California to the Carolinas in 7 Days

Ever considered a cross country road trip? Check out the details of ours in this 7 day itinerary.

Preface: Kat spent this past winter as a volunteer, supporting Point Blue Conservation Science research on the Northern elephant seal population of the Farallon Islands, just outside San Francisco Bay (more to come on this later!). When her time in the field came to an end, Phil wanted to be there to rescue her from the barren island in person. So he made his way to California as well! Fortunately, Phil was able to catch a ride on the sailboat that would be travelling to the island to pick Kat up and bring her back to San Francisco. ‘Starbuck’ is the longest running member of the Farallon Patrol with over 50 runs to the island! This trip would also include the chance for him to set foot on the island. This is a rare opportunity for the general public, given it’s’ protected status as a wildlife reserve.

The First Leg

Sweetheart that he is, he thoughtfully decided to bring the critters along for the cross country road trip ride so that they would be there to greet Kat when she sets foot back on the mainland. This means that flying wasn’t an option and he therefore had to drive across country in the first place.  On his initial part of the cross country road trip, Phil takes the Northern route through Arkansas and Oklahoma, via the Ozarks. Driving 4,626 km (2,875 miles) from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and powered through a 3 day drive to Petaluma, California.

Having packed the bikes, he makes a couple “stretch the ol’ legs” breaks along his drive. These notable stops come as a recommendation by singletracks.com, a great reference for mountain bikers looking to explore new trails: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas and Calico Ghost Town, in San Bernardino County, California. He arrives in Petaluma  just in time to help out with island groceries and to pack up equipment (cost of admission to get to the island). 

Check out this post for our tips on how to pack for road trips (we do it ALOT!)

By Land and By Sea

‘Starbuck’ sets out early the morning they are scheduled to arrive at the island. The trip out takes around the four hours. Groceries delivered, island tour completed and lovers reunited, the sail boat headed back to San Francisco at sunset. This time the boat ran mainly on wind power alone. A long day of excitement and ocean travel behind us, we spend the night in Petaluma getting rested up for the long drive home (aka MOST EXCELLENT CROSS COUNTRY ROAD TRIP) which awaits us over the coming week. It’s worth noting that this trip could technically be accomplished in less that 48 hours but we decide to take advantage of the opportunity to do some sight seeing along the way.

California

Day 1: On our first day we stop at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito to visit one of the ex-pat Southeast Farallon Island biologists, scope out some rescue mammals and purchase a couple souvenirs in support of the centers efforts. We proceed to cross over the Golden Gate Bridge (having sailed under it just yesterday), into San Francisco proper. Here we stop for some delicious phở (Phil’s first bowl!) and a quick zip around the big city. We then head down the coast along BEAUTIFUL Highway 1 towards Santa Cruz. There were multiple photo opp stops along the drive, as well as a necessary stop in at the Whale City Bakery in Davenport for a fresh loaf of artichoke bread to bring our hosts for the night.

Day 2: After a night with friends in Santa Cruz, we stock up on road snacks at Costco and Trader Joe’s. Then we gas up and continue along Highway 1 toward Monterey Bay. We make a stop at one of the street side farm stands for some more snacks and score some EXCELLENT deals on local produce! Avocados 3/$1 (unheard of on the east coast), kiwis 10/$1 and mangoes 3/$1! Once we reach the bottom of Monterey Bay, we cut inland to travel along River Road. This way, we can check out some of Monterey County’s wines on this cross country road trip! We stop in at Odonata wines for a tasting where we were warmly greeted by the owner and surrounded by work by a local artisan. There are several wineries located along this stretch but we decided to keep driving.

Arizona

We continued along the I-40, rolling into Arizona towards the Grand Canyon. We drive passed oil fields and almond farms upon almond farms upon almond farms. Debating  lodging options, we end up spending the night in a Love’s lot, about a half hour outside the National Park. (Note: there are hotels and restaurants just shy of the park entrance.)

ROADTRIPPER TIP: These mega travel stops/truck service locations can be found all over the US and provide a large parking lot as well as the basic amenities to those who chose to skip the expense of a night at a hotel. We debated our decision upon waking the next morning to a balmy 23 degrees Fahrenheit…

Grand Canyon National Park

Day 3: While the coffee left something to be desired (sorry Love’s) we rise at the crack of dawn and head into the park.  Admission to Grand Canyon National Park is $30 for a vehicle. We make our way to the Desert View Tower to start. This great little spot is a bit of a drive from the main South Rim attractions, but we agree we are glad we made the detour.

After climbing the watch tower, we head back toward the main South Rim Visitor Center (open year round). We park about a mile east of the village so we could walk along the canyon. This provides the opportunity to take in moments where it’s just us and the canyon. We make our way along the South Rim to the main visitor area and back. Once back at the car, we set up a little canyon-side picnic before heading back on the road.

ROADTRIPPER TIP: It’s worth noting that dogs are only permitted along the South Rim. Dogs also cannot be walked into the canyon. Also, be sure to check the Grand Canyon website near your travel dates. They update it regularly with any closures and weather condition alerts that may interfere with your visit.

Jerome

Next, we drive to Jerome AZ, a tiny little cliffside town located (nearly) smack dab in the middle of AZ. What brought us here you ask? WINE of course! Knowing we were going to be relatively local, visiting Caduceus cellars was at the top of the list and it was absolutely worth it! The winding mountain drive into town was breathtaking as we made our way to an elevation of 1,500m (5,000ft).

