In this second, updated edition, imagine being an adventure traveler setting out to explore the California Coast. Then imagine climbing in beside someone with intimate local knowledge of the coast and all its opportunities for outdoor exploration and enjoyment. With the Sea Beside Me is a guide book, a running narrative and a collection of travel literature vignettes, a book that can be read for entertainment before departing and then referred to along the road. From Santa Barbara to the Oregon border, Fischer points out the great places to camp, outstanding hikes, kayaking and surfing spots, brew pubs, restaurants, lodging, interesting back roads and some of the fascinating people the traveler should stop to meet along the way. The road stories give the reader a sense of the places and the people, making each area feel familiar before arriving. Fischer brings over a quarter century of adventure travel to the traveler in this entertaining and informative road trip, featuring almost 200 photos and 17 maps.