11 Things I Learned Traveling Solo

I'm certain you could tell from my last four posts that I had an amazing road trip through California!  In addition, I absolutely LOVED traveling solo! I don't think I would have wanted to do this trip any other way.  I learned many things about myself, about the state of California, and about traveling alone.  I thought I'd share some of the more pertinent ones for all of you out who may have never traveled solo, but are thinking about it.  (My advice: JUST DO IT!)

1.  It's Not Lonely!
I know what you're thinking.  I'm ALONE.  It's going to be so lonely.  Au contraire my friends.  When exploring a new place there is so much to see and do, there is no time for loneliness.  And in all honesty, I feel much more lonely in my day-to-day life than I ever did on the trip!  Connect with 'strangers'.  Talk to people.  Soak it all in.  Loneliness is just a state of mind.  We are all just solo beings on this big beautiful planet anyway!

2.  It's Not Unsafe
I imagine there are countries and parts of the world that you would have to take caution if traveling  as a single female, but I honestly don't feel that is a concern with US travel.  I do everything in my day-to-day life alone, in a city with one of the highest crime rates in the country. I never feel unsafe here nor did I ever while on the road.  Be smart about not carrying or packing a lot of cash or valuables and obviously don't walk through dark alleys in the middle of the night.  If you operate on the road just as you do at home, you should be fine.  Not everyone is out to get you.  In fact, most people love to help others.

3.  Airbnb is Your Friend!
I am so glad I used Airbnb to book rooms in people's homes.  I wanted an authentic experience and did not want to stay in hotels.  Airbnb rooms were a lot cheaper and it also helps with the loneliness factor since you're meeting and staying with other people!  When searching for rooms, you can set various filters on Airbnb to find what you're looking for. I only looked for rooms that were under $85 and had lots of 5 star reviews, and these conditions led me to 2 fantastic places with wonderful hosts.  I also stayed with friends and family a couple nights which kept costs down too!

4.  You Don't Need to Spend a lot of Money
I spent money on only the necessities and kept those costs as much under control as possible.  I saved money by staying in Airbnb rooms instead of hotels.  I didn't go shopping for unnecessary or expensive trinkets (the only souvenirs I bought were refrigerator magnets).  I packed a lot of protein bars so I could eat lunch for free most days.  Some of my Airbnb hosts offered breakfast, which I took full advantage of.  I ate dinners out most days but didn't go hog wild.  And I didn't pay for big ticket attractions.  I paid for entrance to national parks and things that were low cost, but amazing experiences nonetheless.

5.  Take A LOT of Pictures!
Going along with number 4 here, taking pictures is free, and they make the best souvenirs of all. I knew many of the images and things I saw out there would stay with me, but memories do have a way of fading over time, and pictures help keep them alive.  Plus, when you get home you can get prints or do all kinds of artsy things with your photos.  Hello, redecorating with images you took!

6.  Don't Over Plan
I'm not a planner anyway but I booked everything for this trip less than 30 days out: my flight, my rooms, the car.  In terms of activities, there were things I knew I wanted to see for years while thinking about my dream trip to CA.  You want wiggle room.  Especially on a road trip, part of the adventure is seeing what's around the next bend.  Be open. Take suggestions from locals (I did that a lot, especially for places to eat).  Make random stops (I did that in Santa Barbara and MAN am I glad I stopped there).  Have some ideas but don't stress yourself out over it!

7.  Having an iPhone/Smartphone with GPS is a Good Idea
I'm not saying this is essential, but I couldn't have imagined exploring all the places I did using a paper map! I dk how people did that back in the day. I also used the internet on my phone a lot to find places to eat or local attractions.  I really couldn't imagine doing a solo/road trip without my iPhone.

8.  Don't Over Pack!
I didn't really follow this one.  This could be due to the fact that I began packing around 9pm the night before my flight, but nonetheless, I overpacked. I brought a suitcase and a carryon for 2 weeks and just 1 bag would have been better.  It was annoying to lug both of these up and down steps every time I stopped someplace new for the night and I ended up wearing the same things every day, just like I do at home.  So yeah, don't over pack.  If your hoodie unexpectedly gets soaked while bike riding through San Francisco, I'm pretty sure they have stores there that sell hoodies.  This logic goes for anything you might need.  If you legitimately forget something, just purchase it at your destination.

