by Mick Rhodes | editor@claremont-courier.com

Over the past few years my wife Lisa and I have resolved to see the world. We’ve set sail in October and April, with recent trips to Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.

Travel is indeed the cure for a closed mind, and a great way to clear the decks of the anxieties that accompany being engaged with the chaos of America. But it’s also expensive. So, this year we decided to dial it back a bit and wander around the great and beautiful state of California.

The decision wasn’t strictly financial. My cousin’s son and his new bride recently had their first baby, so we booked a one-way flight to Sacramento, where we’d rent a car and drive over to nearby Fair Oaks, along the American River, to see young Charlie, the very large (11 lbs. 8 oz.!) new addition to the family. We spent two days ogling the adorable lad, and on No Kings Day took a drive up Highway 50 through wineries and ranches, to the circa 1854 Gold Rush town of Placerville, unofficially known as “Hangtown” in reference to numerous hangings and lynchings alleged to have occurred there in the mid-19^th century.

Common Beach at Tahoe City, California, pictured October 19. Courier photo/Mick Rhodes

Next we headed to Lake Tahoe, first along a rural route through upscale farmland, then on to the 80 east near Rocklin. Rising gradually, we eventually hit more than 7,000 feet through the always spooky but stunning Donner Pass to Truckee, just in time for lunch at the funky little Squeeze In cafe. We then skirted the Truckee River down Highway 89 into the Tahoe basin for two days in Tahoe City.

Tahoe has been lodged in my heart since I lived there in the early 1990s. I’ve since returned more than a dozen times, and it always takes my breath away. We checked in at the fun little hipster Evo Hotel, took a walk along the shore, then splurged for a great meal at Gar Woods before packing it in for the night.  After yet another spectacular breakfast at the nearby Fire Sign Cafe, a west shore staple since 1978, we made the obligatory 72-mile trek around the lake on State Route 28, one of my favorite drives in the world. Back in Tahoe City, we found a great little thrift store, Pass It On, where I picked up a $3 “California Republic” hat that I proceeded to wear for the remainder of our holiday.

The Truckee River throws off early morning steam on October 21. Courier photo/Mick Rhodes

Next up was a near five-hour drive west to Monterey, back through the Sierra, past the capitol, and down into California’s agricultural belly. The amber waves of grain and countless other crops reminded us of our state’s powerful position not just as consumers, but as producers. The row crops clicked by metronomically as we made our way southwest, joining up with the 680 in Cordelia. We paralleled San Francisco Bay to the west as we weaved through big cities and farms, finally hitting historic Monterey, site of Mexican-American War battles, and later, California’s first constitutional convention, in 1849. It was also home to the Monterey Pop Festival and John Steinbeck, so along with a bunch of modern tourist attractions, the Claremont-sized town also has a lot of cultural ghosts floating around.

One night was enough, and the next morning we set off for Big Sur.

The road to Big Sur, pictured October 22. Courier photo/Mick Rhodes

Pacific Coast Highway from Monterey to Big Sur is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. I can’t stress how breathtaking the views are from the road, high above the Pacific Ocean, the rugged coastline boasting one massive granite and basalt sea stack after another. We talk a lot, Lisa and me, but I tell you, this hourlong drive elicited not much more the occasional “holy s%#t” and “Oh my God.” We happened into lunch at the incredible Nepenthe, where we watched black-tailed deer snack on acorns on the steep surrounding hills from our table with 180-degree views of the coast. I ran out of superlatives for this place. Go!

One important note if you’re traveling this way: Highway 1 just south of Big Sur has been closed since February 2024 due to a massive rock slide. The good news? Turning around and driving back is as beautiful as driving in.

We stopped in Carmel for a coffee. It was fancy and a little uptight. Not our scene. So, we got on the 101 and headed south, winding 110 miles through massive vineyards and still more agriculture before breaking off at the 41 west in Atascadero for a quick 18 mile rise and fall through Los Padres National Forest and down into Morro Bay. It was a long day, so we checked in at 456 Embarcadero and listened to the sounds of the little town from our harbor facing balcony.

In the morning we breakfasted at the very cool Nautical Bean and walked the charming beachside downtown, ending up sitting on a bench near Morro Rock, where we watched harbor seals and shorebirds for the better part of an hour. It was tough to leave Morro Bay. We found the pace and vibe quite intoxicating. But we had wandering to do, so off we went, pointed in the general direction of San Luis Obispo.

Central Coast geologic icon Morro Rock, pictured on October 23, was one of the many stops along Courier Editor Mick Rhodes’ recent “California Wander.” Courier photo/Mick Rhodes 

The sun sets in Ventura the evening of October 25. Courier photo/Mick Rhodes

I hadn’t been to SLO for a long while, and was surprised to see it’s now a bit like a slightly inland Santa Barbara, with a lot of newer construction downtown. We thrifted, had a coffee, and visited the fantastic and legendary record store, Cheap Thrills, with its more than 50,000 “turntable graded pre-owned LPs.” Heaven. After a great lunch at High St. Deli, we headed back to the coast, eventually ending up in Pismo Beach at a nice and kitschy 1980s time capsule, Sea Venture Beach Hotel, “with a hot tub in every room.”

We’d reached the tail end of our California Wander, with two nights remaining at our Ventura go-to, the very funky Inn on the Beach, the site of dozens of previous getaways. We visited all our regular spots, and a couple new ones. Two nights of sleeping with our sliding glass door open, with the roar of the Pacific filling our little room was, as always, a nice reset.

Thus concluded our 2025 California Wander. I came away filled with pride for our beautiful, bountiful state. Green as Ireland, wild as Scotland, cosmopolitan as Barcelona, charming as Lisbon, and everything in between. It’s a wild and wonderful place to live

So, you’re saying there’s a chance …
The World Series that started so dramatically has become a bit snoozy for Dodgers fans. With another anemic loss Wednesday, this one punctuated by a host of uncharacteristic unforced errors, the boys find themselves down 3-2 and headed to Toronto for game six on Friday. Twenty teams have come back from 3-2 deficits to win the Series, including six who did it on the road. Let’s send all our best baseball vibes northward. Go Dodgers!

Give peace a chance

At 5 p.m. Thursday, November 6, the fourth annual Universal Peace Conference takes place at Claremont Graduate University’s Albrecht Auditorium, 925 N. Dartmouth Ave. It is a free and public conversation on education, technology, and the arts as bridges for peace, which we could all sure use a lot more of these days. Email Steve Kim at stevekim99@gmail.com or call (626) 840-8006 for more info.