San Simeon, CA

Things to do in San Simeon, CA

Where do I even begin! San Simeon was not only a beautiful costal town, but it was everything we were looking for in a weekend getaway. There were so many things for us to do, but at the same time, it felt relaxing. I truly hope everyone gets to see and explore it at least once in their lifetime. 

Friday

We started off our trip from Southern California Friday around noon as it was a holiday and we all had the day off. The trip took about 5 hours to get there, but it did not feel too long. The views along the way are nice, so it is a pretty entertaining trip, even for our little one. On the way there, you can stop by a lavender field (as seen in my Carmel-by-the-sea blog - check it out here). The farm has a little shop, plus a dinosaur play area outside. It's a nice stop to stretch your feet and smell the relaxing lavender from the fields. 

We checked into our home for the weekend at the Cavalier Oceanfront Resort. It's no surprise that the resort won the top traveler's choice award in 2023 on Trip Advisor. We dropped off our stuff and were so excited about our beautiful view from our room and almost did not want to leave the porch because it was so pretty. 

We then spent the rest of the afternoon playing the lawn games and took a long walk on the beach exploring the little huts people had built with the twigs on the shore. The resort has direct beach access so were able watch the sunset, it was incredible and will forever be one of my favorite memories with my little family. 

Once it got dark, we headed over to dinner at the Cavalier Costal Kitchen. I loved that the restaurant was onsite and we did not need to drive anywhere to get there. We had spent 5 hours in the car earlier that day, so it was nice to be able to walk to dinner. The restaurant was calm and had delicious options to choose from. I got the Seafood Diablo and it was really good!

The resort has fire pits outside in which you can make smores! We hung out by the fire for a bit and enjoyed the sound of the crackling fire along with the loud waves of the water. Once it started to get late we headed back to our room. We showered, got in our jammies, and enjoyed the fireplace in our room. It was so nice and gives the room a cozy touch. 

Saturday

We started our day with breakfast at the onsite restaurant Cavalier Coastal Kitchen. Your stay includes vouchers for one free breakfast per person at the restaurant which I think is awesome! The food is not your typical continental food that you normally see at hotels, it is actual restaurant options, which I think is amazing. We each got to pick our own plate, so I think the price for the resort is not bad at all given all the perks it comes with. Once mom and dad got their caffeine fix (a must) we headed over to the Elephant Seal Visitor Center. We decided to drive there in our car since we were headed out after visiting the center, but you could walk there as it was literally across the street. There are many cute gifts and souvenirs you can get. The center also has a mini museum where the little ones can learn about the seals. Best part, is it is free to visit. 

After learning about the seals, we got to go see them in real life. The short drive to the Elephant Seal View Point is beautiful with the view of the coast. There is plenty of free parking and it is dog friendly. The pathway to see the seals is paved and accessible. There are hundreds of seals that you get to see up close. The noise they make, their movements, and the way they lay there is so funny!  It was so fun to get to see the seals up close, your little ones will love it!

It quickly became time for lunch so we went to eat at the San Simeon Beach Bar and Grill. Although the restaurant was not on the beach, you still got a pretty view of the ocean while you enjoy your meal at the shaded patio. You do not need to be a guest staying at the hotel to be able to eat at the restaurant. I got a michelada and it was huge, which is more bang for your buck. We all got different types of sea food and really enjoyed it. I would recommend this place to those looking for a fresh sea food meal. 

After lunch, we went to explore the Costal Discovery Center. There is plenty of free parking that is shared with the beach. The center is free and has activities for little ones of all ages to play with and learn. The staff was so friendly and we even got a coloring sheet to take home with us.

The center is located at the same parking spot as the William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach. Even though the pier was closed at the time, we got to go down to the sand and play. It was so cool because there were some families camping there on the beach! I would love to come back and camp on that beach one day! The other neat thing about the beach is that it is surrounded by really tall trees so it almost felt as if you were in the woods for a bit, which I loved because I had never gone to a beach like that. 

After taking in some vitamin sea, we headed back to the resort to play in the pool and jacuzzi. There was a wedding happening on the other side, it was so beautiful! The view of the beach is so nice, I could see why they did their wedding there. 

After a nap from being tired from swimming, we showered and got ready. We had dinner at The Restaurant at Ragged Point. The restaurant is attached to the inn and has a few shops outside along with a coffee shop and outdoor lunch spot during the day. The restaurant was BEAUTIFUL. The whole thing was glass so that you can see Ragged Point during the day. There is a small pond with outdoor seating and a pretty firepit to keep you warm, but we opted to eat inside since we had our little one with us. The food was delicious as expected. This place is just perfect for date night as it was more on the romantic side. I would love to return and get to see the view during the day. After dinner we called it a night. 