9.  Don't Bring a Selfie Stick.
Just don't.  I can't tell you how many selfie sticks I saw on this trip! I thought only 13 year old girls used them. I was wrong.  "Well, Jill, how do you expect me to take pictures of myself against these amazing backdrops if I don't bring along my trusty selfie stick?"  Ask someone!  I asked people everywhere I went to snap a photo of me and every single person said yes.  I always returned the favor.  It gave me an excuse to talk to people and I met lots of interesting people that way.  Also, selfie sticks are WEIRD. 

10.  It is Empowering!
Doing anything independently is empowering and builds confidence and traveling across the country and through an entire state alone is no exception.  I amazed myself sometimes at the things I was able to figure out without anyone's help and it's given me confidence that I can do even greater things!  If you are a looking for a way to feel like a rockstar, book a solo trip.  Or run a marathon!  Runners have a good sense of being able to accomplish things on their own already, so maybe this is why solo travel struck such a chord with me. 

11.  It Will Make You Want to Start Planning Your Next Solo Trip!
Yep, this was already happening before I even stepped foot back on the east coast.  I was  daydreaming about my next trip hiking national parks out west.  I'm looking at Zion or Arches National Park in Utah or the Grand Canyon and other parks in Arizona.  There's so much of this world I've yet to see!


Have you ever traveled solo?

What were some of your biggest takeaways from your trip?

If not, would you?!

Jilly Does Cali, Part 4: The Sea Ranch

Thanks so much for following along on this trip and for all of your comments.  I'm a little behind on responding, but I'll get there!

Part 4 of my Cali trip recap takes us up to a little community along the coast in northern Sonoma County called Sea Ranch.  Throughout my trip, I had mentioned to many people I encountered that Sea Ranch was my final destination for a wedding and I was surprised that no one in CA had ever heard of it!  Admittedly, it is a very remote, non-commercialized locale, but I think that is the appeal for those who vacation there.

Ok we're on Day 9 of the trip now...

I am headed to SFO to pick up and reunite with two very special east-coasters: my sister and our mutual friend!

The girls both arrived around 1:30pm and since we had heard Sea Ranch was only a 2 hour drive from San Francisco, we thought we had all the time and daylight in the world to explore the city before heading up there.  [This turned out to be a false assumption, but at the time we were clueless and carefree!]

We headed north and ended up parking in a non-descript area of the city which had some interesting restaurants.  We walked for a few blocks to check out the food offerings and decide what we wanted to eat, all the while catching up, reminiscing and generally acting quite giddy.  We ended up with the most random assortment of food items: mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad, hummus/pita, and Mexican fish tacos. But then we had to find a place to eat these treats.  We located a park on our GPS and upon getting there discovered it was a DOG park.  My sister still thought it was a good idea to sit in the grass and eat our food.  For obvious reasons (ie. dog feces), the 2 sane people in the party rejected this idea, and we found some concrete pillars to sit on while we ate. 

After eating we headed back to our car, which was parked in a Safeway parking lot.  We had heard there was a market near Sea Ranch where we could buy groceries, but thought maybe we'd pick up a few things here just in case.  So by the time we left SF, it was around 4:30.  We still thought we had plenty 'o time!

We stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge lookout after crossing it so the girls could get a good view:

It was another clear, fogless day in SF.

And then we headed on our merry way up Route 101.  And hit complete traffic deadlock...for miiiiiiiiiiiiles.  It quickly became apparent we would definitely not be arriving at our destination in 2 hours.  After a couple hours on the road, we decided to make another random stop-off in a town called Cotati for some more groceries.  This turned out to be the wisest decision ever (because by the time we would arrive in Sea Ranch the only market near town would have been long closed), but then we got lost getting back on the highway, so it also cost us an additional hour of driving!

By the time we reached the coastal portion of Highway 1 it was completely dark and we couldn't see anything, a vast difference from when I drove the coastal portion of the same highway through Big Sur.  This portion was also fairly windy and it was late at night so I as the driver had to be pretty careful.  Meanwhile, the jet lagged girls were fading fast on me.