Jerome meticulously sits cliffside on three, tiered main roads, with much to offer in the form of shops and restaurants; one could easily spend a day here. Unfortunately our walk through the city streets was cut short by the pooch pulling up a limp. So we get back in the car and continued on our way. Strangely enough the limp disappeared as we approached the car… We headed down I-17, making it through Phoenix, AZ. We pass the Los Angeles Angels spring training complex (Phil waved at Mike Trout). Then headed onto the I-10 and into Los Cruces, New Mexico. We were really hoping to explore the Carlsbad Caverns, but ran out of time.

ROADTRIPPER TIP: We used Ibotta (use our referral code hpkyhkm and get a $10 welcome bonus!) to book hotel accommodations via Hotels.com – you get 4-10% cash back via Ibotta and if you also have a Hotels.com account, your purchases count towards free nights, it ‘s win win!

Texas

Day 4: Today was very much a driving day. We continue along the I-10 toward Texas, stopping in at a cowboy boot store for Phil to peruse. (He’s wanted a pair for as long as I’ve known him). Alas, we leave empty handed. As we drive through southern Texas, the Mexican border begins to materialize. It’s crazy how very obvious it was, based on architecture alone. Driving along I-10 through miles of desert, the speed limit wis 80mph so we make good time heading east. We make a quick stop at the Alamo in San Antonio, and end our long driving day in Houston.

ROADTRIPPER TIP: Traveling with pets? The Red Roof Inn is our go to hotel for travelling on a budget.

Louisiana

Day 5: NOLA, here we come! We set the GPS to Abita Brewing to stay motivated. There are some severe weather warnings along our drive, predicting tornados even!  At Abita we enjoy a couple flights and games of life-sized ‘Connect 4’ on the patio with the pooch. It’s overcast as we cross Lake Pontchartrain with the hopes of seeing a water spout (there were reports earlier in the day). Unfortunately we aren’t so lucky. Once we arrive at the hotel, we get settled in, change and UBER into the city to, none other than, Bourbon Street. Our first stop is Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop where we grab a VooDoo daquiris to go and walk along to take in the sights.

As we go along, we pop into a ‘couple’ bars that evening. Several of them have balconies from which you can take in the beautiful chaos of Bourbon Street. After getting our fill of shenanigans from a bird’s eye view, we cross down to Royal Street (Kathryn’s personal favourite).

This art and lighting gallery lined street is a different type of feast for the eyes. We wander all the way down to Frenchman Street for some live music and calmer atmospheres. After taking in the Frenchmen Art Market , which opens at 7pm nightly, we set back out towards central French Quarter to take in the beauty of St. Louis Cathedral at night, and some late night beignets at the 24 hour Café du Monde before heading back to the hotel. 

Out and About NOLA

Day 6: This morning we decide to bike into the city, stopping to take in some traditional New Orleans sights on the way. We lock our bikes up at the waterfront near the French Market and continue back into the French Quarter on foot, stopping in at Central Grocery and Deli, home of the original Muffuletta, for none other than a Muffuletta! While Kat waits in line, Phil goes off in search of a beverage to compliment this local favourite. We are reunited on the steps of the Canon Memorial, opposite art lined Jackson Square, where Muffuletta and Bloody Mary (courtesy of Willie’s Chicken Shack) were united – truly a match made in heaven!

HOLD UP! What is a Muffuletta? An 8 inch round of fresh, sesame coated bread layered with salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone. BUT WAIT – there’s more! Hate olives? Not any more! It’s the ultimate olive hater converter. This magnificent mouth full centers around the olive salad spread. Be prepared because there will be a line up, but we promise it’s worth it!  (See photo above for satisfied customer).

We return to the hotel to freshen up before heading to the West end of the city to Oak Street for a little restaurant known as Jacques Imos, and quite possibly one of the best meals we have ever experienced together. Our meal started off with the shrimp and alligator cheesecake (which sounds weird but was “AMAZEBALLS” according to Phil). Next, our main course, the GODZILLA!!! A fried softshell crab, stuffed with crab salad, sitting atop eggplant and green tomato, covered in a crab hollandaise! OMG!! And so another night has come to a magnificent end in this wonderful city.

The Home Stretch

Day 7: Packed up and (sadly) ready to go, we hit the road for the last time. This is the home stretch drive to South Carolina. But not before taking one last delicious bite out of NOLA. We drove over to the Warehouse District for a brunch sandwich from Cochon Butcher in anticipation of a large lunch once we rolled into Mississippi. Said large lunch occurred at The Shed a quirky little BBQ joint just off the highway in Ocean Springs, MS (now #1 on Phil’s BBQ spot list, and he knows his BBQ!). Myrtle Beach in sight, we power through Alabama, Georgia, and finally into South Carolina, where we arrived just after midnight. Home sweet home!

What a trip! We had an absolute BLAST on our ‘road sampler’! Though it entailed long hours on the road,  we got a little taste of what each state has to offer.  This is something that we definitely plan to do again, ideally with a little more time on our hands 🙂 

ROADTRIPPER TIP: We started planning the trip using Google Maps and switched over to Road Tripper a website specifically designed for, you guessed it, road tripping! Type in your departure and destination locations and it populates your route with accommodations, eats and photo opportunities. Simply click on any of the bubbles that pop up along your route for a quick profile of the location. If it tickles your fancy, you can save it as a stop!

Until our next cross country road trip –

Have you ever gone on a road trip? What were some of the highlights of your drive? We’d love to hear about them!

If you’re planning a road trip of your own, be sure to check out our list of 15 Road Trip Must Haves