Eating & Sleeping
San Diego 1
See also Trip 27, p290.5 C Level Seafood $$
(%619-298-6802; http://www.islandprime.com; 880
Harbor Island Dr; mains $15-30; h11am-late)
Be mesmerized by bay views as you bite into
carefully crafted salads, grilled seafood or the
ultra-rich lobster sandwich on jalapeño-cheddar
sourdough bread.4 Pearl Hotel Boutique Hotel $$
(%619-226-6100, 877-732-7573; http://www.
thepearlsd.com; 1410 Rosecrans Ave, Point Loma;
r $129-205; aWs) At this Mid-Century
Modern motor lodge, rooms have soothing
aquamarine hues, trippy surf motifs and fish
bowls. With a lively pool scene, it’s not for light
sleepers.Long Beach 3
4 Hotel Varden Boutique Hotel $$
(%562-432-8950, 877-382-7336; http://www.
thevardenhotel.com; 335 Pacific Ave; r $119-149;
aiW) Diminutive rooms at this historic
art-deco hotel downtown have tiny sinks, cushy
beds, white, white and more white. It’s two
blocks from Pine Ave’s restaurant row.Malibu 4
5 Neptune’s Net Seafood $$
(www.neptunesnet.com; 42505 Pacific Coast
Hwy; mains $6-20; h10:30am-8pm Mon-Thu,
to 9pm Fri, to 8:30pm Sat & Sun; c#) Order
fish and chips at this 1950s roadhouse, where
Harley riders and sand-covered kids chow down
together at picnic tables.Santa Barbara 5
See also Trip 17, p193.5 Santa Barbara
Shellfish Company Seafood $$
(www.sbfishhouse.com; 230 Stearns Wharf;
dishes $5-19; h11am-9pm) ‘From sea to skillet
to plate’ best describes this end-of-the-wharf
counter joint. Great lobster bisque, ocean views
and the same location for 25 years.4 El Capitán
Canyon Cabin, Campground $$
(%805-685-3887, 866-352-2729; http://www.
elcapitancanyon.com; 11560 Calle Real, Goleta;
safari tents $155, yurts $205, cabins $225-355;
Wsc) Go ‘glamping’ in this car-free zone
near El Capitán State Beach, a 25-minute drive
from downtown on Hwy 101. Creekside cabins
come with heavenly mattresses, kitchenettes
and outdoor fire pits.4 Hotel Indigo Boutique Hotel $$
(%805-966-6586, 877-270-1392; http://www.
indigosantabarbara.com; 121 State St; r $155-250;
aiW#) Poised between downtown and the
beach, this petite Euro-chic boutique hotel has
all the right touches: curated contemporary-art
displays, rooftop patios and ecofriendly green-
design elements like the living-plant wall.Pismo Beach 6
See also Trip 16, p185.5 Splash Cafe Seafood $
(www.splashcafe.com; 197 Pomeroy Ave; dishes
$4-12; h8am-8:30pm Sun-Thu, to 9pm Fri & Sat,
shorter winter hr; c) Uphill from the pier, lines
go out the door and wrap around this scruffy
hole-in-the-wall, famous for its clam chowder in
fresh-baked sourdough-bread bowls.NORTHERN.CALIFORNIA1
(^) PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAYS