As a child, our family excursions were road trips.
Every year for spring break, we’d set off from our farm in Kentucky to our cousins’ house in Tampa for a week by the beach. In the fall, we would drive to Sloan’s Valley, KY, for an extended weekend of camping, caving, and rock-climbing alongside family friends. We would cook over live fire, tell stories around camp, and spend our days exploring the vast system of caves in the area. In the summer, we stayed put, save for the one year we drove over three long days to the tremendous Boy Scout ranch in Philmont, New Mexico.
These excursions encouraged exploration, adventure, a love of nature, and a natural curiosity. “If you’re bored, you’re boring,” as my mom would say.
In this spirit, my wife, Erin and I, along with our 5-year-old son, set out on a road trip of California, from Los Angeles up to tiny Philo, CA – it included a few city days, but mostly time further afield, where we could prioritize cooking, family time, and nature. I wanted to give our son the freedom and excitement of a great road trip across a beautiful part of America.
I think this is a great itinerary that leaves room for your own color (with or without kids) – I would absolutely do it again.
LOS ANGELES
Touching down in LA, we stayed at the iconic Chateau Marmont. While the Chateau is not a family hotel per se, Andre Balazs’ culture of laid-back, “we will get it done without drama” style of service makes it a low-key great spot for traveling with (well-behaved) kids. It’s fancy, but it doesn’t feel fancy – which is something he does well. They booked us a babysitter with ease so we could see friends and our son could get caught up to the local time without a breakdown at dinner. There are many hotels in LA, but for me, it’s Chateau, always – the food needs work, but the rest of the place is a gem. It should be on the National Register of Historic Places, inside and out, if it isn’t already.
We had dinner with friends at Found Oyster, where we feasted on West Coast oysters and a parade of crudos, each better than the next. We took our first driverless Waymo ride back to the hotel, which took a literal turn for the worse when I realized I’d dispatched the car to the dog grooming business Chateau Marmutt instead. (How they’ve evaded a cease-and-desist escapes me.)
We took our son to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, designed by Renzo Piano, mainly to see the animatronic shark from Jaws, a movie he has not seen but is somehow obsessed with. We visited the gift shop, which had some of the best merch I’ve encountered in a long while, and a great edit of books on iconic directors.
Afterward, we strolled through the neighboring campus of LACMA to see Michel Heizer’s ‘Levitated Mass’ and the nearby La Brea Tar Pits – exciting for our son as he is enthralled by dinosaurs and fossils.
A visit to LA isn’t complete (for me, a grocery head) without Erewhon. We stocked up on pantry essentials for the rest of our trip (good salt, nut butter, tinned fish, olive oil) and some California citrus and strawberries. A great grocery is an essential stop for a road trip, when picnics are a priority and we knew we’d be cooking in later.
I had a “meeting” with my business partner, which meant eating off-menu club sandwiches poolside at Hotel Bel-Air, like an aged Hollywood mogul. The public spaces are a bit too sleek for my taste (especially when compared to the Chateau), but the palatial grounds (and the drive through Bel-Air) are worth a visit at least once.
We took a kidless trip to Gallery Castle. I had been eyeing work from L.A.-based painter Max Xeno Karnig I wanted to see in person. Harley, the owner, took us a few blocks over to his restaurant, Stir Crazy, for a cold Trumer Pils before we caught a ride to meet friends at Antico Nuovo. Los Angeles does shopping center restaurants better than any, and stepping inside felt like walking into a candlelit masseria in Southern Italy.
VENICE/SANTA MONICA
Gjelina Hotel for the kitchenettes and proximity to the beach.
Venice can feel like a living, breathing “Don’t Do Drugs” ad, and maybe not the first choice with kids in tow for some, but it doesn’t bother us. We walked to breakfast at Gjusta (hectic but the contained courtyard is great for kids; breakfast is a dream with something for everyone) and explored nearby Abbot Kinney, the main commercial thoroughfare in Venice. That evening, we had an early dinner at Gjelina. It’s still a great place, but I think the NYC location is doing better food these days.
We rented an electric cart from Boardwalk Skate & Surf – a nerdy move, but we knew our son wouldn’t be able to hack the long walk to the Santa Monica Pier without the assist. The Pier is every parents’ nightmare and every child’ s dream.
