After food and exercise, one of my biggest passions in life is travel. Exploring a new place, meeting new people and discovering new food and cultures is the best things in the world. So when Hostelworld asked me if I wanted to partner with them on an epic adventure and create some awesome fitness content along the way, I was all over it!
Travel has been a big part of my life since I was young when my mum and dad used to take me and my brother camping in the South of France. I knew from a young age that I was wanted to travel and that whatever career I got into, travel was going to form a big part of my life. From my round the world trip backpacking through Asia and Australia when I was 18, to a recent weekend in Rome or a work trip to Dublin, travel continues to be so a huge part of my life. The best way to meet new people and have authentic travel experiences is to stay in hostels.
To inspire others to travel I embarked on an epic journey with Hostelworld. Starting in San Francisco, I drove down the California coast with my brother and best friend, all the way to San Diego. Along the way we stayed in some awesome hostels, filmed loads of new workouts, cooking some great food, and hopefully inspiring people to stay lean when they travel.
For me, this trip is all about combining food, fitness and travel and showing people that you can have fun, go on a new adventure and still stay fit and healthy.
Why the USA?
Apart from being one of the most iconic road trips in the world, California’s West Coast is a special place for me. In 2010, I was 25 and I was feeling a bit lost and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. I’d graduated from University with a degree is Sports Science but I had no real direction and was having what I called my ‘quarter life crisis’. So rather than sit around pretending to apply for jobs we didn’t want, me and friend decided to go on a massive adventure. Starting in Canada, we cycled all the way to Mexico – along the Pacific Coast Highway.
It was an incredible trip and when I look back it definitely helped me get some focus and figure out what I wanted to do. Seeing new things and meeting different people has helped shape who I am today and my bike trip in America was a big turning point for me.
When I got back from that trip I was more energised and felt this amazing sense of achievement and it was around this time that I decided that I was going to find a way to turn my passion for exercise into a career. That was really the start of the journey to creating the Body Coach, and here we are now! It’s crazy when I look back on the last few years, I’ve gone on to publish 5 best-selling books, had a number one fitness DVD and smashed the World Record for the world’s biggest ever HIIT workout.
So I’m absolutely buzzing to get back and retrace some of the route I did back in 2010. I’m secretly happy that I’m not going to be a bike this time, but instead I’m going to be stopping along the way and filming new workouts in amazing locations, meeting some new people and showing my audience that travel and fitness can go together and be fun.
You can follow my epic road trip with Hostelworld here on this website and on my social media channels – including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
The Hostels
San Francisco: Hi San Francisco City Centre
Hi San Francisco City Centre still has touches of its former life as a 1920s boutique hotel. With modern amenities and loads of organised group activities, HI is great for solo travellers.
Book a room in Hi San Francisco City Centre
Pescadera: Hi Pidgeon Point
Perched atop a cliff on the site of a 115-foot-tall, working lighthouse, HI Pigeon Point is surrounded by nature and has a hot tub that you can enjoy under the stars.
Book a room in Hi Pidgeon Point
Monterey: Hi Monterey
HI Monterey is located at the Northern boundary of the Big Sur coastline with direct access to the city and glorious nearby nature.
San Luis Obispo: HI San Luis Obispo
HI San Luis Obispo is a charming, friendly hostel with the feel of a B&B.
Book a room in Hi San Luis Obispo
Santa Barbara: The Wayfarer
The Wayfarer sits on the Urban Wine Trail and has a daily complimentary breakfast, community kitchen and an onsite pool. This chic, design-led hostel will convert even the biggest hotel addict.
Los Angeles: Freehand
Freehand LA is truly a one of a kind hostel located in downtown LA, with spacious suites, a rooftop pool and bar, fitness centre and a retail shop. The two onsite cocktail bars are the talk of the town with LA locals lining up around the block to get into this happening hostel.
Los Angeles: HI Santa Monica
Located right on the beach you can practically roll from your bed to the ocean and enjoy the iconic Santa Monica sands. With a large courtyard perfect for socialising, HI Santa Monica is the best place to meet fellow travellers.
Book a room in Hi Santa Monica
San Diego: USA Hostels San Diego
The colourful decor of this centrally located hostel has Spanish inspired vibes and exclusive privacy pods perfect for relaxing after a day of exploring the city.
Book a room in USA Hostels San Diego
Follow Joe’s road trip on Instagram here.
The post The Body Coach’s Epic California Road Trip appeared first on Hostelworld Blog.
