I do not care to get into the Los Angeles areaHowever, the Sequoias are a must. Here are my suggestions: Therefore, the best month to drive the Pacific Coast Highway is September, when youre most likely to have great weather along the entire length of the road trip. We will only have 7 days. A one-week Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary will allow you to see the highlights without feeling rushed. We are only going to be there once though and want to make the most of it. Have a great drive! 99. Let me know if you have any other questions while planning or on the road! Thanks so much. If you see an error, please contact me. My English is very very basic but if you write to me I can understand it. There and back that is? Thanks for reading, Heather! Mike, great to hear from you and thanks for reading! Im trying to connect with the guide I found on pinterest. In this forest, youll find amazing old growth trees and is incredibly verdant. Pacific Coast Highway (1982)(Datasoft)(US)PlatformAtari 8-bitReleased1982Published byDatasoft,. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. I didnt spend a ton of time on the Central Coast, but be sure to stop at Pismo Beach and drive through Carmel. Plan accordingly when you design your PCH itinerary. Does that sound reasonable or doable? I am not fond of the cold and a bit fearful of icy driving in the mountains. Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. Ive just started planning our trip for this autumn. But there's something extra special about driving the Pacific Coast Highway as it approaches its southern end. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. Also known as California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway is the longest state route in California at just over 656 miles. If you make it out this way, let me know, as Im now in the Bay Area! Youd need to drive about 7-10 hours out of the way depending on the bridge, and miss major stretches of the road . skip Santa Cruz, skip San Francisco Day 2 and just hit the highway) OR if you had a suggestion on swapping out one of the spots with a different one (ex. Thank you . I would hate to plan a trip only to find out that things are shut down or there are big restrictions placed on free movement. Franke's first solo album is surprisingly melodic, highly accessible, and immaculately produced. Great info . Sorry about the delay, Scott. Valerie, valuable tips ! I am planning to take this trip with my family of 5 as you have lined out for the 10 days this coming June. Please keep doing what youre doing. Thank you for this wonderful review. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. Although I live in San Francisco, Ive yet to visit several of these places on this list. You also mentioned Suburbans are not great because they are so big, but I dont think we have much choice with the large family. These Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops really seem like true country California. Seaside is a picturesque coastal town, a western interpretation of the East Coast summer destinations along the Atlantic. Looking to fly into Crescent City Ive tried to locate flight from Oakland to Crescent City but havent been able to, do you have any info on this flight? Im saving this post to reference when I think about doing this trip, because that has to happen! Then flying back to Michigan. Ime hoping the trip will run about $10k. Thanks for your comment, Archimedes. We are just wondering if you have an estimate on how much it would be to travel the PCH! (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange . My best advice is to take a look at the app Roadtrippers and start plugging in where you might want to go to get a sense of travel time then you can decide whats must-do, what extra you have time for, and what needs to be cut.I hope that helps! We fly out of LA. Making a Pacific Coast Highway road trip is a popular bucket list experience - for good reason! On your stop here, be sure to walk out along the pier and keep an eye out for surfers working the breaks along the beach. You thinks thats safe or should I make some. Angie, thanks so much for your comment! Thank you again. Just starting to think about a 1st time road trip from Az to Washington and back among the PCH!!?? https://www.valisemag.com/pacific-coast-highway-guide/ https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/ Both include info on the area between San Diego and Santa Monica. We were planning on 10 days total for driving, site seeing and ending it with 2 days in Disneyland. My favorite place is Mendocino if the skies are clear! Great question, Sharon! I had lots of recommendations from a friend, specific to Big Sur, but your article was so encompassing and complete. WOW! I was reading for the road trip from Seattle to San Diego. It was so helpful as I planned and traveled cross country this summer starting with the PCH. I share travel resources and stories based on my personal experience and knowledge. November should be a good time, but you may experience some days where the Marine Layer rolls in be sure to pack layers in case its cooler/less sunny than expected! You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). My problem is going to be deciding what not to do because Ill only have so much time (and money). Just wondering about restrictions? I would definitely do some research on inland options Im not as familiar with whats inland though. Its the best time for good weather on the whole coast! Have a great trip! I hope you can make this trip someday (hopefully soon!). Its a great spot for a short hike to stretch your legs. But never mind those technicalities, because equally bewitching ribbons of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 await all along this route. Its impossible to reduce all of the amazing things to do in San Francisco down to a small paragraph or overnight stop on a Pacific Coast Highway road trip. The Pacific Coast Highway is up there with the most beautiful drives in the world. Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! Download Pacific Coast Highway stock photos. Tim & Janice, what kind words! This is exactly what I was looking for. We definitely want to visit the redwood forest, which is the main reason we want to go so far north. I love all the details and recommendations! Thanks for your comment, Kathy! Hey there! Now Im going to lay out step-by-step directions for a Pacific Coast Highway road trip based on all my tips so far. Rainier, plenty of coastlines, and Redwoods. Thanks for reading, Teena! We plan a trip to San Jos, California because of its diversity, beautiful scenery, and exceptionally high outputs. LA's vast size may seem daunting, but if you plan what you want to see and do, it can be a really rewarding place to visit. Lane closure lasting 5 hours on Conventional Hwy for Electrical Work affecting #3, R T Lane #1, Right Shoulder, Bike Lane, Sidewalk lane(s) in District: 12 From: MAIN ST (DOWN TOWN) Huntington Beach to Beach Blvd, Rte 39 Huntington Beach End 300ft going SB on Rte 1 after Beach Blvd intersection We are so overwhelmed. I hope you have a great trip whenever you can make it! I hope you can do at least part of the PCH someday soon . You can stretch your legs with a short walk before getting back on the road. Hoping to do this mid Sept 2020. Pismo State Beach is another great stop during a day of driving from San Francisco to Santa Barbara (or reverse). This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. Stop 5: Hearst castle. Is it worth waiting to do this trip in summer? My car is a convertible (BMW 3 series) so I am not sure if it can take on the road during Dec end Seattle and portland area mainly ? One of the requests I get asked for is a Pacific Coast Highway map with all of the stops I suggest, so I used Roadtrippers to put together this one. Here are the stops I suggest for a Pacific Coast Highway California road trip itinerary. Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Thank you for great info This is exactly what I was looking for. From the perspective of California Highway 1, it might seem like just a few buildings alongside the road. Pacific Highway Route information Existed 1913-1926 [a] Major junctions South end San Diego, CA North end Vancouver, BC Location Country United States States California, Oregon, Washington, (also Vancouver in British Columbia) Highway system Auto trails Pacific Highway is the name of several north-south highways in the Pacific Coast region of the Western United States, either by . Im thinking I might end my trip at Santa Barbara. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along CA-1. Would you have any other suggestions since I am using 4 more days and not going south to Sa Diego and strarting in Vancouver? I appreciate all the information! P.S. Be sure to check the California DOT website for more information. How long is the Pacific Coast Highway? Valerie, First off, congratulations on your recent wedding! Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. Seattle is perfect for anywhere between one day and three days if you have the time. We then headed to San Fran, our ending point. Thank you for the comprehensive narrative! Doing this trip starting this weekend! I am planning for this roadtrip this December- starting from Dec 25th. Its hard to do the drive one way in just 5 days from San Diego to Seattle adding on the time driving from Arizona and the return trip, I think you need at least 10-12 days. The traditional definition of the Pacific Coast Highway is to drive California Highway 1 from San Diego to Leggett (or vice versa); you can extend by adding on U.S. Highway 101 through Northern California and Oregon and Washington coasts. Depending on the timing of your itinerary, you may want to do an overnight here. Im glad it was helpful. After Crater lake we headed back to 238 towards HWY 101, we took an off road to hit the coast right at Brookings. There are plenty of things to do in Long Beach for more than an overnight stop! Located just off the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, this campsite is sandwiched between a gorgeous beach and a redwood forest. In the Santa Barbara area of the article you mentioned that you had an article about Santa Barbara and what to do, I am not able to locate this article. Making the drive in 2 days. I do have OCD though, and Im having a really hard time getting past your use of the word lament in the paragraph suggesting to drive on southbound. My wife doesnt particularly like high bridges or steep drops (one reason we are driving north), so any advice on where we might avoid such things is appreciated. In Washington, Oregon, and at the northern end of California, the Pacific Coast route follows US Highway 101. As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. If youre planning a full 10-day west coast road trip, make sure you follow my guide and do at least one overnight on the Olympic Peninsula. It includes so many things each person in my family wants to see and do! What are must see spots. The drive travels 655 miles along the coast of California and along the wa. 4 Baths. Astoria, like Aberdeen in Washington, is a great destination for lovers of pop culture. Our plan (2 people) would be to fly into Seattle, where family is. Thanks for your comment, Catherine. September and October are definitely best for visiting NorCal, so I recommend that time of year too! Great question, Judy. The ocean is my happy place. Great question So Crater Lake is pretty far inland. 24 Best Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Stops. The 17-Mile Drive between Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey Santa Barbara marks the threshold to the southern California section of the pacific coast. Just south of the Bay Area, Santa Cruz is a laid back, quirky hippie town. We are planning to do Northboundfrom Ventura to Wine country but only have 5 days returning on the 5th day. I was born on the East Coast and currently live in the Midwest but my heart will always be out West. It is best known for the stretch along the Californian coast, with spectacular ocean views and awesome attractions as you travel. maybe to get a car, which adds about 6 hours of driving time. What type of car would you rent for 4 of us? A couple of reasons: 1. Lot of driving in 10 days, but I am excited. We continued on until we picked up the beginning of CA Hwy 1. I make all of my must see recommendations in this post, so I recommend checking out the section on California to find the ones that sound interesting to you. Cherie, thanks for your comment. I havent been to Monterey but its high on my list! Extremely informative. Thanks for reading, Lynda! If you need to stretch your legs on your day of driving between Los Angeles and San Diego, Huntington Beach is a great spot to stop. Thanks for your comment, Victoria! "Someone told me there's a girl out there, with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair." Led Zeppelin, "Going to California" 2. Oregon & California are both pretty vegan friendly states so Id expect lots of restaurants have at least an option thats animal-free. I loved the harbor and wharf, was surprised by the food scene, and lightly dabbled in the historical significance of Santa Barbara enough for me to want to return. If you know which car you want, I recommend renting from Fox Rent-A-Car or Sixt. Im glad you booked LA and Seattle, because those are the two you most need to have arranged! OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. Youll have less distance (just the car and shoulder) instead of an entire lane of the road plus the shoulder. My wife and I have been to Cali a couple of times, our daughter once from Diego to Fran (Berkeley) and loved it, and just us once to Seattle and Portland, but flying in and out only. I think its going to be a tough year fro travel! It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! The jagged coastline, infinite blue water, sunny days, gorgeous sunsets these are just a few of the reasons California Highway 1 became a popular route in the first place! Great content here, thank you! Im not sure there are many good airports to leave a rental car in the region youre suggesting you may end up driving into L.A. to do so and to fly home. Though I have visited a few cities in California over the years, I (we) are looking forward to that California coastal drive.