Thanks everyone! Yes, we are grateful to live close to this beautiful drive. We never tire of it and don't do it often enough. We do live very close to Point Reyes National Seashore and visit/hike there often.
Pismo Beach - Answer: "Old West Cinnamon Rolls". "Splash!" is famous for their clam chowder. You can stand your spoon in it. It is that thick! From what I saw Pismo Beach is NOT the epicurian capital of the world but IT IS the best, low key, family beach which is a throwback to the 1950's.
Pfeiffer State Park- We stayed overnight on this trip and went on a short hike right out of the park. We like that everyone has a separate and, fairly private, campsite. On previous trips we stayed two nights and took some fabulous hikes high on the ridge where we could view the coast from north to south. It's also near the most beautiful coastal drive in the country (no bias, there).
It's been a long time since I've been at the Pinnacles. At the time we lived in the Peninsula, south of San Francisco prior to having a trailer. From there it was a day trip. It is a very special place where you can walk through a tunnel through the pinnacles and can see bats roosting there. The hiking is fabulous. There are two entry points to PNP and the
Pinnacles Campground is accessed only from the east side of the Park as there are no connecting roads between the two entrances of Pinnacles.
Plan ahead on which entrance you would like to visit.
Highway 146 is the access road to both the Westside and the Eastside of the Pinnacles. However, highway 146 does not connect the two sides of the road together. Please take the time to map out which entrance will be best suited for your plans and ensure an enjoyable experience. (NOTE: Most GPS units will automatically lead you to the West Pinnacles)
Here's an overview of PNP from their website;
"Trails at Pinnacles National Park have a very distinctive look, they are surrounded by
Rhyolitic Breccia a very unique rock that combines volcanic and Sedimentary rock. The giant boulders you see at Pinnacles today were formed as a result of volcanic activity that occurred over 23 million years ago, and it makes the perfect habitat for the California Condor. Enjoy your visit at America's newest National Park."
Balconies Trail, Pinnacles NP
I hope you all get to visit the Pinnacles National Park some day.