By: Sophia Burick | Editor in Chief
February 19, 2020
We are about to hit the six-week mark of second semester, and for our seniors, that means that there are only a precious few months left before we graduate and begin our lives as freshly-minted adults. With our waning time together comes an increasing desire to make the most of each moment and create as many memories as possible. There’s no better way to do this than to load up the car and take a weekend trip with some of your best friends. Fortunately, the Triton Times has found the perfect destination – the quaint town of San Simeon on the central “Gold” coast of California.
San Simeon is just a five hour drive from San Clemente, with enjoyable stops along the way in Santa Barbara, Solvang (the home of Ostrichland USA!), and San Luis Obispo making for an easy drive north. Once you arrive, you’ll find that San Simeon offers the perfect balance of nature, culture, and tranquility to make for a memorable and refreshing trip.
“San Simeon is the perfect combination of beauty, serenity, and comfort,” San Clemente High School senior Kristin Gabriel said. “From the giant fighting elephant seals to the gorgeous sunset coming down the hill from Hearst Castle, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the good things in life.”
One of San Simeon’s greatest attractions is the wide variety of hiking trails available to visitors. From well-developed trails following the bluffs to narrow and steep paths along the coastal mountain ridges, there’s really something for everyone. In addition to being located in one of three remaining Monterey Pine forests, San Simeon hosts a variety of plant and animal species that will satisfy the interests of any nature-lover.
Some of the most famous of these animals are the elephant seals, who congregate on the shores of San Simeon for nearly half of the year. These funny-looking beasts will play, fight, and sleep on the beach throughout the day, and it’s simply mesmerizing. The feisty male elephant seals with their inflated trunk-like noses battle each other for dominance, putting on a show worth watching for visitors.
For those who are more culturally inclined, just a few miles from San Simeon lies the majestic Hearst Castle – the western residence of wealthy robber baron William Randolph Hearst. Hearst built the estate in the early 20 century and hosted public figures from Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill at his lavish parties. Now owned and operated by the California State Parks system, visiting Hearst Castle offers an incredible opportunity to dive into California’s history while at the same time scoring some spectacular views of the mountains and coastline of San Simeon. Pro tip – visiting at sunset is truly magical!
If you now want to visit San Simeon (as you should!), you have several options for lodging. An affordable option for teenagers on the go is to rent a campsite at Hearst San Simeon State Park, which has showers, flush toilets, and water. If you’d rather not rough it in a campsite, the town of San Simeon has a number of small inns and hotels that would make for a lovely, more comfortable stay.
If San Simeon feels a little too remote for your tastes, the more substantial yet equally charming town of Cambria lies just a few miles south and offers a wide variety of hotels, inns, restaurants, art galleries, and markets (we recommend Soto’s True Earth Market). For a truly excellent cup of coffee, stop by Cambria Roasting Company and order one of their creative lattes.
“Cambria is the happiest place on earth – no cap,” senior Jenna Yeam said.
Overall, San Simeon and the surrounding area has everything you could ever want in a road trip, and it’s high time that you and your pals make the journey north.
are elephant seals an invasive species??