1000 miles, 100 things to do, 10 days and a once in a lifetime road trip.
This was the best coastal US Road trip… we fit so much in in 10 days!
Our route went from San Fransisco to Monterey Bay to Pismo beach, on to Vegas and then finally reaching LA. 5 places in 10 days!!
It was honestly amazing and the gluten free food I had in these places was unbelievable. From croissants and fried chicken and waffles and pancakes in a typical diner and pretzels and hot dogs and deep dish pizza. Unbelievable.
So let me tell you where I found all of these incredible meals! And the routes to them of course.
Day 1: Arrive in San Francisco
We flew into San Francisco in the late afternoon but still managed to hit 2 restaurants and do some bowling.
The first one we went to was a Bolivian restaurant with live Latin music and dance, Peña Pachamama.
Everything except the empanadas were gluten free and everything is vegan. I would recommend the Andean papas a la huancaina, which was a small plate of potatoes in the most amazing cheesy with a chilli kick sauce *chefs kiss*. And a margarita, of course.
Next stop was Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. They had so many gluten free options it was unreal, gluten free thin crust pizza, deep dish pizza, bread sticks, chicken parmigiana, giant meatballs, spaghetti, beer! There were also some vegan options. For all my fellow pre-reading menu lovers, a link to the menu here.
We didn’t find too much to do as an activity after dinner, but there was a bowling/arcade open called Lucky Strike, so we went for a couple of games of bowling.
Day 2: Explore San Francisco
First things first, breakfast. The BEST 100% gluten free cafe (though there are no seats to sit in), is Mariposa Baking Company. Start your day here and goodness is sure to follow.
Alcatraz was a cool if not spooky experience, having been an island used only as a prison until the 60’s. Tickets were easy to book online and boats leave the wharf every 30 minutes.
After getting back to the main land, we walked for a while down to Fisherman’s Wharf where tons of sealions have decided to make a home. There are so many just lazing about in the sun and fighting for a spot on the decks.
We stopped for lunch along Fisherman’s wharf before getting an Uber to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. We took some great shots from the viewpoint there, then walked back along the bridge to the other side (be warned it is windy!).
For dinner, we went to a restaurant called Nepa Indian Cuisine for gluten free naan bread!, after dropping in to a bar across the road from it that offered gluten free beer, Madron Art Bar. What a night.
For more details on San Francisco please read my more detailed blog: 2 nights in San Francisco.
Day 3: Drive from San Francisco to Monterey Bay
We stopped off at random points on this journey to take a picture whenever there was a good view or when we wanted to stretch our legs as there are plenty of walking trails along the route. We also visited Big Basin Redwoods State Park, where you can literally stand inside tree trunks.
When we finally made it to Monterey bay we went to a local brewery, Dust Bowl Brewing. There was no gf beer here, only a local seltzer, but the setting was so lovely in their beer garden.
We then walked up the cutest street, Alvarado Street, to a place for dinner called Rosine’s. This place the biggest portions I think I’ve ever seen. They had gf pasta so I got a salmon pasta which was decent.
Day 4: Drive from Monterey Bay to Pismo Beach
The next morning we left around 9 and our first stop was The Breakfast Club diner that done gluten free french toast and panckaes. As I sat in that diner and the waiter came to fill up my second bottomless drip coffee and I cut into my pancakes with bacon and syrup and Britney Spears hit me baby one more time came on the radio I really felt like I was living the American road trip dream.
We stopped off in Linn’s Easy as Pie Cafe in Cambria for lunch. There was a huge gluten free blueberry pie for sale but no signs about gluten free lunch. I asked and they said they had gf bread and cook it somewhere different so it’s coeliac safe. dreams. I got a turkey sandwich and it was fantastic, it had cheese and pickle and I love that everywhere in america has hot sauce on the table like yes please of course I want to dribble my food in this thank you.
Go to Linns, you won’t regret it.