We finally arrived 5 HOURS LATER only to discover we had to drive to the nearest town of Gualala to retrieve the key for our rental cabin, and then backtrack to said cabin.  When we finally got in our house it was 9:30pm, pitch black and freezing outside.  There are no street lights in Sea Ranch.  But when we unlocked the door to our cabin we were in sweet, sweet heaven.  It was so nice and cozy!  We unloaded all of our bags and groceries, ate food and then proceeded to pass out.

Day 10, Sea Ranch:  We slept in and then ate our ration portions for breakfast.  This became a running joke because we only had so many eggs and sausages per person/per day! Hahaha  My sister did the math and made sure each person ate only their share every morning. She was always the math whiz.

We decided to take a little walk/hike around the area to see what we had missed in the dark.  Here are a few shots of the "neighborhood":

 

And just a random baby deer in our front yard!  We saw them roaming all over the grounds and even had a big buck cross right in front of us on a walk one day.

 

 

 



Cali girls

The coastal views from everywhere in Sea Ranch are amazing.  Luckily it was another blissfully clear day so these shots came out incredibly:

AMAZING!

Even our little cabin, which was one of the cheapest ones available, had an oceanfront view!

Later that evening, we were invited to a BBQ at the bride's family's cabin and so we finally got to see our friend and bride-to-be!!  I hadn't personally seen her in 2 years.  She usually flies back East for Christmas every year, but we missed her this past year.  It was great to finally meet her fiancé and 1 year old daughter.  The food at the BBQ was prepared by the family and was incredible.  We had such a good time catching up and meeting everyone else who had flown in for the wedding.  We even made new friends who drove us back to our cabin so we wouldn't have to walk back in the pitch dark, freezing night.  They saved us from running smack into some wandering deer or raccoons.

Day 11, Sea Ranch:  Wedding Day!  Our friend who was staying with us was a key member of the wedding party, and was also singing for the wedding, so she had to be out of the house fairly early this day.  My sister and I, on the other hand, had not a care in the world so we sat around drinking and tried out the hot tub.

And then took a nap.  VACATION MODE in full effect.

Soon it was time to get ready for the wedding.  It was being held at a vineyard up the mountain and wasn't really driveable, so they were running shuttles to and from the cabins.

It was surprisingly much warmer at the vineyard when we arrived for the afternoon wedding, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The sun was blazing hot and shining down on the outdoor altar, and the pictures I took of the ceremony came out unexpectedly with rays of sunshine filtering down on the bride and groom.  It was really neat.  It was as if their marriage was being condoned by the heavens!

The reception was also outdoors and the setting was gorgeous.

 

 

 



The wedding was a gooooooood time and I was so happy to be there celebrating with my friends and sister.  Something the officiant said during the vows stuck with me.  He said something along the lines of 'thank God Olivia decided to move across the country all those years ago, met her fiancé out here and made this day possible'.  You just never know what's going to happen when you make a leap of faith.  It made me have faith in possibilities unknown and what's to come!

 

After the reception, we waited awhile for a shuttle and then went to an afterparty for a little, but couldn't hang.  So eventually we called it a night.

 

Day 12, Sea Ranch:  Our last day!  ie. the day we realized tomorrow we'd have to return to reality.  We spent mid-morning doing some more exploring and hiking around Sea Ranch and found steps down to the beach, where I said goodbye for now to the Pacific Ocean.

 

 

 

Later, we stopped by our friend's cabin again to hang out and chill with her and tell old high school stories.  FUN!!!!!!  It was such a good reunion.  I can't believe we're all in our 30's.  Talking about high school doesn't seem that long ago when we are all together, but it really was.  It's mind blowing how quickly time flies. 

 

When we got back to our cabin, we sat in the hot tub drinking wine and talking about life, love and the pursuit of happiness for far too long.  Eventually, we got out and napped.  HUGE life accomplishments happening here.  That night we chilled out, packed and thought about how lucky we were to all be together for this event.

 

Day 13, Sea Ranch:  We got on the road early at 6am.  Ok we were late.  6:30am.  I had no idea how long it would take us to get back since the ride there was a bit chaotic.  Thankfully the return drive to SFO was much easier and since it was morning, we could now see the coastal views on Highway 1.  They were amazing, just like Big Sur.  We made it to SFO in just over 3 hours and then it was time to hug our goodbyes, and board our respective planes back to our homes.  And just like that, my 2 week trip to California was over.

