I never met a California October I didn’t love. The time of year when things seem a little quieter, the sunsets are more vibrant, and the surf gets better and better.
However, this enchanting time of the year is always met with a bit of heartbreak for me. Every October, I head overseas for my next pro season. Leaving me with truly some of the best moments of the summer to hang on to.
This year has proven to be quite challenging to navigate my route overseas. I have signed to play for a team in the Chinese Volleyball League, and with all the necessary COVID protocol in place, receiving a visa was no easy task.
Brian and I decided to take a last minute surf trip up to the central coast of California to take my mind off things. We called our friends at Camper Cartel and grabbed the California Classic. With no agenda as to where we were headed, Brian quickly routed us in search of waves.
the route…
Our trip began in the town of Oxnard. We hopped out of the van, grabbed our boards, and headed to the beach. This sleepy town has an easy-going vibe to it, and you can see incredible surfers out in the water when there’s a swell.
After a few hours, we washed off, put our cozies on, and headed towards Santa Barbara for food & groceries. We headed to Corazon Cocina for some incredible Mexican food. Highly recommend the fish tacos.
We mapped out our campsite using ioverlander, our go-to app for free camping, and arrived just before sunset. A little vino, cannoli’s, and a rooftop sunset to cap off the night.
Our second day began with a short drive to an unexpected gem. Shell Beach in Pismo was my favorite part of the entire trip. A little point break right on shore with coves and places to swim. It was truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever surfed. We were lucky enough to have the whole wave to ourselves and had a blast surfing for hours.
Last stop on the our route was Morro Bay. We quickly rinsed off via the camper cartel’s convenient shower hose and drove north. Morro Bay might just be one of the cutest towns I’ve ever been in. While there were a handful of tourists, the town is full of fresh seafood and gorgeous views. It’s the kind of town you feel at home in.
We finished our trip with one more night in Santa Barbara and a morning surf in Oxnard. This was one of our first road trips where we did minimal driving with no set plans, and it was the best one yet.
It’s these moments that seem to grab hold of my heart a little longer.