After a long, hot afternoon negotiating games and rides, we got cleaned up and walked to dinner at RVR, the new project from certified hunk and ex-Gjelina chef, Travis Lett. Our reservation was right at opening, and I knew as soon as I entered it would be a good evening. John Coltrane’s ‘Ballads’ was playing on vinyl, the room was serene, and the staff was cool and kind. We spent a long time speaking with the chef, Ian Robinson, who moved back from Japan to helm the kitchen.
We ate breakfast on our last morning while shopping the Saturday Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, picking up loads of fresh fruit and vegetables for the week ahead and munching on fresh peaches and nectarines. It’s not a huge market, but the quality is unbelievable.
OJAI
We stayed on a sprawling property outside of town belonging to a friend of a friend. Some houses on the property can be rented, but not without a personal introduction – it felt like the ultimate “IYKYK” situation. Our house had a great kitchen that left me wanting to redesign my own, an expansive porch surrounding the house, an adjacent private pool, and thick, beautiful landscaping punctuated in every direction by orange trees.
When we arrived in Ojai we headed straight for Rainbow Bridge, supplementing our farmer’s market haul with any last-minute needs. We wanted to settle in and cook all of our meals at home, and this was the perfect market for our needs, stocking loads of local organic produce and thoughtfully sourced pantry items.
Ojai is cool in the mornings and evenings and very hot during the day, but it’s a dry heat, so it’s totally comfortable in the shade. We spent our days cooking, painting, reading, going on walks, and swimming. We plucked fresh oranges from the groves that we pressed into juice each morning, and spent the evenings taking walks and eyeing birds, bunnies, and bugs on the grounds. Mid-week, we visited the Ojai Farmer’s Market to restock for our meals at home and buy straw sun hats. We loved it so much we already booked to return for two weeks next summer – I haven’t felt that relaxed and inspired in some time.
During our brief excursions into town, we toured the beautiful new Hotel El Roblar, a project from hotelier and filmmaker Eric Goode, the coolest person alive. Unfortunately, it’s an adults-only hotel, so we couldn’t stay – but we look forward to a return trip sans kid. We only ate one meal outside the house at Rory’s Place, and enjoyed a mid-day ice cream another day at Rory’s Other Place. We shopped for summer reads at Bart’s Books, as well Twice-Sold Tales, the used book shop operated by the Ojai Library – one of our travel covenants is that we don’t buy toys, but our son can buy a book at any bookshop we visit, which feels very Bernard from Squid and the Whale.
One afternoon we ventured into nearby Meiner’s Oak for smoothies at Farmer and the Cook, plus a visit to the art store to re-up on some supplies.
A highlight of the week in Ojai was a sunset visit to Meditation Mount. My wife had always wanted to visit, and arranged for us to walk the grounds and enjoy the fading moments of the day in the peaceful gardens. On the ride home, we listened to Brian Eno as my sons’ eyelids grew heavy in the backseat. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more contented than that moment.
There’s also a great playground in the middle of town, with a feature new to me – a large, smooth mound covered in astroturf, with flattened cardboard boxes for surfing down. No bones were broken, and my son met several new friends. The park was conveniently located across the street from Ojai Ice Cream. I can put away a lot of ice cream in the summer, and proximity to ice cream is the only real reason I need to have it.
Next summer we will spend more time on Lake Casitas, which we eyed approvingly on the way out, where you can rent boats or kayaks for a day on the water.
CARPENTERIA/SANTA BARBARA
On our way out of Ojai, we stopped in Carpinteria, a town outside of Santa Barbara. It was on my radar because of Little Dom’s Seafood, a restaurant opened by Warner Ebbink, who runs some of my favorite places in Los Angeles. The town had a laid-back surfer energy I liked, and felt very family-friendly. We drove by Carpenteria State Beach, which has great campgrounds where you can camp next to the ocean. I noted it for a future visit, as well as Carpinteria Beach Cottages, which look like a great place for a longer stay.
In Santa Barbara, we stopped in to see Jake & Jones, a boutique where we will be hosting a trunk show for Erin’s clothing brand E.M.Reitz later this year. We grabbed some drinks at The Eddy (a small market and shop from the same owners) and headed on to Ojai.
