Awesome suggestions and itinerary! Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. Im glad it was helpful. From the perspective of California Highway 1, it might seem like just a few buildings alongside the road. Would you recommend the 7 day to get 2-3 days in Diego? Seaside is a picturesque coastal town, a western interpretation of the East Coast summer destinations along the Atlantic. Victoria Beach. Santa Barbara was the biggest surprise I had on my PCH road trip in 2014. Planning a mother/son trip after my son graduates HS next year. "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. Have a great drive! The redwoods are a definite. Starting at San Francisco ending San Diego. The reason I recommend doing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip north to south is that youll be on the coastal side of the road. Crescent City! 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. The Pacific Coast Highway runs along two highways: In Washington and Oregon, the best weather of the year happens between June and September. Its easy to make a stop in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, so take the opportunity! Great question, Sharon! Is this possible? I am thinking 5 days from Portland to LA. Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? If you're in need of California trip ideas, consider driving up the iconic Pacific Coast Highway. 24255 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CA 90263 310.506.4000 Map Driving Directions From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) From Orange County, San Diego and points south of Los Angeles From points east of Los Angeles From the north on Interstate 5 From Pasadena/ San Gabriel Valley From the north on Hwy 101/Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks The Pacific Coast Highway, also called California State Route 1, Coast Highway, or shortened by locals to be "PCH," is 650 miles of road. Would be every much appriciate if you can provide tips and recomendattions where to stop, what to see/do and eat the drive on high 1 from San Diego to Santa Monica. BIG SUR, Calif. A section of California's scenic and iconic Pacific Coast Highway that collapsed during a winter storm in January reopened to traffic on Friday. Also being from Colorado, we would love to camp oceanside, do you have any recommendations on campsites? This 20-mile (one way) detour will take you out on Point Reyes, and has a stark and beautiful landscape because its so far out at sea. Additionally, youll get a sense of the magnitude of the San Andreas fault line, which comes inland along the northern part of Point Reyes. How long is the Pacific Coast Highway? 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. Im nervous go excited. Whats your thought on late availability rooms at that time of year? I lived for 15 years in Alaska, as well as four years each in California and Washington. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Head south from Ruby Beach along U.S. 101. I hope you can make it happen sooner! Weve spent time in SF already so dont need to stay there. Pacific Coast Highway (@thepacificcoasthighway) Instagram photos and videos 2,612 Followers, 118 Following, 94 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Pacific Coast Highway (@thepacificcoasthighway) The sweetest shade of blue. Only question I have is how much money would you recommend someone having for a trip like this and staying in a 3 star hotel each night? We fly out of LA. Also, you can probably get away with booking hotels/vacation rentals in the smaller towns only a few days in advance but if you want to stay in any of the big cities, I would book those 2-3 weeks in advance at the latest! Again, thanks for great info and advice. After driving across the famous Columbia River bridge, stop and give yourself a self-guided tour of popular Goonies spots in Oregons northwest-most town. I didnt want to make all my reservations, but just go with it for one time in my life. Heres a Pacific Coast Highway map and schedule for 5 days: If youre lucky to have a few more days for your PCH road trip, a week is a pretty fantastic amount of time to see all that the Pacific Coast Highway has to offer. Pinterest. With colorful historic seaside homes and great hiking trails and other outdoor activities, Mendocino is good for at least an overnight stop dont be surprised if you want to spend even longer here once you arrive! So we used really about a day off the coast but well worth it. You can choose the spots you want to stop at that way . The PCH heads inland near Lompoc but is the main road you can take to Santa Barbara. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along California Highway 1. I have one question where is the best place to fly into? Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! I would rather guess on the high side than the low side so Im prepared. Hi Valerie, Great tips! If youre considering a drive down (or up) the western coast of the U.S., look no further. Thank you! I am planning to take this trip with my family of 5 as you have lined out for the 10 days this coming June. Should we go down the coast only (plus say Portland & Crater Lk), or head inland given how much time we have? When I drove the PCH in 2014, I drove a northbound San Diego to Seattle road trip, and lament that I wasnt on the outer side of the road. Thanks for reading, Thomas. State Route 1. Its a little tough to guess without knowing the exact dates and which towns/cities you plan to stay in on any given night, but I hope this helps! 