Again, thanks for great info and advice. Top ways to experience Pacific Coast Highway See all Recommended Tours & Sightseeing Walking & Biking Tours Multi-day & Extended Tours Outdoor Activities Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive - Full Day Tour from San Francisco 310 Bus Tours from $105.00 per adult Monterey & Carmel Explorer 22 Full-day Tours from $105.00 Hi Valerie, we are planning a trip from Crescent city back home to Phoenix traveling along PCH. Glad this was helpful! I agree, go north to south. The PCH begins south of Dana Point in Orange County and ends at US 101 in Mendocino County. The best way to enjoy southern California is by diving straight into the beachside culture. WOW! And other than his military time at Ft Lewis many years ago, we have never lived nor toured the west coast at all. The views of the colors changing in the trees were surreal. I can think off the top of my head that you could do the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Yes, I do have San Francisco guides! May 16, 2022 by Allison Green. Thanks for reading, Jennifer. Big Sur is defined as the stretch of coastline and adjacent state park between Carmel and San Simeon. Any ideas? Amazing, Melanii! Id like to include Olympic NP, Mt. Is this possible?? 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. Wed like to be flexible so, if we like somewhere we could stay an extra night, or if we need to push on, we could pull the itinerary forward. Did you try searching my site using the search in the sidebar? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Carry on south on CA-1, the PCH. Okay, now youve got your car, youve got your basic itinerary. Id check out the California DOT website for the most up-to-date information. I hope that helps! To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to exploreNative Land. 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! If you go as big as a Suburban or Tahoe, youll be way to big and clunky to enjoy the road! After Crescent City, the Pacific Coast Highway starts to navigate in and away from the coast at times, which includes chances to experience one of Californias natural wonders: the Redwoods. Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most famous and beautiful road trips on earth. To access the map on Roadtrippers, you just need to click the map! If you decide to drive the PCH, Im happy to give you any tips! 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. There are no reasonable alternatives for some of the routes like the one across Bixby Canyon Bridge (shown above). (If you decide to fly to SF, heres a recent post I wrote: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/). Santa Barbara was the biggest surprise I had on my PCH road trip in 2014. Thoughts? I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. If you happen to do your PCH road trip in the winter, Pismo State Beach is also home to the largest colony of migrating monarch butterflies during the winter months. Awesome, you can sign up using the forms in this post to get the PDF! As soon as you hit the section of the Pacific Coast Highway connecting. Im thinking of doing this trip from Seattle to San Diego. Is Pacific Coast Highway the same as Highway 1 or Highway 101? Have a great drive! Thanks for your comment, Catherine. Also how many days driving for this trip. You should have no problem finding vegan options! I share travel resources and stories based on my personal experience and knowledge. Congrats on finishing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. 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. So, don't just rely on Google Maps, instead download an offline map in advance, so there's no chance of getting lost. Any recommendations will be appreciated! 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. Thanks so much from a couple of Canucks! Want to avoid the summer crowds, but still enjoy nice weather. You can choose the spots you want to stop at that way . Im glad to surpass the AAA level. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: At this point in Northern California, the PCH is still U.S. 101. Such a thorough guide! Drive Time: About 3.5 Hours. We are just looking to site sea on our way back home from Disneyland I was looking at Hearst Castle and the Elephant Seal Vista Point but dont see much reviews on them with kids. I appreciate all the information! Ive put together some tips on how to choose the right car for the PCH, but in short, I recommend an automatic car with a low center of gravity but skip the convertible! 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! Have a great trip!! What time of year would be best to do this. It was actually quite a lot colder than I expected so I usually ended up too cold with the top down. I was curious about which one you suggest if you were to slim down this itinerary by 1 day (ex. This is such a great resource. Is this going to be a big disappointment? Awesome, Tim! Im at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Whether you stop to take a few Instagram-worthy spots or ogle the animals, theres plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego. Best trip ever! Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. I was a truck driver for 29 years and could not drive that road. Kim. 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. Explore the beach then hit the trails to find waterfalls, massive redwoods, and an abandoned limekiln. Ronald, I dont know for sure as I dont recommend people drive in an RV. This gorgeous building mostly survived the 1906 earthquake and captures Victorian glory with modern amenities. Officially, only the short, sun-loving stretch of Hwy 1 through Orange and Los Angeles Counties can legally call itself Pacific Coast Highway. We are planning to spend Thanksgiving in San Diego. Thanks. How Long is it? Well be camping out at most stops except for SF. There and back that is? I have a few questions. 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. What you suggested (Anaheim > SLO/Madonna Inn > Half Moon Bay) is a great two-day itinerary. It is a time consuming drive but the most worthwhile time you will ever spend traveling. We figured booking hotel in Seattle for 1 or 2 days for arrival and checking the college. You should have no problem making it down the road in December. Thanks for sharing. You absolutely nailed it. Lot of driving in 10 days, but I am excited. Maybe Im AAAA ? memory cards before you know it. These are just ten of the many places off Highway 1 that you'll want to experience. Im thinking I might end my trip at Santa Barbara. