I wouldnt go all the way to Seattle, especially if you dont like big cities. A weekend of sea, sand, and sunscreen. This guide is great, do you have a Google map itinerary to download with the stops? The 22 Best Pacific Coast Highway Stops for Your West Coast Road Trip When I drove the PCH, I rented a car and drove it as a one-way rental (meaning I dropped it off in a different city than I picked it up). Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Follow CA-1 south out of L.A. to avoid the citys notorious traffic as you make your way along the coast. Highway 1 Self-Driving Audio Tour (Pacific Coast Highway) 11 Adventure Tours from $24.99 per adult Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive - Full Day Tour from San Francisco 310 Bus Tours from $105.00 per adult Yosemite National Park and Giant Sequoias Day Trip from San Francisco 584 Full-day Tours from $199.00 per adult (price varies by group size) haha. 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 . Thank you for your great ideas and itineraries! Hey there! 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. Just one small thing, its not the PCH, its just PCH. 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. Portland! Please keep doing what youre doing. Lastly, Pismo is a great stop for a midday workout on the road, with a huge stretch of beach to walk/run on. What day of the week would you recommend starting from WA? California Pacific Coast Highway reopens section after storm collapse In Northern California, the best weather of the year happens between September and October. I especially appreciate your links to stays and dine. To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to exploreNative Land. I share travel resources and stories based on my personal experience and knowledge. I had lots of recommendations from a friend, specific to Big Sur, but your article was so encompassing and complete. Where is the Pacific Coast Highway? 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? If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. Now we want to take our girls on the same trip. Rudy. Before launching into a bunch of details for where to stop along the Pacific Coast Highway, I need to define a few things: Now that you know the details, lets dig into the logistics of planning your own Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary! 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!). Also wondering if you can tell me where I could get a printable version of your article. Thanks, CJ! Sep 26, 2017. ai traffic expansion highway 1 layout mod pacific coast pch. Id recommend booking or at least searching every hotel you want to stay at, and the nights you want to stay, so you can get a sense of exactly how much its going to cost. Have other questions about driving the Pacific Coast Highway? 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? I am planning a road-trip with my husband along the Pacific coast. I hope this helps! Here are my twenty five favorite stops on PCH from south to north. I am saving this to research more of the places you mentioned !! Pacific Coast | region, North America | Britannica Thank you again for all of your information. Again, thank you so much!! Sorry, but theres no way to do the drive to Seattle and back along the PCH in just 7 days. Pacific Coast Highway - Wikipedia 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! Route 1 is fine its twisty turny but its the best route by far. "Golden state of mind." 3. I am heading to LA in March and have a day to drive around and wanted to drive from LAX up HW 1 to around Malibu, maybe further! At low tide, you can hike down into the hole or go tide pooling; at other times you can have a picnic while trying to spot whales off the coast. This is great information and very helpful! What you suggested (Anaheim > SLO/Madonna Inn > Half Moon Bay) is a great two-day itinerary. This was a 6 day trip. Have a great trip! I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it! Thanks for reading, Kay. Port Angeles is the place for that one-night stop. Nice ride. Crescent City! 0:42. Drive Time: About 3.5 Hours. While driving southbound, youll approach Marshall first. I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. I recommend checking out California resources for the pandemic before you book anything. A couple of reasons: 1. Looking to travel with your recommendations southbound! This will be a great tool in planning. Are we likely to hit snow in the northern stops? September and October are definitely best for visiting NorCal, so I recommend that time of year too! We are from FL and east coast and know very little about west coast, so this is great!! I am thinking 5 days from Portland to LA. Oregon & California are both pretty vegan friendly states so Id expect lots of restaurants have at least an option thats animal-free. 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 just booked Patrees room! As soon as you hit the section of the Pacific Coast Highway connecting. Now let me break down a few itineraries to choose from, based on how much time you have to do your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. Id look at September as an ideal time to catch autumn colors in the Pacific Northwest but admittedly its hard to predict since this part of the country isnt known for the same leaf colors as New England. That route looks good have you input all the drive times in Google to confirm that you want to be on the road that much each day? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Follow CA-1 south its a meandering route, but if you follow it all the way until Muir Beach you can make an optional stop at Muir Woods if you want. We both have a lot of vacation all the time, so 10 days or more would be fine. Thanks for reading, Jennifer. What is the average speed on the 101? We can only do a quick trip. Thanks for reading, Teena! Where does the Pacific Coast Highway start and end? I appreciate all the information! The worst that happens is you might end up in a slightly less nice place than you had planned. Tim & Janice, what kind words! Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). This is such a great article. Thank you for the article. Thanks for your comment, Rex! The West Coast especially is fantastic. The PCH is Highway 1 in California, though sometimes Highway 1 and 101 overlap which is what causes the confusion! Stop 5: Hearst castle. I recently discovered Mendocino on a weekend trip and fell in love with the small town. I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it!.why were you hardly ever able to enjoy driving a convertible???? Los Angeles to San Diego Drive: Distance, Best Route and Stops Can you share with me how long this should take us?? Thanks so much. Manage photos Thanks for sharing. Great read! Gov. Those little beaches overlooking the water below is freaking amazing. When you hit the California coast, its like driving in a postcard. We are planning to spend Thanksgiving in San Diego. Youve got so much time, thats awesome! There are loads of cool things to explore in/around this small PNW town, including Olympic National Park! Seeing some nice beaches is also of interest. The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. You'll also pass by several unique beaches on the way, but one you should totally check out is Glass Beach. Is this doable in 7 days, with stops during the day and to spend the night? This was more expensive than a round-trip rental, but I didnt want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway both ways! I have been to Europe, for 2 years, and nothing compares to this coastal trip. The Oregon Coast Aquarium lets visitors explore the marine ecosystems around this part of the Pacific Ocean. It is a time consuming drive but the most worthwhile time you will ever spend traveling. If you decide to drive the PCH, Im happy to give you any tips! Required fields are marked *. 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. Thanks! You also mentioned Suburbans are not great because they are so big, but I dont think we have much choice with the large family. I am planning to start my road trip in Vancouver BC and ending in San Francisco. Thank you! Kim. Crescent City is a great spot for an overnight stop (or longer) depending on your itinerary. It was a great help! Here, California Highway 1 carves a sinuous path along steep cliffs; the road is beautiful at a price, since mudslides arent uncommon along this stretch of highway, and can close the highway for months. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. The Essential Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary I havent stayed at any L.A. hotels, so I dont feel comfortable recommending any. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip | Pacific Coast Highway Map - Visit SLO Glad to help, Bethany! Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! For flights, I recently heard theres a flight from the Bay Area to Crescent City check out Contour Airlines (they come up when I google OAK > CEC). 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. Thank you again. Also known as Big Sur, the route winds along the rugged California coastline (from Cape San Martin to Ragged . When you drive on the Pacific Coast Highway, you will see sheer cliffs straight down to the water. 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. 7 Most Scenic Spots on the Pacific Coast Highway Tim and Janice. As we will be married 40 years! Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? Fort Bragg is home to a beautiful glass beach, pictured above, where the entire beach is made of sea glass from past trash dumps. Im driving with our 5 kids (ages 1 -13) and my wife. The best time of year to do this will be in the summer (June/July/August), probably sooner in the year rather than later. This information is great!!! Whether you just want to see the top highlights and sightseeing hotspots or want to dive into L.A.s booming food scene, you can find it all in Los Angeles. You absolutely nailed it. My English is very very basic but if you write to me I can understand it. do you have a printable version of this? Be sure to check the California DOT website for more information. If youve just stayed overnight in Santa Barbara or started your road trip in San Diego, that may not make as much sense.