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: Continue along CA-1 to San Diego, your final stop on this PCH road trip. Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! Sounds like youve got a great plan drive safe! Am planning to do a 10 day PCH drive in August. But the hills inland will go even steeper! This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. Please keep doing what youre doing. 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 ? There are a few restaurants in town and 17 miles of beautiful beach to explore. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary: Day 3 Take in the majestic sights of the Central Coast while cruising across the famous Bixby Bridge in Big Sur. I am starting from seattle 8/26 down to los angeles taking PCH. Hi! I had lots of recommendations from a friend, specific to Big Sur, but your article was so encompassing and complete. Dont be in a hurry and be cautious so you can enjoy everything. I hope you have an epic time; Patrees such an amazing host! To ensure accommodations, I was thinking to book all of the hotels in advance. I was a truck driver for 29 years and could not drive that road. Thanks for your comment, Catherine. Your help is appreciated. Hurricane Ridge. Should be pretty good it might be a bit rainy up in the Pacific Northwest, but the weather once you reach California should be great! Hi We have just 1-day and will be starting in Fortuna and heading to San Francisco. How Long is it? Thank you in advance! Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway (Official Audio) - YouTube 0:00 / 6:18 Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway (Official Audio) Record Makers 225K subscribers Share 12M views 11 years ago #Kavinsky What a great and comprehensive post! Thank you for the pointers! I cant even imagine how incredible it must have been to experience all this in person. Yes, we intend to stay a couple of nights in Portland and 2 or 3 in San Francisco but well probably look for hotels on the outskirts and travel in to the cities by car or public transport each day. I love all the details that you are recommended here. hi planing to do the PCH however we will be in Las Vegas and driving to San Francisco will be there for 2 or 3 days and dont know witch is better to do San Francisco to L A back to Vegas or go north San Francisco to Seattle and then drive to Vegas i will have a extra 3 to 4 days what is your thoughts, we are nature and wildlife lovers not to big into visiting towns. Thank you so much for sharing this informative article with all of us. I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it! You can definitely do that! AAA has no candle to this. Im looking forward to have the same experience with my wife and my son. Glad to help, Ashley! Start here. Thank you for sharing your travels and still helping others along their journey! That includes missing the Devils Punchbowl and Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in the southern part of the state; you would however get to drive through Oregons Redwoods on your way from Crater Lake to Crescent City. We are from Ohio. Thank you for the recommendation! Take a road trip along California's Pacific Coast Highway for a look at some of America's most dramatic coastal vistas. The journey down Highway 1 is the iconic California road trip, and this coastal route is a great choice whether you're in Northern California, the central coast, or in SoCal. The Outdoor Blueprint team pieces together an incredible guide featuring all the best coastal stops from Vancouver, B.C. Hello, my name is Sonia and I am from Puerto Rico. Ive been to Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valley but curious if there are any great places you are aware of. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Seattle, head south along US Highway 101 to Olympia. I appreciated your take on the drive, and now Im sorry we will be going north rather than south, but we are planning on going back the I-5 and stopping in Ashland. Extremely informative. Thank you very much for providing a road map! I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). I was born on the East Coast and currently live in the Midwest but my heart will always be out West. We want to make the best out of drive there. and so much more! My wife and I are planning an 18 day trip in the coming months to fly into San Diego and then make the drive up to Seattle. Thank you! I hate cold! When driving the PCH south from Portland, how much of a detour would it be to see Crater Lake on the way? Thank you for this wonderful review. It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: At this point in Northern California, the PCH is still U.S. 101. Thanks for your comment, Anthony! You can find the Cobain house at 1210 E 1st St, and right next door you can see a memorial to Cobain in Kurt Cobain Memorial Park (the house now a private residence, so dont disturb the owners!). 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. In Northern California, the best weather of the year happens between September and October. Thinking of Seattle to San Diego on US 1 in late September or early October, is the weather still good for a 10 day driving trip? Just one small thing, its not the PCH, its just PCH. I dont think you can do Yosemite in a day its a four hour drive from the coast to Yosemite (one-way) and youll probably want a full day in the park at minimum. Thanks for reading, Oleg. Ive just started planning our trip for this autumn. 