 

It had been an amazing, epic, incredible trip for me and the ending could not have been sweeter.

 

I don't know if she knows this, but I will forever be grateful to my friend Olivia for inviting me to her wedding.  If it weren't for her, I never would have planned this incredible solo road trip up the coast of California.  Who knows when/if I ever would have made it out there.  If it weren't for her, CA would still be just a pipe dream and I would not have discovered all the people, places and things I did because of it.  We all miss her, but thank God indeed that she moved across the country and started the domino of events in her own life and in others'.  She is a true friend and a true inspiration.  Love you Olivia!

 

 

Have you ever gone to a destination wedding?

 

Ever heard of Sea Ranch, CA?

 

What is the longest amount of time one should stay in a hot tub?!

Jilly Does Cali, Part 2: Los Angeles and BIG SUR!

Welcome back to Part 2 of my CA travel diary!  Where did we leave off?

Oh yes, it's Day 4.  I've hopped in my little Chevy rental and am headed north to LA from San Diego. 

As you know, one of the main goals for this trip was to drive Highway 1 all the way up the coast.  I had already done some of that while staying in San Diego when I drove through La Jolla, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach so I elected to hop on the 5 for awhile until the 1 splits off further north near Capistrano.  (I actually don't think the 1 runs continuously through that area anyway?) 

The first major stop I made on this route was in Laguna Beach.  As a nostalgic fan for the MTV show of the same name and its spinoff The Hills, it was pretty cool to SEE Laguna in person for the first time!  I pulled over on the main road and walked a few blocks down to the beach to take a look:

I obviously was hoping Heidi, Spencer, LC and Lo would make an appearance but I had no such luck.  Also, its not still 2005.  Ha

I walked back to my car and continued driving the PCH north, passing through beautiful coastal beach towns like Newport, Huntington and Long Beach.  I should note the term Pacific Coast 'Highway' should be used very loosely through this area.  This was not a highway but a 4 lane traffic-light filled road.  It was slow going but great for sightseeing, until after I passed Long Beach.  Then the area became more inner city and lined with buses and discount stores.  By this time, I was over the traffic and just wanted to get to the beach!  I passed LAX at some point and snapped this shot while singing the old school Miley Cyrus lyrics in my head.  Ok actually out loud.  Hopped off the plane at LAX, with a dream and my cardigan.... :

And then, after 3.5 hours in the car, I finally made it to the infamous Santa Monica Pier!  I changed into my swimsuit in the super grody public bathroom and onto the beach I went!

Roaming salesmen were walking the beach selling fresh sliced mango for $6.  I was hungry, thirsty and these looked amazing.  THEY WERE!

After an hour or so of people watching and laying out on the beach, I put on some clothes and decided to check out the pier, and at the suggestion of my cousin, walk down the strand to Venice Beach.

It was close to a 2 mile walk to Venice Beach and I was meeting my cousin for dinner back in SM, so I just took a quick stroll down the walkway.  Which was lined with 'trinket booths' (ie. places to buy weed!) and so many bars.  It was loud.  And a bit much.  I headed back and stopped to watch people doing acrobatics on that adult playground up there.  It was pretty cool.  There were guys climbing ropes and then balancing at the top of giant poles.  I wish they had one of these in Baltimore because I'd be ON that!

I managed to see the sun set over Santa Monica Pier on the walk back and got to the pier just as my cousin and his gf arrived. 

That night we had dinner at a really great restaurant which of course I can't remember the name of! I had a grass-fed/organic beef slider and we shared some roasted Brussels sprouts and bruschetta.  I spent the night at his house in LA and the next morning we did all the touristy things!

 

 

LA Day 5: We had brunch at a lovely restaurant in Beverly Hills called The Farm and then walked around Rodeo Drive.  NBD.  Then we drove into Hollywood so I could see the famous sign and take an obligatory pic.  It was neat to stroll around the Walk of Fame and look for stars of people I loved like Martin Scorsese and Robin Williams.  I also really loved looking through the famous handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.  I love history and it was a cool feeling to walk through and touch pieces of cement that people like Frank Sinatra had once touched!  Before I knew it, it was mid afternoon and I had to get on the road.  It was so good to see my cousin, even if just for the night. 

