Our 24 Hours in US West Coast

This is not your typical 24-hour guide, because we’re taking you on a journey from Portland to L.A., and it will take you at least 14 days to experience and appreciate all the amazing places that will cross your path – you could easily fill 24 hours in every town or city mentioned here. All the tips were recommended to us by locals.

So here we are, on the road, out in the open, free, wild and eager to make the most of the next two weeks – let’s go!

The city of Portland is in the special position of being on the rise, without most people having realised that yet. Everything is very cool and hip, but the city’s inhabitants are still down-to-earth and super friendly. We are just blown away by the people’s authentic warmness. Portland, please keep your amazing attitude!

Due to our being jet-lagged we are wide awake every morning around 6 AM, but that only means we have more of the day. We head to Locale for our first cup of coffee to go, then we slowly stroll down the street until we reach Sweedeedee where we’re having a sumptuous and colourful breakfast. No matter what you go for, be it the heart attack version with bacon and maple syrup or the fitness booster with granola and orange juice, it is all delicious! Another sweet breakfast spot is the Roman Candle, where you have to go for the avocado toast, and afterwards a second coffee at Dapper & Wise, a coffee place which is definitely inspired by Scandinavian design and friendliness.

Portland is a great place to go shopping and so we head downtown. After grabbing ourselves some cold pressed juice at Kure juice bar, we make our way to the Union Way which is a very stylish little shopping alley with cool menswear and leather goods stores. Tanner Goods in Northeast Portland on Albina Street is a rad store for stylish men, too. Just across the street from Union Way is Powell’s Books, the world’s largest bookstore. This is true heaven for bookworms. We go in and lose ourselves, browsing through book after book, without realising a few hours have gone by. It’s amazing! When we get out it’s already dark and time for dinner. We drive straight to Radar, which is located in the Northeast and is a fantastic restaurant to round off a perfect day in Portland. We sit at the bar, watch the chefs prepare our main courses and enjoy some oysters as a starter (we’ve earned them).

The start of our US West Coast road trip could not have been better and after a few exciting days in Oregon’s economic centre, we hop into the rental car and head South. California calling, baby!  Grants Pass is the last sleepy little town in Oregon before we enter California. We stop for coffee at Rogue Roaster to help us keep our eyes open and on the road after a long day of driving. From Grants Pass to Crescent City, our first stop in the sunny state, it takes us about one hour of driving through lush forest, until we suddenly find ourselves at the coast. We take a short break at the viewpoint Point St. George, where we’re amazed by the wild beauty of the Pacific Ocean at our feet. Listening to our road trip playlist, we proceed on the Route 101, the Redwood Highway, which meanders along the coast and darts between breathtakingly beautiful redwood trees. Once in a while we stop to marvel at these giants. So impressive!

For one night we stay at the cutest Airbnb, in the charming little coastal town of Trinidad, and are back on the road, more specifically on The Avenue of the Giants, the next morning.

Next stop: Calistoga, Napa Valley. The so-called wine country is definitely out of the ordinary and one of the wealthiest areas in the USA. It kind of reminds us of Tuscany in Italy. There are vineyards everywhere, like everywhere! For two days we stay with a friend who is establishing his own wine brand, the fabulous Lola wines, and who shows and explains this special valley in California to us. We have breakfast at Café Sarafornia and coffee at Calistoga Roastery, then go shopping at the Men’s Supply Store (sounds weird, but this is an awesome store for guys and for whatever adventures they have in mind). The highlights of our Calistoga stay are a fancy dinner at Johnny’s Restaurant and Bar, the visit to the Inglenook wine estate and the hike of the Oat Hill Mine Trail.

Chilling in the countryside and drinking wine all day long is fantastic, but by now we’re hungry for big city lights again. Off to San Francisco!

As we’re staying in the Mission district, we have a hearty breakfast at Wise Sons in the morning, enjoying one of their famous pastrami sandwiches. In case you feel like a bit of a healthier start to the day, head to Yoga to the People or to The Battery. The latter is actually a members club, but if you book book a room there you can enjoy all the privileges members have. Or you can just pop in and join a yoga class at their beautiful gym.

A must-do in San Francisco (maybe a little touristy, but oh well) is taking a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and going back to town by ferry, passing the island of Alcatraz. Rent your bikes at City Rides Rentals on Linden Street – they do an awesome job – and when you get back, you can reward yourself with a cool beer at the vibey bar Brass Tacks just across the street. When we can feel our stomachs rumbling we make our way to Two Sisters Bar and Books, which is the tiniest little bar and the best place to indulge in delicious red wine (order the Zinfandel!) and cheese. Saturday nights are well spent at Amnesia, a pretty random-looking bar from the outside, but don’t let that put you off: they host great live bands which make up for the looks a hundred times over. Just across the street you will find Loló which is hands down the best Mexican place we have ever been to. We just love the atmosphere, the interior design and most of all the lovingly prepared food there!

Between San Francisco and Big Sur we spend two nights at the beautiful Bernardus Lodge, in the charming Carmel Valley. Read all about it here.

Cruising along the coast through Big Sur leaves us awestruck in the face of the incredible nature scenery. This is something you have to see with your own eyes, or else you won’t believe it actually exists. Take a break from driving and just enjoy the view at Nepenthe. It is a touristy place but has the best view and some pretty decent snacks, too.

The last night before we enter Los Angeles, the last stop on our trip, we stay at El Capitan Canyon near Santa Barbara. Here you can book pretty-looking tents and rustic cabins, which are actually a perfect place to stay for a couple of nights with a bunch of friends and have a barbecue every evening at your private fireplace. We’ll be doing this next time for sure!

We’re reaching the last leg of this incredible journey and we’re celebrating the beginning of the end with a delicious, homemade muffin and a vitalising juice at the Daily Grind in Santa Barbara. Before we enter the city, Matze jumps into the water with his board at the County Line Beach, a popular surf spot in Malibu. The Californian coast is all about surfing anyways, it’s a lifestyle here. Especially Malibu is known for its lineup of one fine spot after the other. Nearby you’ll find the beautiful slightly more hidden Kai Secret Beach.

Our last days in L.A. are – like almost every other day on our journey – dedicated to food and drink. Look out for the upcoming L.A travel guide by the band The Great Escape, coming in January. These guys will awaken your wanderlust for this exciting city, most assuredly.

We wrap up our trip sitting at Toms or Intelligentsia in Venice. It’s almost time to go home now, but we can safely say: this has been a lifetime experience filled with countless moments of joy.

There is so much the US West Coast has to offer, go and check it out for yourself!