CALIFORNIA’S Highway 1 is among the world’s most dramatic coastal drives, taking in breathtaking beaches, primeval forests, picturesque hotels, lively towns and extraordinary attractions.
Ventura
Cool southern California living, with retro looking bars and shops just behind a vast sweep of sand. Take an Island Packers (islandpackers.com) whale watching trip out to the Channel Islands.
We were surrounded by half a dozen blue whales diving down to feed and saw dozens of dolphins and a humpback whale.
Eat and drink at Barrelhouse 101 (barrelhouse101.com) with, yes, 101 beers on tap, many from California breweries with names such as Lost Coast and Dogfish Head. And shop at Camarillo Premium Outlets (premiumoutlets.com) with 160 discount stores including Armani and Ralph Lauren.
Stay: The towering Crowne Plaza (crowneplaza.com), right on the beach.
