The love that Los Angeles native James Brolin has for California is truly woven into his DNA. The Emmy and Golden Globe winner grew up eagerly exploring all corners of the Golden State on his way to his finding future success in Hollywood and winning acclaim for standout roles on TV’s Marcus Welby, M.D., Hotel, Life in Pieces, and The Reagans (a TV movie in which he played the former governor and president), and in films such as The Amityville Horror, Traffic, Westworld, and Catch Me If You Can.
These days, the open road continues to call to him and wife Barbra Streisand, and the couple delights in discovering and rediscovering California’s top destinations as well as its hidden gems. Below, Brolin—who’s currently starring in Netflix’s Ransom Canyon—opens up about all his favorite things about the state and why he’s still proud to call it home.
Where do you live? I was born in Westwood Village when it was really a village. But…in the early ’70s I moved way on up to the Central Coast to a horse and cattle ranch.
And since then, I have lived on the Pacific Coast somewhere between Big Rock in lower Big Sur, to as far south as Baja and between, for the remainder. That continues, including my 10 years in Montecito, when the old ’20s mansions there were dirt cheap.
Back in the 1970s, after 45 years in the lumber business in Santa Margarita near San Luis Obispo, those ties I leave to my son, who now has the ranch. Now I have my terrific favorite Raptor pickup to venture out into the world.
One of the kickers when I bought Oak Country Ranch was that it had a chartered FAA airport and hangar, as I have been an avid pilot since I was 18. A great life was had as I raised my boys there. We fly-fished in our two bass ponds almost every day. There were 60 head of horses and 100 head of cattle. But right now, the main house for us is at Point Dume in Malibu.
Why there? When I was 15, a surfer friend drove me out to Malibu Pier where I met all the then-great American surfers and board builders of the day. Velzy and Hobie were regulars. I then bought a lousy board and became a truly lousy surfer. I lied about my age and got a Malibu job parking cars as a valet in my shorts and a tee, at the great Tonga Lei Restaurant. (Ha! And now it’s Nobu.)
That began my love of Malibu. I live now with my sweet wife, 90 feet above the surf, and it’s damn hard to beat.
Who or what is your greatest California love? I’ve got to say, it really is being at home with my wife, but I was born with that constant calling in my head to go and be with nature. It’s like that “always good to go” and “always good to get back home” feeling that every vacation away gives us.
What is the biggest misperception about Californians? That it’s too expensive and too crowded. The truth is that all the money’s been here since the Gold Rush, and the pay and the opportunities are the highest and the best. And I can go out to the desert, or fly-fish trout, bass fish, or ski, sail, or surf, all in trips of between 3 minutes and 3 hours of driving. It’s all out there and available to everyone.
California is an endless stretch of open country to discover. And with so many traditional small towns without franchises or strip malls yet to discover, there are so many hidden nature-bound places to hide in and camp and fish.
Though a windshield, to me…is like a CinemaScope screen…when traveling on the open road. Just to hop up to Bakersfield for a quick Basque lunch is a true thrill. Driving gives me an alert alpha state. (So that’s what I do when I can’t remember my lines for a new film project.)
What is your favorite Golden State splurge? My mind goes to food. If I get off the 101 freeway at Seward in Ventura and double back to the In-N-Out there. And I order three protein cheeseburgers, then quickly bundle them up so they don’t cool, and head on up to Main Street where the old McConnell’s ice cream joint is.
Then sit outside, and enjoy one of the best meals in the world for me…then wander on into McConnell’s and order a double scoop of Brazilian Coffee ice cream in a sugar cone. (I might have to nap afterwards, in the back of the pickup.) That’s about the best tummy stuffer ever!
Time for a road trip—where are you going? We would first head up highway 5 to 99 and stay in Kernville the first night, including a nice frantic icy dip in the river rapids. We’d then cruise on up 395 to Mammoth, then on to Reno and Susanville.
I never usually make reservations—the wife’s not swift on that—but she always goes with the flow, loving our adventures, the best ones being the unexpected ones. Then we’d go west through wine country to Bodega Bay and hug the coast back through Redwood City, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Ragged Point, Cambria, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and south on 101, off on Rice Ave. to home.
There’s also a fun but wild unknown route south from Atascadero through Pozo across the Carrizo Plain, to the lonesome restaurant and fuel stop at New Cuyama, then continue on the back road through the mountains over into Ojai. Ojai! The best little town near Los Angeles. Originally a sacred valley to the Chumash people. Two of my three children now live there.
What is your favorite way to play in California? As always, the best thrill is…on the road! Doesn’t mean I’m near always gone…but it’s my favorite.
Though a true expert A&P mechanic friend, Billy Payne, and I built an experimental “SuperStol” aircraft a couple of years ago in Brasstown, North Carolina, as I still crave my hours in the air to satisfy my soul. I flew Cessna Skywagon 185s and a Helio Courier for 25 years, but now it’s time to refine my short-landing technique.
A trip to Harris Ranch up on 5 near Coalinga is a terrific one-hour flight for a great meal, and they have aviation fuel. Also, Santa Ynez, San Luis Obispo, King City, and Monterey airports are all fun stops.
Best California song? In 1981, I built a pretty cool Italian restaurant with my partners on State Street by the train station in Santa Barbara. It was called Rocky Galenti’s, and it was the whole bottom floor of the old California Hotel with a great adjoining bar and club.
So, about that time, I became friends with Joe Walsh of the Eagles…who wrote, performed, and had a huge legendary hit with the cut “Hotel California.” And because “California hotel” doesn’t rhyme so well, I figured, as he lived nearby, that it might be named after this building we were housed in. Funny enough, it had always been my favorite piece of music with the name California in it…but I never did ask Joe.
How would your California dream day unfold? So, we would be up at dawn. I would double-check and verify the supplies list in the back of my pickup. Then arriving at the dock, we load up the supplies on board the 40’ ketch (don’t actually own a boat). Setting sail to Catalina Island will take at least an easygoing 6 hours to Avalon, and then someone from the Mt. Ada Wrigley Hotel will arrive to take us up to a suite in their loaner golf cart.
After we check in and get settled, we head out in the early evening to cruise the waterfront shops and then settle in at the Bluewater Grill for a mescal buffalo milk and some truly delicious sautéed sanddabs. Then back to Mt. Ada for the best sleep you’ll ever remember.
I’ve been going to Catalina for six decades and think it’s better than ever. Also, a flight to Catalina Airport for an airport café lunch is fun. Just take along a life jacket!