted the ground. Wind-sculpted Monterey pines stood like lone sentries. The breeze was salty and fresh. Needless to say, the camera got a workout.

From Pacific Grove it was on up the coast toward Santa Cruz. This quintessential beach town is another place I have to go back and explore in depth. What I saw during a 30-minute refueling stop and bathroom break was definitely intriguing: exotic vegetation, funky shops and a seaside atmosphere that recalls the classic Beach Boys summer anthem “California Girls,” only updated for the dawn of the 2010s.

My friend was driving and wanted to get back to the city before dark, so we didn’t linger and pressed on toward Half Moon Bay, making two brief stops en route that are well worth it if you ever find yourself along this stretch of coast. The beach at Año Nuevo State Park was wide, sandy and windswept, with a couple of windsurfers taking advantage of the gusty conditions. The prominent landmark here is a rocky point that juts out into the Pacific; it was discovered by Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino in 1603. This would be a great spot to set up a lounge chair, kick back and contemplate the vastness of the ocean.

Even lovelier was Bean Hollow State Beach, about 5 or so miles farther up the coast. The sun was sinking as we pulled into the parking lot, and the light cast a soft golden glow over everything. Ice plants blanketed the sand dunes, and the rocks were fascinatingly honeycombed. Was it the effects of erosion? I don’t know, but they had an otherworldly look. Bean Hollow is known for its tide pools, but unfortunately the light was starting to fade and there was no time to go exploring for starfish and sea urchins. I’m coming back to this beach.

It was twilight by the time we reached Half Moon Bay, and then we began passing steep coastal cliffs heading toward Pacifica that were nothing but large, undefined shapes in the darkness. A few extra hours of daylight would have been nice, but I’m already planning my return visit.

Anybody out there have a favorite day trip? Let’s hear about it.