Ive just started planning our trip for this autumn. Manny from Massachusetts. San Diego is known for its Zoo and was made Instagram famous for Potato Chip Rock. I love all the details that you are recommended here. The Pacific Coast Highway is the ultimate road trip - and it's certainly the best one in America. Stop 2: Santa Cruz and its boardwalk. Ime hoping the trip will run about $10k. I mapped it here so you can see the option to add in Crater Lake and what youll miss: https://goo.gl/maps/2A4GYTKnBcADVdRw5. , Hi. of the PCH? and so much more! We will be coming from Anaheim and want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway to Half Moon Bay. Valerie, I am so glad I found your guide to the PCH! A weekend of sea, sand, and sunscreen. Hello Valerie; my family and i are thinking about a trip from northern CA to San Diego along the coast. I would definitely do some research on inland options Im not as familiar with whats inland though. There are a number of epic hiking trails in the area, ranging from a 0.5-mile loop to 16-mile out-and-back trails. Hey there! My blog posts likely contain affiliate links, including for the Amazon Associates program.If you click, book, or buy from one of these links, I may earn a commission. It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! More Buying Choices $18.53 (15 used & new offers) Kindle. Crescent City is the first city youll enter when driving southbound into California along the Pacific Coast Highway (or last if youre headed northbound). Fort Bragg is home to a beautiful glass beach, pictured above, where the entire beach is made of sea glass from past trash dumps. 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. There are loads of cool things to explore in/around this small PNW town, including Olympic National Park! The little set of communities on the Long Beach peninsula is at the lower-left corner of the state and is home to cozy accommodations and surprisingly delicious restaurants. Plan accordingly when you design your PCH itinerary. What a drive! So doing our 101 bucket list too, but want a 2-3 days near Ocean Beach, CA. Ending at a beach front hotel in Diego for 2-3 days to visit that college, unwind and settle a little bit before leaving. Thanks for reading, Laurie! You have the same recommendations? Lastly, Pismo is a great stop for a midday workout on the road, with a huge stretch of beach to walk/run on. I travelled alone from San Francisco to LA while on a work trip years ago and havent stopped thinking about getting my husband out there. Thanks for your comment, Shelly! Yes, I do have San Francisco guides! I also agree that Point Reyes (and the lighthouse) is spectacular and my top place to go when in North Ca. Appreciate you sharing your experience and advice. Can you please give me a list of must sees in Santa Barbara (we could have two full days there). ENJOY the sightseeing trip of a lifetime. This is exactly what I was looking for. When in doubt, stay on the coast. Im planning on doing the PCH from Seattle to SF next Sept. (We did SF to SD in 2019). You can look out over beautiful sea stacks that dot the northern part of the Pacific Coast and stroll along the sand covered with huge driftwood formations and seafoam. Have other questions about driving the Pacific Coast Highway? Have a wonderful trip! We will go from Seattle to San Diego using your itinerary as our planning guide. My husband are I are planning 20 days to do the PCH(starting in Seattle and ending in San Diego) We are using your the ultimate pacific coast road trip itinerary as a guide. I am going to plan for at least a 10 day trip, its once in a lifetime and truly dont want to rush it I cant wait to see his face when I announce at his local birthday party in July that I have saved for and planned this fantastic trip for September 2021!! Officially, only the short, sun-loving stretch of Hwy 1 through Orange and Los Angeles Counties can legally call itself Pacific Coast Highway. From here on south, it's miles-upon-miles of beautiful sand beaches, palm-lined streets, and thriving coastal cities. Thank you for the article. Im also a not-so-secret space nerd and speak fluent emoji! Its not a long drive from Seattle to Olympia, so I recommend just making a waypoint stop here to stretch your legs before the rest of your driving today whether thats to Port Angeles or Portland. Thanks for such a thorough rundown of what to do. I used to use Google Maps to do this, but I find that the numbered stops and waypoints are much easier to understand, and this Roadtrippers map also has other points of interest (Extraordinary Places) you might want to stop at too. If we have 10 days to do this and could skip San Francisco, because we just did that 2 years ago, could we drive from Seattle to either Los Angeles or San Diego in an RV? This is such a great article. As we will be married 40 years! Are you planning to stay in bigger cities (Portland, SF, Santa Barbara), or smaller ones? Day 3: Cape Kiwanda, OR to Redwood State Park, CA. Point Reyes is arguably my favorite part of the Pacific Coast Highway and that is saying something as its really hard to choose favorites from over 650 miles of California coastline! Now that Ive moved to this part of California, I know this is true. Youll see signs for Hoh Rainforest, a left turn that takes you inland to the forest. Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! Angie, thanks so much for your comment! I agree, go north to south. If your PCH road trip includes the Olympic Peninsula, follow U.S. 101 west and then north along the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula toward Port Angeles. Youll have a great time! Hi Valerie. Booking this trip for late Oct. Id like to fly in ( from East Coast) somewhere north of San Fran. Bixby Bridge in Big Sur Choosing the top Pacific Coast Highway attractions isn't easy, as there are so many we love! Sorry; I dont have any suggestions for that! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101 to Crescent City always stick to the coast! Driving south on the right-hand side of the road, youll have a great view of the ocean and coastline. Im looking forward to have the same experience with my wife and my son. Thank you very much for providing a road map! I can really tell that you love traveling, Valerie . (If you decide to fly to SF, heres a recent post I wrote: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/). Snaking all the way up the U.S.'s west coast, the Pacific Coast Highway stretches 1,675 miles from California to Washington, starting in San Diego, CA and ending in Olympia, WA (or vice versa). The ocean's energy is magical. From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. Whether youre planning a San Diego to San Francisco, Seattle to San Francisco, San Francisco to San Diego, Seattle to San Diego road trip, or somewhere in between (Los Angeles! Portland? I didnt want to make all my reservations, but just go with it for one time in my life. Any recommendations will be appreciated! Once you are on Pacific Coast Highway, it is a straight-shot to virtually any beach destination on your road trip list, including San Luis . Be sure to check the California DOT website for more information. It depends a lot on how long you plan to make the drive do you know how many days youll be driving? Taking your advice, flying into Seattle (from KC), and heading south. I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. Thanks for your feedback, Alice, but I lived in California for several years and never heard anyone say Im going to drive PCH Ill be keeping the the if only because its proper English if Californians want to abandon that elsewhere, thats up to them . Stop 5: Hearst castle. Mike, great to hear from you and thanks for reading! Astoria, like Aberdeen in Washington, is a great destination for lovers of pop culture. I hope you can make this trip someday (hopefully soon!). The Pacific Coast Highway is an ambitious road trip, but totally possible in as few as five days. Kim, December should be a pretty good time, but plan for classic marine layer weather (chilly and cloudy this is whats normal on the Pacific coast!). As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. These seem to be the hardest parts to figure out for this type of trip! Also, niece is vegan and I am meat eater. But never mind those technicalities, because equally bewitching ribbons of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 await all along this route. Thank you. Thanks for reading, Jan. 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. Its a small detail, but totally uncalifornian to say the PCH. Thanks for sharing. We are coming from Pennsylvania. I lived for 15 years in Alaska, as well as four years each in California and Washington. Thanks! Thanks for your comment, Kathy! This information is great!!! The total distance is about 1,500 miles! Awesome suggestions and itinerary! Thanks for reading, Brian. 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. haha. The views of the colors changing in the trees were surreal. lol. Youll have less distance (just the car and shoulder) instead of an entire lane of the road plus the shoulder. I have looked up the different uses of the word and grammatically correct samples, and I believe you needed to use it in past-tense. This was a 6 day trip. Hi Valerie- What is the best time of year for this 10 day trip? P.S. But the hills inland will go even steeper! I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. Thank you again. After about 15 miles, you will reach Highway 1. We are going to go the middle of September 2022 and take a flight from Phx to somewhere around Crescent city. The Pacific Coast Highwayalso known as PCH or, more commonly, Highway 1runs north-south along most of the United States' West Coast. I am planning a 10 day trip the last two weeks in May down the entire PCH from Seattle to San Diego. I do too (ish Im in Oakland!). So, don't just rely on Google Maps, instead download an offline map in advance, so there's no chance of getting lost. My husband and I are planning a Spring Break trip with our girls March 2020. If youve just stayed overnight in Santa Barbara or started your road trip in San Diego, that may not make as much sense. Thanks for sharing this great itinerary. is booking hotels on the day or maybe the day before likely to be OK, or should we book well in advance? Any ideas? And other than his military time at Ft Lewis many years ago, we have never lived nor toured the west coast at all. Glad to help, Dan! We planned to start in Seattle and drive to