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. Would there be a place where the rental could be left in those regions? If not, spend your day exploring the Seattle waterfront to see all of the city from above. I hope you have a great trip! Here's an example PCH itinerary: Day 1: Seattle WA, to Forks, WA. This is great information and very helpful! The skies are guaranteed to be blue, the weather begs for a convertible, and the passing sands are alive with . Valerie, valuable tips ! I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. Great article. Seattle is one of my favorite destinations in the world. This post was so helpful! This is my idea of an itinerary but I need to cut out one of these days or consolidate one since I really only have 8 days. Franke's first solo album is surprisingly melodic, highly accessible, and immaculately produced. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on U.S. Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast to Newport. Our Pacific Coast Highway road trip is 575 miles of stunning coastal driving that's simply not to be missed. These stops are numbered to match my Roadtrippers map and trip above (click here to open the trip in a separate window). I havent stayed at any L.A. hotels, so I dont feel comfortable recommending any. Santa Cruz. The best way to enjoy southern California is by diving straight into the beachside culture. Pacific Coast Highway Map, Direction & Start/End Points. I did a quick search and heres how it breaks down: Newport > Crescent City (what I originally suggest) = about 5 hours of driving Newport > Crater Lake > Crescent City = about 8 hours of driving (and none of it is on the coast), If you chose to go from Portland > Crater Lake > Crescent City instead = 7.5 hours of driving. How do I do it? (Hours and dates for the attractions on the SF CityPass have been affected by the pandemic, so be sure to check those when you purchase!). Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on CA-1, the Pacific Coast Highway. Sorry about the delay, Scott. Nope, headed northbound is not a bad way to go its actually the way I went on my first drive! Im assuiming youve read the whole post, as I do cover a 7-day suggested itinerary, and cover overnight stops along the Oregon coast. While the glass is technically part of MacKerricher State Park and you cant take it home you can still spend time out of the car searching for different colors and shapes of beautiful sea glass that wash up from the Pacific Ocean. My fiance & I want to do this for our honeymoon next month! Reading through this your article is going to be a huge help as our family plans our two-week trip. Thanks. We want to spend 5 days for PCH and not sure where to fly in or out of. Theres a nice public parking area near a lake that overlooks the Washington State Capital building. I strongly recommend making reservations in advance, and also please be aware that hotels and other accommodation are not currently allowed to accept leisure travelers during the current mandates. Hey Valerie great name yourself! Whether you stop to take a few Instagram-worthy spots or ogle the animals, theres plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego. You did a fantastic job with this giude, everything is straight to the point but provided in a fun and educational way. Send me a pic if you remember . Note: Due to heavy rainfall in California in January 2023, California Highway 1 is closed around Ragged Point; this means you will not be able to do a complete route down the Pacific Coast and will instead divert inland from Monterey to San Simeon (southbound). Unfortunately, when I drove the PCH it was pretty foggy and cool most of the week. Thanks for sharing this! Portland? But, we need to go the opposite way; starting in San Diego and heading north. 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. Thank you for great info This is exactly what I was looking for. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: If you are on a shorter Pacific Coast Highway road trip, continue south along I-5 to Grants Pass, then turn southwest to Crescent City (#11).If you are taking a longer PCH drive, turn west out of Portland along Oregon Highways 99W and 18 to connect with U.S. 101 near Lincoln City. Hi there, I am thinking of taking a solo trip down the PCH from Long Beach, WA to LA? 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. Also known as Big Sur, the route winds along the rugged California coastline (from Cape San Martin to Ragged . Thanks for sharing this great itinerary. Thoughts? Enjoyed this 14 day article! I appreciate any help you can provide. I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it!.why were you hardly ever able to enjoy driving a convertible???? Thank you so much for creating this itinerary! Also known as California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway is the longest state route in California at just over 656 miles. Loved your trip adventure and recommendations !! 9. We are going to go the middle of September 2022 and take a flight from Phx to somewhere around Crescent city. Sorry, I dont have any special suggestions for kids! 1-2 days in Portland to visit college and check out Portland. Im thinking of doing this trip from Seattle to San Diego. You might have even stopped to take a picture of the sunset from a beautiful lookout along the Pacific Coast Highway and can caption it with, "Just say the word and we'll go back." Every. Our kids will be 15 & 10Im just afraid it will be a boring ride for them in the car. Planning for 5-6 days of Seattle to San Diego. 