For my birthday this year, I told Simon that I wanted to explore somewhere we’d never been before and that I really wanted to see the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. So we started researching a road trip up Pacific Coast Highway. On Thursday, we flew into LAX and picked up our fancy pants rental car (it even had massaging seats! Say whaaaaat?!) and headed up PCH to my much-beloved Malibu. As a Pepperdine student, I loved zooming up and down PCH, honking at surfers with my sorority sisters, and real-estalking the amazing homes along the coastline. And now 16(!) YEARS later (OMG SO OLD), we still enjoy the same thing.

Except no more honking at surfers. Because Simon would not be happy. haha

We splurged and spent the night in the uber-fabulous Malibu Beach Inn right on Carbon Beach. We were literally 20 feet from the ocean. It was the dreamiest little hotel ever, complete with a fireplace in the room, vaulted ceilings, and the constant roar of the ocean. I cannot recommend it enough. And it’s mere feet from the newly restored Pier, which is absolutely worth a visit.

MALIBU GUIDE:

where to stay: Malibu Beach Inn

where to eat: Marmalade Cafe (breakfast, lunch, or dinner), Paradise Cove Beach Cafe (do the seafood tower!), Malibu Farm at the Pier

where to shop: Malibu Beach Supply at the Pier (so cute), the shops at the  Country Mart

Next stop: Santa Barbara & Paso Robles (and the Hearst Castle!)