San Diego. Your article was just what I needed!! Dont drive down to SD and back up to LA. Hi V& VDid you make hotel reservations in advance for your overnight stops? Unfortunately, when I drove the PCH it was pretty foggy and cool most of the week. Tim and Janice. Maybe Im AAAA ? The speed limit ranges from 55mph to 25mph theres really no helpful way to give an average! Very glad to help, and I hope you have a great trip! If you would like a customized itinerary, I offer that for a fee to help cover the time it takes me to put those tips together. The only places you can fly would be Crescent City but itll require changing through San Francisco anyway. Thanks Valerie. Pacific Coast Highway Attractions, those must-see sights along PCH, include Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Golden Gate Bridge. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on CA-1, the Pacific Coast Highway. Ive never been to CA and I know the prices are high. I was wondering if you would recommend any wine tasting spots along the way? Even an email answer is fine!! In this forest, youll find amazing old growth trees and is incredibly verdant. Located in the heart of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Hurricane Ridge is an iconic spot to stop and stretch your legs on a Pacific Coast Highway road trip. Thanks again. We live in Colorado, so more interested in Ocean more than hiking, so 101 is ideal. I drove part of this back in 2009 from LA to San Francisco (northbound..) and would also recommend stops in Morro Bay and Monterey I enjoyed both very much! Have you heard any issues with the Covid and being able to rent places on the way down? Learn more. But there's something extra special about driving the Pacific Coast Highway as it approaches its southern end. The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. Dont be in a hurry and be cautious so you can enjoy everything. This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. If you see an error, please contact me. Want to know more? I hope you had a great drive, Mindy! Taking my granddaughter on an epic journey. I am planning to start my road trip in Vancouver BC and ending in San Francisco. This was more expensive than a round-trip rental, but I didnt want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway both ways! Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! Reading through this your article is going to be a huge help as our family plans our two-week trip. Hi Valerie, Great tips! Extremely informative. Thinking of maybe making this where we would b me somewhere different for 4th of July. Camp at Second Beach in Olympic NP Photo: Michael Matti Also known as California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway is the longest state route in California at just over 656 miles. Rainier, plenty of coastlines, and Redwoods. Sort of the opposite of sea stacks like Haystack Rock,Devils Punchbowlis another beautiful natural rock formation along the Oregon Coast. Its really up to you to decide where you want to end and figure out the closest rental car/airport option from there, but there are airports of all sizes throughout the region. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Seattle, head south along US Highway 101 to Olympia. I want the most scenic route but RT 1 on the cliffs seem risky ? We then headed to San Fran, our ending point. Pismo State Beach is another great stop during a day of driving from San Francisco to Santa Barbara (or reverse). In fact, we serve over 15 000 different locations worldwide. Los Angeles is the last major city on my list of Pacific Coast Highway stops, and though I have a guide to spending one day in L.A., you can and should spend as much time as you like. Thank you . I was far more interested in the hundreds of miles of coastal roadways. Thank you for sharing! Thanks for your comment, Rex! If you want to spend part of one day during your Pacific Coast Highway road trip beachcombing or hiking, Big Sur is the place to do it. I have been reading your blog posts about the PCH and think I read where you mentioned a couple of crossover vehicles that would be good rental cars. The best time of year to do this will be in the summer (June/July/August), probably sooner in the year rather than later. 5 Beds. The Pacific Coast Highway is located in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Located on the Pacific side of the Olympic Peninsula, Hoh Rainforest qualifies as a rainforest due to the amount of precipitation that occurs each year. Thanks for your comment, Pam, but Im a little confused its a 10-day itinerary, so its a 9-night trip. From the perspective of California Highway 1, it might seem like just a few buildings alongside the road. We are thinking of late September of 2022 doing a two week drive from north to south. Stay safe. Do you have a version that is just typed up not with pictures? I have tendency to suffer from analysis paralysis therefore navigating all the ins and outs what to do where to stay etc would be overwhelming to say the least. It is a time consuming drive but the most worthwhile time you will ever spend traveling. Thank you for great info This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much for reading, Teresa!
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