LOS ALAMOS/CARMEL/MONTEREY
After Ojai, we made our way north. We stopped halfway in the small town of Los Alamos (pop. 886), nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley, for a long lunch at Bell’s – a sort of “must visit” amongst my friends in the food business. It’s owned and operated by Daisy and Greg Ryan, Thomas Keller expats who moved back to the area and opened what is, in my mind, a perfect bistro that resists pastiche while honoring the bistro hits, and breathes life into the form. In the back courtyard we sat on linen-draped tables (an absolute luxury at lunchtime), drank bone-dry Champagne, and couldn’t stop smiling. The meal was great, and after lunch, Greg took us down to some of the sister properties, Bodega and Priedite Barbecue, and we filed the whole thing away as a “need to return to.”
After lunch we headed to Carmel-By-The-Sea, a town whose name tells you a lot about it. We checked into La Playa, newly renovated and perched on the hills overlooking the ocean below. The visit made for some great morning runs along the winding Scenic Road perched above the beaches of Carmel, unfolding and revealing sweeping vistas over a manageable 3.5 miles.
Carmel is a beautiful town, but it skews older. It has a retirement community vibe that isn’t the right fit for our young family, so I can’t see returning, but we made the most of our short time there.
We drove south on Highway 1, the highway that snakes along the Pacific coast, stopping off at various points to hike the fog-laden lands at the waters’ edge. We didn’t make it as far as Big Sur, but a stay at Deetjun’s is on our lodging bucket list. We visited Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch, a long-in-the-tooth property that is just waiting for a bit of reinvention and infusion of new ideas – it was great for a pre-dinner beer and a bit of live piano.
We visited the famous aquarium in Monterey. Our son loved it, of course, but I found it crowded and chaotic – not the revelation I expected it to be. There was a hammerhead shark (a big hit with my son) and a cool display of jellyfish (a big hit with me), but I guess I expected show-stopping installations, more displays, more interaction. I was hoping it would be more educational and less theme park. Along the back of the building, perched on the water, was a shallow tide pool where you stood around and watched tourists squeeze into wetsuits for a little slosh around.
Afterward we went to Elroy’s Fine Foods, ordering lunch from the deli (a crucial move for a quick/healthy lunch for kids on the road) and bought more sundries – I’ve been researching natural grocers for a new project, and this was one of my favorites of the trip. We ate a great dinner at Stoke’s Adobe (and dessert at Revival Ice Cream) before heading back to Carmel for a fun evening at Bud’s, the in-house tavern and bar at La Playa.
BERKELEY/SAN FRAN
In Berkeley, we stayed at The Faculty Club, a purportedly members-only club smack in the middle of UC Berkeley’s campus. It was built in 1902, designed by storied Bay Area architect Bernard Maybeck. The building was a step back in time, with wood-clad rooms that felt like a summer camp bunkhouse in the Berkshires. It was perfect – less hotel and more like a hostel, with a bar straight out of an Eggleston photograph. (To book, I just called and asked if I could stay there.) They’re raising money to refurbish the building, and I hope they don’t change a thing.
We visited the Trumer Pils brewery for one of America’s best beers, and had an early dinner at Chez Panisse in the cafe upstairs, the slightly more casual little brother to the pre-fixe offering on the ground floor.
When my 16-year-old flew in for rowing camp at UC Berkeley, we all went for our first In-N-Out experience. I had a Double-Double, Animal-style. I was more impressed with the operation and the cleanliness than the food, which was fine, but couldn’t possibly live up to the breathless hyperbole of so many burger lovers I’ve encountered over the years, who will surely roast me in the comments. The boys, on the other hand: big fans. (Read on for my vote for the best burger in California…)
We couldn’t miss a visit to Zuni Cafe, the SF icon. Caesar salad, shoestring fries, and their roasted chicken with bread salad will always deliver. It is also an entirely reasonable place to have a cold Martini. I know there are many other great options in this city, but Zuni manages to pull me back every time.
INVERNESS
Inverness is one of my favorite places in the world. Situated between Tomales Bay on the East and the sprawling Pacific on the West, it is miraculously uncrowded and – in my opinion – perfect. After an extended visit two years ago, we vowed to return when our son was older and could go on longer hikes. This was home base for a week of hiking, cooking, reading, and being in nature.