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. You could see Canada and the river valley. Im glad you booked LA and Seattle, because those are the two you most need to have arranged! 1. Ft. 1553 S Monte Viento St, Malibu, CA 90265. Thanks Teena. Angie, thanks so much for your comment! Thanks for reading, Laurie! When you picture the Pacific Coast Highway, its Big Sur that comes to mind. Thanks for your comment, Erin! Hah, sounds like a good bonding experience, Angela! Thank so much for putting together a wonderful and comprehensive itinerary of the PC scenic drive. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary Options, How to Choose a Car for the Pacific Coast Highway, Step-by-Step Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Directions, this gorgeous 3-bedroom oceanfront property, plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego, https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/, Wandering the Olympic Peninsula - Valerie & Valise, https://www.theoutbound.com/theoutbound/camping-along-the-pacific-10-seaside-campsites-for-your-west-coast-road-trip, https://www.valisemag.com/visit-san-juan-islands/, https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-seattle/, https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-san-francisco/, https://www.valisemag.com/portland-city-guide/, https://www.valisemag.com/pacific-coast-highway-guide/. We are doing the PCH this July and August coming from Yellowstone, Glacier and Teddy Roosevelt NP it has been on our Bucket list for quite some time after this trip we only have Alaska to visit and we will have visited all the States !! Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. I would definitely do some research on inland options Im not as familiar with whats inland though. Here are the stops I suggest for a Pacific Coast Highway California road trip itinerary. We are thinking Crescent City to Santa Barbara? To help you plan your road trip, here are two possible road trip itineraries you could take. Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! What time of year would be best to do this. San Jose is a creative and thriving high-tech culture epicenter. I was planning 10-12 days? I hope this helps! 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! Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. Prior to retiring I have done the San Francisco to LA 3 times but always by myself. An unanticipated problem was encountered, check back soon and try again Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! We detoured at Reedsport to go to Crater lake, which turned out awesome, there was a ELK reserve on the way, it took about 3 hrs to get to Roseburg, where we stayed the night, the next day the drive to Crater lake was about 3 hrs, the drive was absolutely beautiful. My only additional rec for anyone would be to add the Great Tide Pool in Monterrey to check out little worlds of marine life. San Luis Obispo with Paso Robles). This is such a great article. Homes similar to 20132 Pacific Coast Hwy are listed between $350K to $70M at an average of $2,795 per square foot. ?? So doing our 101 bucket list too, but want a 2-3 days near Ocean Beach, CA. What would be a good hopping on point? How can we apply this info in the reverse, Catherine, its pretty easy just plan it out by reading my article from the bottom to the top! Stop and admire the views in Big Sur, too! 01 of 04 This gorgeous building mostly survived the 1906 earthquake and captures Victorian glory with modern amenities. What are the reasons you really never got to enjoy using a convertible car? These Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops really seem like true country California. I can think off the top of my head that you could do the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Making a Pacific Coast Highway road trip is a popular bucket list experience - for good reason! Have a wonderful trip! I am beginning to plan a family trip and loved all the recommendations. Sorry, but theres no way to do the drive to Seattle and back along the PCH in just 7 days. Sounds like youre well on the way to it . Thanks for reading and asking, Hunter! Explore the beach then hit the trails to find waterfalls, massive redwoods, and an abandoned limekiln. Were using it to plan our itinerary for June/July this year, 3 weeks, Seattle to LA. My husband and I are both 62 in pretty good shape and planning to do this trip from Portland to San Diego in late September 2019 over 2 weeks. Great name btw . Thanks for reading though , Thanks so much for an in depth post. March is a fine time to drive the PCH the weather on the Pacific Coast is pretty similar all year long! Just south of the Bay Area, Santa Cruz is a laid back, quirky hippie town. This is a 23km section of real roads on California Highway 1, one of the great all-American roads on the scenic West Coast, and is widely considered among the best driving roads in the world. We were 70s teenagers all around! The Pacific Coast Highway is the ultimate road trip - and it's certainly the best one in America. I am doing this trip with the boyfriend end of this month. Thanks, Id take those days and visit the San Juan Islands: https://www.valisemag.com/visit-san-juan-islands/, You could also give yourself more time in the cities: https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-seattle/ https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-san-francisco/ https://www.valisemag.com/portland-city-guide/, Valerie, My husband and I are wanting to fly from Denver to California on December 27th. lol. Thanks for your help in advance!!!! Is this doable in 7 days, with stops during the day and to spend the night? Pacific Coast, region, western North America, possessing two unifying geologic and geographic propertiesthe Pacific Ocean, which constitutes a natural western border, and the coastal mountain ranges that form the eastern border of the region. 