Sunday

I secretly like eating at the same restaurant more than once, because I get to try the food that I didn't get to try the previous time. The first day I tried the chicken fried steak and it was really good. The second day, I got the eggs benedict, and it did not disappoint! It was a little on the spicy side, but those that know me, know I love spicy food so I really enjoyed it. Sadly, after breakfast we had to say goodbye to our weekend home and check out. The process was fast and easy. We then headed over to our next activity of the day. 

I had been wanting to visit the Hearst Castle for such a long time and I finally got the chance to see it for myself! To be honest, I did not know that Hearst Castle was part of a State Park...the more you learn! The station has tickets, but it is highly recommended to purchase your tickets ahead of time. There are also many different types of tours, so make sure to select the one that sounds most interesting to you (We did the 70 minute Grand rooms tour). We got to see the free roaming zebras outside, it was so cool! There is also a free museum at the station that you can check out while you wait for your bus to come. Here, you are allowed to touch the items. The reason why they do this is because they want you to "get it out of your system" because once you get up to the castle, they ask that you please do not touch anything to help preserve it. As a mom, I was thankful for a museum where you do not have to worry about your kids touching stuff. They are encouraged to do so!

They take you to the top of the hill on a bus. The road takes about 10 minutes but it has a most beautiful view of the coast. The property is beautiful, and the tour guides do a great job of explain the history of the area. My favorite part of the tour was when we got to see the indoor pool. The floor is made of literal gold, so we got to walk on gold! It's not every day that you get to do that! 

After the tour, we had lunch at Sebastian's Deli. The shop has so many souvenirs and cute things to shop for. Towards the back is the deli with a unique menu. The sandwiches are not your typical ham and cheese sandwiches. We had a few different kinds, and they were really good and filling. There is no seating inside, but there is shaded seating outside with a pretty view of the little schoolhouse. 

After lunch, we walked over to the Hearst Ranch Winery. The winery allows you to bring your own food, so many people grab snacks from Sebastian's Deli and bring it over to the Winery to eat while they enjoy their wine. This was probably the prettiest winery I had ever been to, although I might be biased because the beach is my happy place. If you looked one way, you got the view of the large pretty barn and the tall trees, making you feel as if you were in the woods. Then, if you looked the other way, you got to see the beach. It was a win-win no matter where you looked or what view you got. 

We did a wine tasting, but you can also pick a wine flight or by the glass or bottle. I loved that it was family friendly and even allowed pets. There was a sign in the front that said they did not have room for walk ins that day, meaning reservation only. If this were to happen to you, do not fear. The good news is that across the street, at Sebastian's Deli, they sell wine as well. You could also do a wine tasting there. We got to enjoy the afternoon with our wine, talking about how much fun we had during the weekend, and how sad we were that it was ending soon. 

Before heading out for the long trip home, we took a walk by the beach at the Boucher Trailhead which is located at 15950 Cabrillo Hwy. (There are two trails, but this is the one we did). The hike has free parking but does not allow dogs. Even though the trail is flat, the views are so beautiful as you walk  along the shore of the beach on the hill. We tried to make our little one get as tired as possible and encouraged him to get all of his energy out before we headed back to our 5 hour long road trip home. It was a success! A few minutes after heading home our little one knocked out. It was the perfect way to end the weekend. 

Itinerary for San Simeon, CA

Friday

• Road trop from SoCal to San Simeon, CA
• Explore the Cavalier Ocean Front Resort
• Dinner at the Cavalier Coastal Kitchen
• Smores at the pits at the Resort

Saturday

• Free breakfast at the Cavalier Coastal Kitchen
• Walk to Elephant Seal Visitor Center
• Elephant Seal Vista Point
• Lunch at the San Simeon Beach Bar and Grill
• Costal Discovery Center
• William Randolph Hearst Memorial Beach
• Pool and Jacuzzi time at the Resort
• Dinner at The Restaurant at Ragged Point  

Sunday

• Breakfast at Cavalier Coastal Kitchen
• Check out
• Hearst Castle Tour
• Lunch at Sebastian's Deli
• Hearst Ranch Winery
• Hike Boucher Trailhead
• Head home

-Out of Office.

With love, Erica

Thank you again Visit San Simeon for partnering with us! We loved it and truly enjoyed our trip. We are grateful for the chance to build memories I will forever hold close to my heart. We can't wait to return!  

We attended this trip courtesy of Visit San Simeon. All opinions are those of

Out of Office, with Love, Erica.