We stayed at an Airbnb around the corner from Manka’s Inverness Lodge (which is sadly, still closed), and cooked nearly all of our meals at home.
Most of our time was spent exploring the Point Reyes National Seashore – with its 80 miles of shoreline and unspoiled nature. Each morning, we stopped at Inverness Park Market (a perfect little market) to order towering sandwiches from the deli counter. We would pack our sandwiches away, pick a hike or an area to explore, and spend the day outside, stopping midway through the journey for a lunch picnic.
Our favorite hikes of the week were Abbot’s Lagoon and Chimney Rock. On our morning hike out to Chimney Rock, we were entirely alone – not another human as far as the eye could see – a rare experience these days. We had lunch at the very edge of the world on a small bench overlooking the calloused, chalky cliffs and the wide expanse of ocean, where a whale jumped in and out of the water, as if putting on a show just for us. (Fortunately we had purchased Nocs a few days before – a must have.)
We had one dinner out at Saltwater, as well as several afternoon jaunts to Marshall, on the other side of Tomales Bay, for a visit to The Marshall Store. The raw oysters, plucked just yards away, are pristine, and the Oysters Rockefeller are the best I’ve ever had. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in America.
Other favorite excursions included the Bear Valley trailhead (easy hiking for kids), Samuel Taylor State Park (for a dose of redwoods without the crowds), Kehoe Beach, Limantour Beach, and Tule Elk Reserve. Driving in the area is majestic enough, and the scenery from the trails in the area is otherworldly.
We didn’t do much shopping, but Point Reyes is a great stop for Point Reyes Books, Brickmaiden Breads, Visions, and the Monk Estate jewelry collection inside Blunk Space, where we eyed some pieces but resisted. For deeper grocery needs, we love Palace Market – bonus points for their Buffalo milk soft serve with Extra Virgin olive oil.
SONOMA
We stopped in Sonoma for one night to visit our friends at Scribe Winery – my favorite winery in America. Lunch at the Hacienda, getting loose on their vino, is one of the better afternoons that exists in this world, and we were fortunate enough to spend the night on the special property. You’ve got to be a member of their SVS program to visit, which I highly recommend.
TAHOE
We spent two nights relaxing in Tahoe with our friends from Scribe. On the way in, we stopped at one of several farm markets along the highway. This one, Pedrick Produce, had great homemade tamales that fortified our family for the three-hour drive.
In Tahoe, the first order of business was a swim in the cool, pristine lake. Kids and adults alike – everybody in! A swim in Lake Tahoe is not quite a cold plunge, but it’s a fortifying experience. I look forward to the day I get to do it again.
Our meals were eaten at home (with shopping at New Moon Natural Foods), but the dads did manage a Margarita excursion at Shadyside Lounge on the first night. Any place that offers a Tommy’s Margarita is immediately a winner in my book, and Shadyside’s was executed perfectly.
GUERNEVILLE
For our journey from Tahoe to Guerneville, we decided to take the long way, which avoided major highways and favored the much prettier backroads, up and down mountains on intestinal roads with tight shoulders, and through an entire universe of microclimates. At one point it looked less like Earth and more like Narnia.
In Guerneville, we stayed at Dawn Ranch. It’s a beautiful property on the Russian River. For the hotel-watchers out there, I would say there is a big disconnect between how Dawn Ranch markets themselves (like a luxury resort) and what the experience really is (like camp). We spent a great afternoon relaxing by the river, and took a dip in the pool each evening. The cabins dotted around the property are charming in scale, and have been updated by Post Company – despite the touches, it felt like something was missing from the overall experience.
If I returned to the area, I would be much more inclined to stay at River Electric. We spent an entire day at the “Swim Club and Camp Hotel,” and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. It opened in May, and was a great experience for all ages. The swim club, which sells day passes, includes an expansive pool, three feet in depth, that was a big hit with families. There’s also an adults-only pool, an on-site open-air bar and restaurant with great food, and the adjacent campground, which was the ideal glamping experience for this low-key area. We booked a cabana and spent eight hours on the property. The music was great (here’s the playlist!) and the staff was on point. The experience was from the same team behind Shelter Co.; they also own the outdoor gear brand The Get Out, which was sold in the well edited gift shop.
