Hello and Happy Monday! Hope your July 4th holiday weekend (for those in the U.S.) is relaxing and fun with family, friends and good food ⁠. For me I had my Aunty Uma visiting from New Jersey.

She is here for a reikii consultation with a client and is staying with me for the week. She took a day off from work to go on a scenic drive on coastal Hwy 1 with me recently.

It was your picture perfect Northern California day on this July 4th weekend. Misty, cool foggy morning, clear blue skies in the afternoon, and temperatures in the mild 60s-70s and 80s, just perfect.

Hwy 1 Scenic Drive. Santa Cruz to Big Sur to Santa Cruz.

Misty, foggy drive on Hwy 1. Farms abound on the coast and we saw miles and miles of lush green vegetable and strawberry fields.

Strawberry fields forever

Farm workers strawberry picking.

Driving past brussels sprouts farms

Artichoke farms ready for harvest

Gotta stop at the local farm stands 🍓🍉🍅🌶🥬🍊

Big Sur. It’s more about the drive than the destination.

Our Destination Big Sur Bakery

We love this local bakery with its delicious baked goods and seasonal salads, sandwiches and soups. Its always a win/win with us. However when we were there, their water main had broken just that morning and had to close down.

We stoped by Big Sur Tap Room right next door instead and had an outstanding farm fresh salad and panini sandwich made with fresh mozzarella,, tomatoes and pesto. DELICIOUS!!

Wine Tasting in Santa Cruz

On our drive back we stopped in Santa Cruz for wine tasting and a relaxing afternoon break. 🍷

Awesome Spanish and Portuguese inspired wines at Santa Cruz Mountain Winery. I especially loved all their whites and rose wines.

Hip wine tasting venue Stockwell Cellars. Their cheese board was especially delicious.

It was a gorgeous coastal drive on a beautiful July day

The scenery on our California coastline always amazes with its beauty. To quote my Aunt…

” California is absolutely beautiful!! The beauty is so abundant here that it’s sometimes overwhelming.” Uma Aunty

Hope you enjoyed our drive on Hwy1 in Northern California. Wishing you a fabulous week ahead!