Finding Europe in California
At the beginning of the year, we planned to be in Europe for most of June.
After spending significant time in France and England last year, we came home with a renewed appreciation for a slower pace of life and fully expected we'd be heading back again this summer. We had already started talking about favorite hotels we'd revisit, restaurants deserving repeat performances, and convincing ourselves that this would finally be the trip where we packed lightly. In the spirit of transparency and relatability, I've been making that promise to myself for at least fifteen years, and somehow I still travel as though airline baggage restrictions do not apply to me.
But as 2026 unfolded, life had other plans. Between moving, social commitments, work, and the reality that sometimes timing simply isn't timing, we made the decision to postpone our trip, and stay closer to home.
I'll admit there was a small mourning period. Nothing dramatic. Nobody was listening to La Vie En Rose while staring wistfully out a window eating a croissant.
There are certain places in the world that simply feel like home to your soul, and for us, France and England will always be among them. We were genuinely disappointed not to be boarding our scheduled flight.
But as we talked about what we loved most about those trips, we realized that while we couldn't recreate Europe itself, we could recreate many of the things we love about being there.
We weren't replacing Europe. We were finding a really lovely compromise.
Living in Santa Barbara, we're already fortunate to call one of California's most beautiful places home. Mediterranean architecture, ocean views, outdoor living, and a culture built around enjoying life are part of our everyday.
Instead of mourning the trip we weren't taking, we decided to get creative.
Thanks to The Stable, we planned a week-long road trip designed around the things we love most about traveling abroad. Beautiful hotels, incredible food, wine country, golf, spa days, scenic drives, and plenty of unstructured time all made their way onto the itinerary.
And somewhere between Sausalito, Carmel Valley, and Paso Robles, we discovered that California speaks the language of slow living remarkably well.
Not exact replicas of Europe. But familiar feelings.
Sausalito: A Little Coastal England
No road trip should begin without a proper lunch stop, so naturally ours started with sandwiches from Sando's in Pismo Beach before making our way north to see our friends who live in San Francisco.
Our first stay was Cavallo Point, nestled beneath the Golden Gate Bridge with sweeping views of the bay. It somehow manages to feel peaceful and restorative despite being just minutes from San Francisco.
The maritime setting, harbor views, and slower pace remind us a bit of coastal England. It's easy to imagine yourself somewhere along the British Jurassic coast, glass of champagne in hand.
One of the things Daniel and I have learned over the years is that successful vacations don't require us to spend every waking moment together. In fact, some of our best trips happen because we each get to enjoy the things that fill our own cups. He headed off to Peacock Gap for golf while I happily marched straight into the spa, which has become one of our favorite vacation formulas because everybody wins.
The rest of our weekend revolved around some of my favorite things in life: friends, great meals, and the kind of conversations that make you forget to look at your phone. We celebrated my bestie's birthday at Golden Sardine, had delicious pizza from Flour + Water, strolled the charming streets and shops of Sausalito, enjoyed incredible sushi at Sushi Ran, and made our customary stop to see Bill at The San Francisco Champagne Society.
As I've gotten older, I've realized that one of life's greatest luxuries isn't necessarily where you are.
It's having nowhere else you need to be.
Carmel Valley: California's Answer to Provence
By the time we reached Carmel Valley Ranch, vacation mode had fully set in.
The warm weather, rolling hills, lavender, and endless opportunities to be outdoors immediately reminded us of Provence. It was the kind of place that gently encourages you to slow down, whether you planned to or not.
Without trying, our days settled into our preferred rhythm. Daniel played golf, I booked yoga and a massage, and we both spent hours by the pool lounging. Basically, we stayed on property and enjoyed every ounce we could.
And then there was the view. It deserves an around the clock standing ovation. We were fortunate to have a lovely room overlooking the valley, and took full advantage of the balcony.
One evening, we drove into Carmel-by-the-Sea for an incredible dinner at Chez Noir, which somehow manages to feel elegant without taking itself too seriously. Those are my favorite kinds of places. Beautiful but approachable. Thoughtful without being precious. I’m still dreaming of the digustation menu and wine pairing. 10/10.
The older I get, the less interested I am in anything that feels performative.
Paso Robles: A Taste of Rural France
For our final stop, we originally thought we wanted the beach.
Somewhere coastal felt like the obvious ending to a summer trip. A few days by the water sounded perfect in theory, but anyone who has lived in California long enough knows that June Gloom is very real, very rude, and very unpredictable. After refreshing the weather apps more times than we could count, we decided to stop fighting Mother Nature and head somewhere we knew would reliably deliver summer without Palm Springs levels of intensity. IYKYK.
And honestly, Paso Robles ended up reminding us so much of the slower wine regions we've fallen in love with in France.
The emphasis on food and wine. The friendliness of the people. The pace. The sense that nobody seems particularly interested in rushing through life.
It felt familiar in the best possible way.
We stayed at Paso Robles Inn right in the center of town because one of our favorite travel luxuries is being able to park the car and forget about it for a few days. We love walking to coffee, wandering without an agenda, and discovering little things you would have missed otherwise.
Our days became wonderfully repetitive in the best possible way. Coffee, breakfast, wine tasting, lunch, perhaps another wine tasting, maybe a cocktail, dinner, and repeat.
Somewhere between Monochrome, Torrin, Alpha Omega, and Denner, it became increasingly clear that we had quietly transitioned from bringing home a few bottles to apparently preparing our wine cellar for the apocalypse.
Future us will undoubtedly be grateful.
We had an incredible cocktail experience at The Remedy, enjoyed wonderful meals at Les Petites Canailles in town, and Etto in Tin City, and spent an afternoon antiquing. There's something special about imagining where a piece has lived before eventually finding its way into your own home, and adding where you came across it to its story.
By this point in the trip, the car had become something of a traveling storage unit. Between golf clubs, pool bags, antique finds, luggage, and what was becoming an increasingly ambitious wine collection, we were putting German engineering to the test. Somehow, everything fit, including us.
What struck me most about Paso Robles, though, was how slowly time went by. We had full days, yet we were relaxed, and ultimately present.
Different destination.
Same feeling we were seeking.
The Golden Standard
This trip didn't replace Europe.
We'll happily board that flight again the moment life and schedules allow, because there are some places that simply have your heart.
But this experience reminded me that sometimes life asks us to be flexible. Sometimes convenience wins. Sometimes the timing isn't right. And sometimes the perfect plan gives way to a really good one.
Instead of focusing on what we weren't doing, we tried to recreate the feeling we were hoping to experience.
And California delivered.
Europe will always have our hearts.
But this summer, California had our gratitude.
Favorite Things From This Trip
Over the years, we've slowly refined our travel systems through plenty of trial and error, overpacking incidents, and at least one leaking skincare product that claimed an innocent white sweater as collateral damage.
These are the things that accompanied us on this trip and have earned permanent spots in our rotation.
Travel Essentials
The Stable, for all things planning & logistics
Carry-on luggage, travel outfits, accessories and more
Our Stays
Cavallo Point
Carmel Valley Ranch
Paso Robles Inn
Restaurants We Visited
Golden Sardine
Sushi Ran
Chez Noir
Les Petites Canailles
Etto
H.Cheval Coffee
Amstrdm
The Remedy
Wineries That Followed Us Home
Monochrome
Torrin
Alpha Omega
Denner
With love,
Jen
