Huntington Beach
For a long weekend trip, I traveled with friends to Huntington beach in November for a quick escape to the warmer weather. We stayed at the Best Western Surf City as a budget Hotel for three people to share a two queen bed room. The room was clean and perfect for our needs! We had a friend we were visiting so we didn’t rent a car and used uber when needed.
Day 1 and 2-Drive to Joshua Tree National Park
This drive is about 2 hours long without traffic, however you should plan for some traffic. This is California after all.
Once you get to Joshua Tree, get refueled with a stop at the Joshua Tree Saloon. We loved the atmosphere and, of course, the beer here. There was live music and people dancing and really enjoying the afternoon in the desert. We came on a Saturday afternoon, arriving around 2pm and did have to wait a bit to get food. If you aren’t in a rush or if its not a weekend, I would definitely recommend stopping for some food or drink or both.
We then drove into the park, entering at the west entrance station and headed for Hidden Valley to do some quick exploring before watching the sunset and then watching the stars. I had picked Hidden Valley based off seeing great sunset photos from this location. While I did enjoy Hidden Valley, there are a plethora of areas in the park that will offer great sunsets view among the Joshua trees and rocks-I don’t think you can really go wrong!
Joshua Tree is an International Dark Sky Park, meaning it has quality night skies with limited light pollution. The Dark Sky Association designates communities and parks that have “exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights”. We saw a shooting star that felt straight out of a movie, it was incredibly bright and felt like it traveled across the whole sky in a blaze of glory. It was one of our favorite experiences of the trip.
We stayed in an Airbnb for one night in Joshua Tree. Airbnbs in the area were very affordable at this time in November and many included a hot tub or pool or both. We visited on a very windy night and opted to enjoy the indoors with pool table and board games instead. The next morning, my friend went for a run through the park and encountered a coyote. It’s important when hiking and exploring new areas to understand what wildlife is present and what to do when encountering them. Always be respectful of animals as this is their home. I cannot emphasize this enough, give space to these animals, respect their space and their habitat. With coyotes, it is recommended to make lots of noise and wave your arms. Don’t run away, but leave calmly if the coyote does not go away.
Entering the park by car that day as a group, we entered through the North entrance and explored some of the areas we had driven by in the dark. We stopped at skull rock which is located right off the road, no hiking required. However we spent some time exploring and climbing the large rocks because that inner child inside all of us just couldn’t resist. Our next stop was Hall of Horrors. This was a very short hike but gave us more opportunities to climb some boulders and release our inner child. There are slot canyons here you can explore. We followed the instructions here to find the slot canyons (which can be difficult to find).
Next we drove to Keys View to see the grand hazy views of the Coachella Valley. It’s likely your view will be hazy but it is still spectacular. If you somehow get lucky and get a clear day, you might be able to see Mexico from here! This view point is a very short walk from the car. Look here for a map of the areas we explored within Joshua Tree.
We then started our drive back to Huntington beach. On a Sunday, at 3, it took us about 4 hours to get back because it’s California and traffic is a thing. Prepare to have some patience, especially if it’s on the weekend. We got back and had dinner that night in Huntington Beach at Avila’s El Ranchito. It hit the spot after a long, traffic-filled drive.
Day 3 and 4 – Beach Days
There are lots of activities around the Huntington Beach area and lots to explore, however we opted for a couple slower days to enjoy the laid back beach vibes. We rented bikes at Ray’s Rentals for 15 dollars a bike for 4 hours. We got beach cruisers which don’t have gears; you pedal forward to go or pedal backwards to break. However, the beach pathways are fairly flat with some small hills so you shouldn’t miss your gears too much. We rode our bikes from Huntington Beach to Sunset Beach at a nice leisurely pace, enjoying the ocean views.
For lunch, we ate at Pocket Burger. BEST MEAL THE WHOLE TRIP. If you visit the area, this is an absolute must. The owners are the sweetest people and do everything to make sure you enjoy your food and experience. Lori brought us extra sauces and my goodness are their sauces amazing. They have a Thai sauce and a pocket sauce which are both outstanding. They also had excellent vegan options and were very accommodating for my vegan friend. I personally am more flexitarian and don’t really eat red meat. They had a delicious Thai chicken bowl that really hit the spot for me and great burgers for my friends.
After biking back from Sunset Beach, we grabbed some beers at 4 Sons Brewing to plan the rest of our night. While biking, we had ridden past Bolsa Chica State Beach and decided to come back for the evening. The beach has fire pits so be sure to bring your own firewood to enjoy a night on the beach. Do note the park closes at 10pm and it is $15 per vehicle. We had a great night watching the sunset, playing Kanjam, and enjoying the fire.
The next day we decided we wanted a little more beach time and we headed toward Laguna Beach. Driving along the pacific coast highway is always a good time, exploring the fancy neighborhoods and following the coastline. We had dinner at Cucina Alessa in Newport Beach to celebrate the end of our trip before heading to the airport. They even had vegan ravioli! I had butternut squash ravioli and was in heaven.
