South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Exploring Southern California by train
We’ve all heard the expression “Nothing is sure but death and taxes.” To that, I’ll add: for non-Californians, driving in Southern California is sure to be a harrowing experience. With its spiderweb of freeways, even the stoutest of us can turn into cringing, white-knuckled cowards.
What if I told you that you can experience three SoCal cities without having to rent a car? The trio — San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara — are linked by Amtrak, and once you’re in each, through use of public transport, the occasional Uber and your own two feet, you can get pretty much everywhere you need to go.
San Diego
I began my odyssey in San Diego, the Golden State’s southernmost city where history and good weather reign supreme. I checked into the Guild, a luxury boutique hotel just a block from the city’s Spanish-style train station.
I was able to walk to the Gaslamp and Little Italy districts, where a slew of restaurants and bars offer a smorgasbord of entertainment options (absolutely do not miss dinner at Born and Raised, and then afterdinner cocktails at its rooftop bar.)
It’s also a quick walk from the Guild to the waterfront, where a ferry provides transportation to iconic Coronado Island and its even more iconic Del Coronado Hotel.
The “Del,” as the locals refer to it, opened in 1888 and is a National Historic Landmark. Described as a cross between “a luxury cruise ship and a wedding cake,” its red-domed cupola is instantly recognizable, and the stretch of sandy beach is sure to inspire California dreamin’.
I did need an Uber to get to beautiful Balboa Park and the upscale enclave of La Jolla.
Balboa Park covers 1,200 lush acres, and its distinctive Spanish mission-style architecture houses 17 cultural institutions ranging from the Spanish Village Arts Center to the Elizabethan-inspired Old Globe Theater.
La Jolla, with its beautiful coves and rocky cliffs, is calendar-worthy. A walk along the cliffs is an essential experience, as is stopping in for a drink at the seaside La Valencia Hotel.
Los Angeles
Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles offers a glimpse of some of the most beautiful scenery Southern California has to offer.
Once in LA, I took a quick Uber to the Sheraton Grand, centrally located in the city’s downtown, and then, another to lunch at Cielito Lindo on colorful Olvera Street. This oneblock stretch is the very spot where Los Angeles began.
Exploring LA’s outlying areas such as Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Malibu without a car would be quite a feat, but there’s plenty to do within walking distance of the Sheraton Grand.
A favorite restaurant was at the charming centuryold Hotel Figueroa, just a 15-minute walk from the Grand. A bountiful breakfast at Breva fueled me for the day.
And what a day. First stop: the Grammy Museum, just across the street from the Figueroa. If I had thought this was going to be all about Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Jay-Z, I was in for a surprise.
They were all there, but so was Hank Williams,
Lead Belly, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Gustavo Dudamel and Jack Norworth. Wait. Jack who? At the museum, you’ll discover that he occupies a place in American musical history, having penned the words to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
It will take a bit of planning, but don’t leave town without boarding the Metro Red Line to the legendary Hollywood Bowl.
Santa Barbara
With the Santa Ynez Mountains tumbling straight down to the palmlined beaches, it’s no wonder Santa Barbara is referred to as the American Riviera.
Heading north from Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight, it took a while for the real scenery to kick in, but once it did, I couldn’t tear myself away from the large glass viewing window.
Arriving in Santa Barbara, I decided the first stop would be the Urban Wine Trail. Santa Barbara County, while not as famous as Napa or Sonoma, produces outstanding wines, and they’re available in some 36 tasting rooms throughout an area known as the Funk Zone.
The conviviality continued
The Hollywood Bowl is an iconic Los Angeles symbol.
Santa Barbara Mission sits near the Santa Ynez Mountains.
that evening on a special “full moon cruise” aboard Celebration Cruises’ Azure Seas, where I watched the harvest moon rise and the sun set within minutes of each other.
The Harbor View Inn proved a great choice for accommodations — an easy
walk to the Funk Zone, pier and trolley stop where I hopped aboard a trolley to take in sights such as beautiful Santa Barbara Mission and swanky Montecito (if you want to know how swanky, Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres were neighbors).