Bric-a-Brac 14
My list of walkable Malibu and the Brit who's designing the most interesting US road trips.
JUST BACK FROM…MALIBU
Last weekend, I needed to be in Los Angeles for a book signing Matt was doing in downtown LA. It would have made sense to find a hotel in DTLA, but I’m not a fan of staying there (sorry! Maybe it’s because we are overexposed to city life in NYC). Also, since I’ve been traveling a lot, I’ve been craving nature more than ever. And so we booked the Malibu Beach Inn, and didn’t rent a car—a first for us. We’d been in LA just a month before, and spent so much time dealing with the car and money on overnight hotel parking, we ended up using Uber the whole time. I figured it was worth seeing how we did without one, as we were there for only two nights.
I don’t think there’s a better place to go to sleep, or to wake up, than the Malibu Beach Inn. (I’m not talking about in LA, I mean, period.) It’s directly on the ocean—so much so that you have to check the tides before you head out on a beach walk! We left the sliding glass door of the balcony open so we could hear the waves crashing as we fell asleep, and then we woke up to the most epic sunrise. Since we didn’t have a car, we walked so much more than we normally would have. We had a great lunch at the Malibu Farm (there’s one that has waiter service at the beginning of the pier, but I prefer the one at the end, which usually doesn’t have a wait), just 5 minutes away on foot. After lunch, I checked out the Ranch at the Pier store, owned by One Gun Ranch, which has such a great edit—from their Biodynamic trucker hats to Bamford products. After drinks at the hotel (Josh makes an excellent Negroni and martini!), we walked to dinner at the Surfrider, which was fantastic (although you normally have to be a guest in order to eat there). While I haven’t stayed there, it’s a favorite of many friends. And on our last morning, we walked up to the Malibu Country Mart, where we split a delicious breakfast burrito at Malibu Kitchen, then took a walk through the Malibu Lagoon. If you’re there early on a Sunday and you’re a car fan, check out Coffee and Cars. It turned out that even staying in Malibu, we were just fine without a car. Okay, maybe if we’d had the time to go hiking a car would have been necessary, but it was super easy and much cheaper to just Uber everywhere.
Other suggestions on our list but we didn’t have time for…all within walking distance:
Broad Street Oyster Co (in the Malibu Country Mart), Taverna Tony (authentic Greek food), Malibu Seafood (an hour’s walk, but 5-minute drive. Go at sunset!), Nobu.
SHARE CONTACT
I know I talked a lot about Uber above, but I’m much more a fan of using smaller companies whenever possible. For NYC airport pickups, we love Legends. There are actual kind humans who pick up the phone and communicate with you! And they are often cheaper than Uber. In San Francisco, I always call Filmon, who is such a lovely guy, and a great driver. My friend met him when he was her Uber driver, got his number, and started to use him privately. Tell him I sent you! +1-925-522-6679
THE NAVIGATOR
Sam Highley, Founder, All Roads North
Tell us about you and your company.
All Roads North is an unpretentious luxury travel company that custom designs American road trips, which I founded in 2014. I'm a Brit, and prior to moving to the U.S. I'm afraid to say it wasn't on my “bucket list'' of places I wanted to visit. I had many of the negative preconceptions that I think others (some Americans included!) share about the U.S. as an exciting, challenging travel destination. Suffice it to say, as soon as I started to move around the country, I realized how wrong I'd been. Yes, it's a beautiful, adventurous, fun place to travel, but what has always surprised me the most is its diversity; it more than lives up to its billing as a melting pot and it makes for a fascinating place to travel. When I looked at how the luxury travel world regarded the U.S. (and still does), it was in a very cookie-cutter, superficial way and nobody was really trying to get under the skin of the country in the same way that they were elsewhere. I founded All Roads North to fill that gap.
What’s the entry level to talk to you?
As a rough rule of thumb we have a minimum trip spend of $15,000.
What is the sweet spot of your expertise?
The more thoughtful and challenging the brief from our clients, the better the end experience. We've always put people and places first and hotels second—those that travel with the same mentality tend to appreciate what All Roads North offers.
A favorite experience/trip you’ve planned that best represents your travel philosophy…
We've just finished a fun trip for a repeat client in Northern CA. They'd had a very memorable walking trip along Spain's Camino and were looking to recreate something similar with ten friends to celebrate his wife's 40th birthday. We designed an itinerary along the coast of Mendocino that linked hikes into secluded inns, kayaking out to hidden coves and sunset horse rides along the beach. Each day had at least one long centerpiece meal, from shucking oysters on a private beach to Michelin-starred tasting menus. It was very much the type of logistically complex trip we love to take on and we were working with demanding clients who could afford the best, but prioritized authentic, meaningful experiences over the bling and bombast that some travel has become.
A favorite hotel/lodge/house you love and go back to again and again…
My family and I have spent the last few summers at a ranch in Montana called J Bar L. It's a wonderfully remote place in the middle of the Centennial Valley—you can look thirty miles in either direction and barely see another building.
The most memorable meal you’ve had while traveling in your region…
The Jolly Oyster, a van on the beach in Ventura, is an old favorite. Pick up a good bottle of local white wine and enjoy sweet little Kumamoto oysters and scallop ceviche.
A not-to-be-missed favorite experience…
I've just finished reading The Overstory by Richard Powers, so trees are front of mind! There is something very special about walking amongst giant Sequoias—their scale and age are hard to fathom. Sadly, Sequoia National Park has just suffered a major wildfire that has threatened some of the largest Sequoia groves. Our clients can experience these places while supporting the Sequoia Conservancy, a conservation non-profit that is working to protect these trees.
What is a place we should consider traveling to that could really use our dollars, and what is a place we should put on pause because, even though we love it, it sees too many tourists?
Many Native American reservations have been particularly badly impacted by Covid and shutdowns. They're special places to visit at any time, but putting tourist dollars back into the local economies is especially important now. On the flip side, some of the major national parks have seen very heavy traffic this year and are in danger of being loved to death. There are some incredible national monuments, wilderness areas, state parks, etc., that can deliver amazing experiences with a fraction of the crowds and a much lighter footprint.
Underrated location, overrated location, personal favorite, recent discovery?
Underrated: Los Angeles
Overrated: Route 66
Personal Favorite: Acadiana in Louisiana
Recent Discovery: Utah's Nebo Loop Scenic Byway
What is something you wished we all knew or were better at as travelers?
I think the U.S. has been somewhat of a bellwether for the resurgence of travel post lockdown and we've seen certain sectors like hotels and restaurants stretched to the limit with staffing and resource constraints. I think as travelers a little patience and empathy to these challenges will go a long way in the next year.
How can people best contact you?
ask@allroadsnorth.com, 310 402 2031, @allroadsnorth
You are absolutely right Yolanda. Whenever we would get to LA we would walk everywhere and especially the beach in Malibu.. you have included all our favorites haunts The Brentwood Country Mart and Malibu Country Mart.. We love the developers editing eye with unique shops..
you brought back some fine memories.. thanks as always.. sharon+ paul
We stayed at the Malibu Beach Inn last summer and it was transformational. We have family in LA and get out to visit once a year (my stepson's wedding was at the Adamson House historic home in Malibu - a must visit)! Taverna Tony's was so delicious we went there twice over our 3 night stay! Malibu Farm (the table service location at the beginning of the pier) was disappointing to be frank. We loved Zuma beach, and shopping at Malibu Country Mart esp. Therese Foglia hats. Can't wait to go again for sure one of my favorite hotels anywhere.