I mentioned highway 101 before and exactly that's where we went as soon as we thought we needed a break from SD and wanted to see something else.
it is also called the pacific coast highway or PCH and leads up the coast until at least canada, I think (just kidding), and it has the most beautiful landscape you can imagine.
...that is if visibility is good, as it can be quite foggy around here. most famous is pfeiffer state park where you can walk among giant redwood trees and swim in the rough sea (if you can get down there, that is...).
do you know the song "road tripping" by the red hot chili peppers? it pretty much sums up the feelings you get when you drive up the PCH (and the redwood trees are also mentioned in the song).

where we also met interesting friends (this is near san simeon, where we turned up our goldfinger CD realising that we follow the tracks of alternative rock song lyrics).

and it seemed those people were not alone on the beach, and quite enjoying themselves.
[insert: group sex-scene-sounds]

near san simeon you also find the (in-)famous hurst castle: a castle built by some american taking away an ancient scottish castle brick by brick and restructuring it in clifornia... strange, isn't it...?
anyway, we here in europe have enough castles of our own, so over back-country roads we went on to… DEATH VALLEY.

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