When I pulled out of his driveway, this was the outside temp in LA:

I knew that as I continued to head north the temps would just continue to drop which kind of made me sad :(

As I headed north, I decided to stop in Santa Barbara because I had heard it was a beautiful town.  Oh I'm so glad I did!  This was probably my favorite town of the trip.  It was incredibly gorgeous and picturesque and these photos really do not do it justice. 

Why I didn't go to college at UCSB I'll never know.  Those kids have it MADE!  I would love to live in this little town for awhile someday.

After stopping in a Starbucks there out of sheer bladder necessity, I hopped back in my car and continued north.  I made one more stop at Pismo Beach, which I also heard was nice but I wasn't really impressed.

I finally reached my destination for the evening, Morro Bay, about 4 hours later (I think).  My cousin had given me a bag of grapes for the road which I nearly finished on the drive up.  They were a true blessing.

San Luis Obispo is the more common stop-over for people driving from LA to SF, but I had Googled suggestions and a few people mentioned Morro Bay as a unique and less-crowded alternative.  Something about the giant rock for which the town was named struck me and I decided that would be my place.

I checked into a little retro motor inn (seriously, it had about 15 rooms, which you park right outside the door, and looked like something from the 1950's!) and then headed 2 blocks down to the waterfront to see the Rock and grab some dinner.

All joking aside The Sundown Inn was probably one of my favorite hotels ever!  It got great reviews online and was super cheap, which was why I chose it, but it was SO clean and charming.  I loved my room there and plan to tell anyone who cares that if they're ever in Morro Bay, CA they should def stay at this little establishment.  Also, I got my first ever magic fingers massage from that bed for 25 cents.  I thought these things only existed in old movies.  Oh, I'm so glad I was wrong.

My first view of Morro Rock was striking. 

I have no idea why this giant rock sticks out of the water, but I loved it.  I should prob Google that.  I had an incredible fish sandwich and then went back to my room for a bed massage and some sleep!  Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

Day 6:  I woke up and walked a couple blocks to a coffee shop to grab an egg sandwich for breakfast and then said goodbye to the Rock.

I was a bundle of excitement knowing this was the day I'd drive through Big Sur, arguably the most picturesque and iconic strip of the Pacific Coast Highway.  I knew it was going to be great, but I had NO IDEA what I was in for as I filled my gas tank and snagged some water for the road.

I drove for an hour and a half or so until I came to the forests and state parks of Big Sur.  After passing through those, Hwy 1 became windy and treacherous as we began to scale coastal cliffs and that is when the most mind blowing views I've ever seen in my life started to appear.  I can see why people say you MUST drive Hwy 1 up the coast before you die.  For this.  The bluest waters of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the most marvelous coastal cliffs are a sight so captivating it almost doesn't feel real.  Yet somehow it is.  And I was there.  MY GOD.

There are stop off points every few hundred feet where you can pull over and see views like this, so obviously I have TONS more pictures, but I'll spare you.  Hwy 1 is super windy here and although I wasn't scared, I def would not want to be driving it at night! 

I stopped and took photos at the infamous Bixby Bridge, which you can RUN over in the Big Sur Marathon.  I'll tell you, if I ever decide to run a full marathon, this will be the one!

I was so lucky with the weather that day, and all of my pictures came out crystal clear.  The universe had my back the entire trip, I tell ya.  I'm thinking of blowing up a few of these on canvas and hanging them around my apartment so that I feel like I'm in Big Sur everyday.  Especially in the middle of winter!

I continued on to Monterey but I think I'll save that and San Fran for another post!  I'm sorry these posts have been long and rambling and I probably lost most of you.  But for those just looking through the pictures, I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

And if you've never driven Hwy 1 through Big Sur this is me telling you to DO IT.  Make it happen somehow.  There is no way you will regret it!


Part 3: Monterey and San Francisco....TO BE CONTINUED...



Ever done the Hollywood touristy things?!

After seeing these pictures, do you want to run the Big Sur Marathon?!