Along the coast there is plenty to see. We stopped at Salmon Creek Falls, Ragged Point, Elephant Seal Vista Point and Pico Creek. I’d recommend ragged point for a toilet and snack pit stop (they had gf cookies in the shop) and Elephant Seal Vista Point, which had the most sea lions I’ve ever seen. Tip for here, when you park go to the right side, there were much more seals there and no tourists.
Pretty Pismo Beach
Pismo beach was fabulous. The sunset here was amazing . And it kind of felt like a little holiday village like Tenerife but smaller and cuter, with a little board walks and a sign. We went for a couple of jogs here too, one in the evening and one at sunrise the next day and it was such a good place to run. Breezy, not busy, board walks!
There was a van with some seats selling drinks on the pier so we drifted there for a sunset drink where l got a wine in a can! I had never had one of these before and it actually wasn’t bad. Don’t judge me.
Afterwards, being by the sea, we went for crab at Cracked Crab. They were very knowledgable about gluten free and sold individual meals or couple meals. I got an individual meal whilst the other 2 got a shared one as I wasn’t able to eat the sausages that came in the one they wanted, which was fine for me because I was there for the crab.
It was scrumptious. In the end, my crab was the best one and also the mashed potatoes that came with it was the most delectable garlic mash I’ve ever had.
It was so good here one of my friends even bought a cracked crab t-shirt.
I went to bed this night full and happy 🙂
Day 5: Drive from Pismo Beach to Las Vegas
This was a long day of driving, a total of 8 hours, so you can opt to split up the driving a bit and stay somewhere else on route. We found it fine though and made plenty of pit stops to break it up.
We went for breakfast in Maricopa, in their last and only diner, Tina’s Diner. It is a very quiet town and the diner is run by a very friendly lady in a shabby and exquisitely random diner.
I ordered a hash brown and a chilli and cheese omelette which I assumed was going to be chopped fresh chilli and cheddar cheese omelette (I used to have this for breakfast at my grandmas in India). I was mistaken. I was very mistaken. It came with chilli con carne all over the omelette and in it! So it was definitely an experience eating here. I would say, as it’s just the friendly lady cooking, just make sure to ask for specifics!
Afterwards we started the next leg of our journey. For food on the way down we just stopped at petrol stations for snacks, there’s an abundance of meat and cheese snacks that are gluten free that kept me going.
Along our route, we stopped in at a ghost western town in Calico, the tallest thermometer in the world and 7 magic mountains just before Vegas. They were all an experience, and a good way to stretch our legs on the journey.
Finally, we made it to Las Vegas at around 6pm!
VEGAS Baby!
I’ve written in more detail about Vegas in my blog post ‘A Winning Weekend – Vegas Baby’ but I’ve noted down main highlights below.
We stayed in Flamingo Hotel and went here initially to freshen up. Then pretty much immediately went out to explore! Refillable slushies are a big thing here, so we went to Fat Tuesdays to pick up our cup before heading to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone crab for a steak dinner. The food was incredible, one of the best steaks I’ve ever had and I was confident in eating here as they had a gluten free menu and the waiters were very reassuring.
We also checked out the water fountain show at Caesars Palace and that was worth it as it is a free 10 minute show on most hours on the hour.
To top off our first night here, we went to the casino at Flamingo, as any first night in Vegas should end!
Day 6: Explore Las Vegas
Yard Bird for a gluten free fried chicken and waffle brunch was my first stop, and what a way to start the day! This was soooo good. I got a sharer meal and it was so fantastic. The chicken was beautiful.
Afterwards, we explored a bit more of the other hotels in Vegas (like the Venetian, worth walking through!) and went to a pool party at Flamingo. It was loud and busy, the water was ice cold. But all in all I enjoyed myself at least to sit in the sun for a while and pretend I was someone who was taking part in a pool party.
We went for an early buffet dinner at the Wynn Hotel which was the best buffet experience I have ever had. I almost cried when the chef walked us round and said that if I didn’t feel comfortable with the sharing of tongs etc. then I could just ask one of the chefs to give me a fresh portion… I could eat almost everything!
