In 2003, I was a senior in college, and my brother Brad was a freshman. Since it was the only year that we would overlap, we decided to spend our spring break together traveling the coast of California.

We began our trip with a few days visiting friends in Los Angeles and then made our way north toward Monterey. To take in as much scenery as we could, we gave ourselves a full day to take the trip along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Our drive that day introduced us to stunning scenery that neither of us had seen before. The closer we got to Monterey, the more exciting the surroundings became. We drove slowly through Big Sur and Carmel, navigating the hairpin turns on the mountain road and stopping to watch the sun set over the craggy coastline of the Pacific Ocean.

Though I’ve traveled extensively since then, this trip still stands out in my mind, both for its incredible natural beauty and the opportunity to experience it with my brother.

www.pacific-coast-highway-travel.com