During our short stay, we ate dinner at Boon Food & Drink in Guerneville and Sonoma Pizza Co. in nearby Forestville.
PHILO
For the last leg of our trip, we headed further North into the small town of Philo, where we spent three nights at The Apple Farm, which offers stays on their idyllic property in a small grouping of cottages. The farm was founded by Sally Schmitt, the original owner of The French Laundry, and it is still operated by her daughter. Staying on the beautiful grounds among the apple orchard was a highlight of our trip – it offered a serenity that is becoming harder to find. Each stay includes a fresh breakfast each morning, served in an open-air potting shed and the surrounding gardens; our son loved walking the ground each day to visit the chickens, pigs, goats, and the farm dog, Oso. We loved starting the day with coffee on our porch, and ending the day with a walk through the gardens.
The Navarro River borders one edge of the farm and is easily accessible from the property. We spent our first evening wading in the river, searching for treasures, skipping stones, and identifying my sons’ bug discoveries with Seek, which became a favorite app of our trip – “Can we Seek it?” was a common refrain.
Adjacent to the farm is Hendy Woods State Park, with more river access and a charming campground. We spent a day exploring Hendy Grove, a forest of towering Redwood trees. I much prefer it to the busier Muir Woods, which gets all the attention and therefore, offers none of the serenity you’re seeking with a visit to these majestic trees.
Gowan’s Oak Tree is a must – a picturesque, family-run farmstand stop for fresh fruit, walnuts, and their cooling Apple Slush, a frozen drink made from freshly pressed apples grown on their farm.
Philo is a small town (pop. 386), so there is not much to do beyond relaxing and being in nature – which was enough for us! But the good news is that it’s ALSO home to the soon-to-be iconic Jumbo’s Win Win, perhaps my most exciting dining discovery of the year. Jumbo’s was opened in 2024 by Scott Baird, co-founder of the award-winning SF cocktail bar, Trick Dog. Scott decamped to the area with his family and opened a roadside burger stand, which announces itself about 20 miles outside of town with petite, hand-painted “billboards” staked in the ground of area farms. From my perspective, this must surely be one of the better burgers in California (In-N-Out, who?) and perhaps the nation. He offers two smash burger variations, a delightful crispy fish sandwich, and an equally stunning crispy chicken sandwich. His hand-cut fries are the best I’ve had in America, owing a clear debt to Heston Blumenthal’s triple-cooked chips from the Fat Duck. As if that weren’t enough, he has a deep selection of Mexican food specials each day, a chopped salad to end all chopped salads, and Straus Creamery soft-serve that can be enjoyed in a classic cone or can be dressed up in a variety of styles; my favorite was “The Greek” with raw honey, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and ground fennel. They had live music during two of our visits, and it felt like the entirety of Philo, young and old, came out for the fun. To top it all off, every other person was drinking a cold can of Donna’s Pickle Beer, Scott’s “side hustle,” which I wanted to hate – but I LOVED. So much, in fact, that I immediately emailed my team back home in Charleston to bring it into my restaurants.
SAN FRANCISCO
A common refrain among many people I know is that San Francisco has no great hotels. I’ve tried many, and I’m inclined to agree. My favorite (although I’d like to try Hotel Drisco next time) is Inn at the Presidio. I love the grounds (for Star Wars nerds, also the home of Lucasfilm), the simplicity of the rooms, and the peacefulness of the Presidio, which is still right next to the action but feels remote. I like that there is also a system of hikes just outside the back door, for a dose of nature and fresh air.
On our last night, we ate at The Anchovy Bar, the petite wine bar/restaurant from the crew behind State Bird Provisions and The Progress. Great wine list, and artful, precise cooking that doesn’t fall short of delivering deliciousness. The local anchovy and tomato toast was among my top bites of the year.
On the way to the airport on our last morning, we squeezed in a visit to Bi-Rite, the San Fran grocery icon. I’d kill to have a market like this back in Charleston, and I love walking every aisle of the petite shop to note what they’re stocking. We got some sandwiches for the plane, and some nectarines and pluots for a last gasp of California sunshine when we were somewhere over Oklahoma, Charleston-bound.
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