The last night in Vegas definitely has to be reserved for a show and we chose to go to the Blue Man Group. This was a hilarious and unique show I’d recommend!
Ok and of course we then had one last hurrah in the Casino as a night cap… it was our final night in Vegas, after all.
Day 7: Drive from Vegas > Death Valley National Park > LA
We left quite early as it was quite a big drive into LA through Death Valley.
Though before leaving Vegas, we went to a 100% GF bakery, Senza. Some of these goods were incredible, I recommend the cheese puffs and crack (yes, crack is a dessert).
I’m glad we stopped here so my tummy was filled enough that I could appreciate the beautiful scenery on the route. This was such a unique drive and the scenery is endless. Through Death Valley we stopped at Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the Death Valley National Park sign, amongst other random points to take photos along the way. The sand dunes were a highlight for me! There wasn’t much option of food on the route apart from standard petrol station snacks, so I recommend stocking up at the bakery in Vegas.
We arrived in LA and headed straight to the Angels baseball stadium to see LA angels and of course for a gluten free hot dog! What a dream, a ball game and a hot dog. We left a little early from the game as we also planned to go to a 100% gluten free brewery, Divine Science Brewery. You can get a whole tasting board of different beers here!!
For more details on all of these things, check out my more detailed 3 days in Los Angeles blog!
Day 8: Explore Los Angeles
Barry’s & Breakfast
We started the day with a Barry’s exercise class as, thought international now, the original is in West Hollywood in LA and a couple of our friends are Barry-goers so we went! It was 34 dollars each so not the cheapest and I think you need to be a member and pre-booking is pretty necessary.
For brunch afterwards we went to an amazing little bakery called Modern Bread & Bagel in Santa Monica, again it had no signs anywhere celebrating that it was 100% GF but it is and it is fantastic. Choices here are endless, there‘s even choices of bagel (plain, sesame, seeded etc.) and the donuts are the best I have EVER had.
There’s nowhere to sit in here, so I recommend stopping by on the way to somewhere else, or you can do like we did and walk around 30 mins down to the beach for a little picnic.
Cycling, Celebrities & Curries
While we were by the beach, we rented bikes and rode along the beach path. You can just go to any of the bike rental shops along the beach. There’s such an abundance of quirky houses along the beaches here and so many fun activities going on to watch.
After this, we got an Uber to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I did not realise it was so long. In 1994 there were already 2000 stars! They’re even on both sides of the street.
That evening we went to a small Indian restaurant in a strip mall called Crown of India. It’s a small restaurant with super friendly staff and no alcohol. They had good knowledge of gluten free food and were able to make most, if not all, of the curries and kebabs gluten free. Nothing that I didn’t expect to be gluten free was, so overall I’d say this was average from a gluten free wow perspective, but the food was still good. Forgive me, I forgot to take any pictures of this place.
Day 9: Explore Los Angeles
Hollywood!
The next day we went to Griffith Observatory via an Uber for a view of the classic Hollywood sign which took about 45 minutes from Santa Monica. The sign was very very far away. Much farther than we were expecting, but this is a great place to go hiking or walking and can give you multiple different angles of the hollywood sign, depending on how much you want to walk.
For dinner that night, we tried a 100% GF Italian place called goop Superfina and it was divine. I think this was one of the best tomato spaghettis I’ve had. Thought admittedly I don’t order this often, I might in the future. We also ordered a pizza which was also good, not the best thing I’ve ever tasted, but really good.
Day 10: Universal Studios and Depart
Universal Studios was FUN. You can buy tickets online and we got an Uber there too (shocker).
It literally is a playground for children and adults alike. We ended up stumbling into the Harry Potter section as the first big thing we did which I was very happy about, butterbeer and a chocoloate frog for breakfast? Yes please. The butterbeer is completely gluten free! And so are most of the sweet things in Honeydukes, so just doube check the ingredients before you buy.
If there are any gluten free Potterheads, you can also eat in the Three Broomsticks there and they have some pretty good options for gluten free, you can see all the GF offerings here.