1 question: weve booked hotels at both end (Seattle and LA) and would prefer not to book hotels until were on route and know how far were along and how long we want to stop in each place. We are planning a trip in Sept 0f 2022, starting in Portland, ending in San Diego. There are no reasonable alternatives for some of the routes like the one across Bixby Canyon Bridge (shown above). Were driving south-to-north. I am going to drive PCH 1 this summer and was going to drive from North to South but my son has driven it and suggested going South to North. 20520 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265 - $540/sq ft larger lot 23 years older SOLD JUL 12, 2022 $1,830,000 F Sold Price 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,446 Sq. 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. So it adds about 3 hours of driving time, but it also means youll miss out on basically all of the Oregon Coast. Just give yourself more time and end n LA. 7 Stunning Viewpoints on the Pacific Coast Highway By Michael Hodson Updated on 06/03/19 At just over six hundred and fifty miles in length, and running along much of the coast of California, the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most popular road trip destinations in the United States. Raynard, when are you going? We will go from Seattle to San Diego using your itinerary as our planning guide. If I wanted to follow your trip but stop off a day at Yosemite what might the drive look like? You wont have as much time to spend in each city, or to take a few of the long drives, but youll see it all in a short span of time. 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). Let me know if you have any other questions while planning or on the road! I wouldnt go all the way to Seattle, especially if you dont like big cities. Hi, My wife and I are planning a 7-day drive from San Fran to Portland in late June of this year. I am not a family travel expert so I dont have advice there! The Pacific Coast Highway traces the coast as closely as possible around the edge of Los Angeles, America's second largest city. Stop 4: Bixby bridge. That said, there are plenty of nice ones depending on which part of town you want to stay in. Find and save ideas about pacific coast highway on Pinterest. Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. Thank you for your great ideas and itineraries! do you have a printable version of this? Thanks for the great ideas! Ruby Beach is only a short drive from Hoh Rainforest but its the most picturesque beach on Washingtons Pacific Coast. Big Sur is defined as the stretch of coastline and adjacent state park between Carmel and San Simeon. Next time I have a few days off, Ill have to change that! Travelling from Australia and would like to spend 3 weeks driving around . 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. San Simeon Drive for 45 minutes and start the day with a 15-minute excursion inland to San Simeon to tour the elaborate Hearst Castle. 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. Very nicely done thanks ever so much !! Thanks again for this excellent resource. 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. We are planning to do Northboundfrom Ventura to Wine country but only have 5 days returning on the 5th day. Gavin Newsom and . Cherie, thanks for your comment. Did you drive it alone and what do you think about being able to see well driving north to south? Best Quotes about the West Coast There are many quotes that sing praises and are written as an ode to the beauty of the West Coast. 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! 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 . What are must see spots. It was just gorgeous with a 360 degree view. Is Yellowstone worth the long detour? If you do decide to spend an overnight in the area, I recommend stopping in the town of Mendocino first for late lunch, walking around the Mendocino Headlands, then continue driving south to spend the night at the beautiful Little River Inn for dinner at the Whale Watch Bar. Required fields are marked *. Waves, waves, and more waves. It'll take you about three hours to reach Big Sur from San Francisco, and by then you'll be ready to stretch your legs. Were on day 2 of our 8-day PCH Tour.and its great to have your help! (Be prepared for fog from the marine layer! After making the trip myself in 2014 and exploring the PCH extensively while living in Washington and California, Ive put together this comprehensive guide to the great stops, breathtaking sights, and sense of unbelievable freedom you can find if you drive the Pacific Coast Highway. Those little beaches overlooking the water below is freaking amazing. Are people moving about freely or are things locked down with the covid? Login or Register an account to download this content. 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. I know we wont see everything, but its the only time frame we have. Phoenix77. Thanks for your comment, Manny. Crescent City is a great spot for an overnight stop (or longer) depending on your itinerary. For each spot, I share whether I consider it an Overnight stop (where you should spend a night) or a Waypoint stop (where you should stop to stretch your legs and/or see the sights).
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