Julie Espinosa

Also, my husband is a genius when it comes to storage and a creative use of space, so he helped me set things up to use every last inch of space in a functional and effective way. There simply isn’t enough room in an RV for a full set of full-size pots and pans. It’s hard to find just the right size oven pans, but here’s what I use: We also usually grill when we’re boondocking so we don’t have as much clean up and don’t use as much of the RV’s propane.

It’s right off of the 405 freeway, and there’s an exit called Getty Center Drive (going north or south) that takes you straight to the parking lot. It’s only 10 minutes but it gives a great history of the collection, J. Paul Getty’s vision for his museum, and the construction of the building. The Museum offers free tours every day of the architecture, the gardens and the collections. There are children’s items in all the gallery shops, but there’s also a specific shop just for kids in the West Pavilion.

The Ernest F. Coe entrance and Visitors Center is the main entrance and is closest to Homestead. From the Shark Valley Visitors Center you can catch the narrated 2 -hour tram tour that will take you through the Tram Trail and past endless wildlife! There are Ranger tours and Ranger talks near both the Shark Valley and Ernest F. Coe Visitors Center. If you’re staying near the Miami area, the Go Miami pass offers entrance to many different attractions and tours at one discounted price: We stayed closest to the Ernest F. Coe entrance because it is the main entrance.

*If you plan on staying an extra day or two in Santa Barbara, you’ll love East Beach and Stearns Wharf if you want some time on the coast. I’ll note some of my favorite places to stop, but I’m sure you’ll find more. Something I try to do when I drive here is make sure I time it right so that I get to one of the more iconic spots to watch the sunset. It’s hard to write a comprehensive guide to a California Coast Road Trip, because it could easily be a book, but having driven this route on my own and with family at least 10 times over the years, I’ve included my favorite spots and places where I’ve actually stayed and eaten.