We had an early lunch at Mel’s Diner, they have GF burger buns which many others offered, but unlike the others, Mel’s listed the fries as GF, and what is a burger without fries? It was exactly as expected from a fast food burger and fries, I can’t complain!
In Springfield, Homer Simpson’s donuts and beer are not gluten free. But in Moe’s they do have a cider on tap, so I got a cider and paid the $3 for a Duff glass to feel like I immersed myself properly in The Simpsons! In the shop here, they do also have Duff in a can which is a 0 alcohol orange drink which is also gluten free!
Nintendo World was fantastic if you’re a fan of Super Mario. Everything is so colourful and things move and it all felt quite immersive. There’s a ride here which simulates a go kart which is also quite cool.
Overall, it was a really fun activity for a day and we were back by 5pm to pack for our flight!
Trip Recap
Route:
2 nights in San Francisco
1 night in Monterey Bay
1 night in Pismo Beach
2 nights in Las Vegas
3 nights in Los Angeles
Recommended Food Stops:
San Francisco:
1. Mariposa Baking Company – Entirely GF bakery
2. Tony’s Pizza Napoletana – Fantastic GF deep dish pizza, pasta options available too
3. Peña Pachamama – Almost entirely GF Bolivian restaurant with live music and dancing
4. Nepa Indian Cuisine – GF Naan Bread
5. Madron Art Bar – GF beer, live music
Monterey Bay:
1. Rosine’s – GF Pasta
2. Dust bowl Brewing Co. Tap Depot – locally produced seltzer
En route:
1. The Breakfast Club, Monterey Bay – GF Pancakes
2. Linn’s Easy as Pie Cafe, Cambria – GF Toasted Sandwich
3. Snacks from Ragged Point shop – GF cookies
Pismo Beach:
1. Cracked Crab
En route:
1. Tina’s diner, Maricopa – ask/explain GF
Las Vegas:
1. Wynn Hotel Buffet – almost everything GF
2. Yard Bird – GF fried chicken & waffles
3. Joe‘s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab – a fancy steak
4. Senza Bakery – 100% GF bakery
En route:
1. N/A only petrol station snacks
Los Angeles:
1. Divine Science Brewery – 100% GF Brewery
2. Modern Bread and Bagel – 100% GF Bakery
3. goop Superfina – ‘clean’ GF pasta and pizza
4. GF Hot dog at Angles or Dodgers Baseball Stadiums
5. Butterbeer, Mel’s diner or the Three Broomsticis in Universal Studios
Recommended Activities:
San Francisco:
1. Alcatraz tour
2. Golden Gate Bridge
3. Walk / run along Fisherman’s Wharf
En route:
1. Redwood forest
Monterey Bay:
1. Explore on foot, Alvarado street is pretty in the evening
En route:
1. Salmon Creek Falls
2. Ragged Point
3. Elephant Seal Vista Point
4. Pico Creek Beach
Pismo Beach:
1. Watch the sunset from the pier
2. Explore on foot
En route:
1. Calico Ghost town
2. Worlds tallest thermometer
3. 7 magic mountains
Las Vegas:
1. Explore the craziness of the hotels and streets
2. Fountain show outside of Caesars
3. Blue Man group
4. Top Golf
5. Casinos (obviously)
6. Pool party
En route:
1. Zabriskie Point
2. Mesquite Flat Sand dunes
3. Death Valley National Park sign
And various other cool photo opps
Los Angeles:
1. Baseball game (either the LA Dodgers or Angels)
2. Bike ride along the beaches
3. Universal Studios
4. Hiking trails from Griffith Observatory and Hollywood sign
4. Hollywood Walk of Fame
5. Original Barry’s exercise class
Thanks for reading all the way down here, if you do any of these activities or eat at any of these places then I’d love to see you enjoying these places, share your experiences in my facebook page, tag me on Instagram or TikTok!
Or for more information on any of these places, read my specific blog posts for each destination!