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). (Hours and dates for the attractions on the Seattle CityPass have been affected by the pandemic, so be sure to check those when you purchase!). State Route 1. I havent been to Monterey but its high on my list! We are planning a west coast trip and are considering renting an RV one way from Portland or Seattle to San Francisco. San Diego is high on my must-visit-longer list, so Im again a bit short on recommendations here. Sorry about the delay, Scott. . Thanks for your points. The rest of time will hopefully be in small towns all along the coast. California 1 is the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and Cabrillo Highway, following the coastline from San Juan Capistrano in Orange County in Southern California to Leggett in Mendocino County in Northern California. Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! Thanks for reading though , Thanks so much for an in depth post. Now that you have all the details you need to plan a PCH road trip, you need to know which destinations are worth a stop along the Pacific Coast Highway. This will be a great resource for the trip that we are planning. The ideia is to have a West Coast Beer Route drive. I do too (ish Im in Oakland!). Bonus- Rent A Car To Drive The Pacific Coast Highway. 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). Now Im going to lay out step-by-step directions for a Pacific Coast Highway road trip based on all my tips so far. Ruby Beach is only a short drive from Hoh Rainforest but its the most picturesque beach on Washingtons Pacific Coast. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101 to Crescent City always stick to the coast! Would love to do the northern parts of PCH though I loved Portland and Seattle, but would like to see more of the coastal regions! I have a question in regards to your amazing experiences and my hopes to travel the PCH with my older kids. We are planning to stay overnight at the Madonna Inn. First thank you for all the work you put into this! Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. 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 . That said, there are plenty of nice ones depending on which part of town you want to stay in. There are a few restaurants in town and 17 miles of beautiful beach to explore. 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. Do you have any tips? Youll get access to five major attractions at a discounted price, so you can experience more of what Seattle has to offer for less. I dont have it I just want to make sure businesses are open? Starting at San Francisco ending San Diego. The drive travels 655 miles along the coast of California and along the wa. You thinks thats safe or should I make some. Thanks for reading, Dave. 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. Plan accordingly when you design your PCH itinerary. Be sure to check the California DOT website for more information. Now that Ive moved to this part of California, I know this is true. 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? 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. Our kids will be 15 & 10Im just afraid it will be a boring ride for them in the car. Next time I have a few days off, Ill have to change that! This is great information and very helpful! The PCH is on my bucket list since my daughter did it with Teens Westward Bound over 10 years ago. My fiance & I want to do this for our honeymoon next month! What are the reasons you really never got to enjoy using a convertible car? I enjoyed it so much that I wrote a whole article about the experiences I recommend in Santa Barbara! 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. I love Portland and San Diego. Although I live in San Francisco, Ive yet to visit several of these places on this list. Am planning to do a 10 day PCH drive in August. Im planning a trip for end of this year most probably the California part only. Though I have visited a few cities in California over the years, I (we) are looking forward to that California coastal drive. Portland? It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! If I am going to follow your 10 day itinerary from Washington State to San Diego, how many overnight stays can I have? We then headed to San Fran, our ending point. I love small beaches and in less popular destinations like this! Well, now we will have to wait to see how this Covid-19 progresses. I was reading for the road trip from Seattle to San Diego. I was wondering if you would recommend any wine tasting spots along the way? Please keep doing what youre doing. I especially appreciate your links to stays and dine. Thanks! The turn-out for Ruby Beach occurs right as the highway reaches the Pacific coast. San Francisco has tons of cool neighborhoods, so its hard to choose which vacation rentals to recommend Check out this, Plan an overnight in Santa Barbara so you can soak in the charm. Should we go down the coast only (plus say Portland & Crater Lk), or head inland given how much time we have? 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. 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? Thanks for reading, Thomas. Route 1 is fine its twisty turny but its the best route by far. Got to save some $$$$$. You live in SF! Crescent City is a great spot for an overnight stop (or longer) depending on your itinerary. 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!! Sorry, but theres no way to do the drive to Seattle and back along the PCH in just 7 days. 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 . I was, for the most part, ambivalent about the cities along the PCH. I am doing this trip with the boyfriend end of this month. Can you believe theres a rainforest in Washington? Basically, you cant start/end in Crescent City if you want to rent a car. Id go with a mid-size car for your rental. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange . Many thanks, alex, Alex, unfortunately, this might not be the trip for you. Best of all, theres no cell service so theyll have to look around to see them . Have a great drive! Hi Valerie. We took this trip several years ago. AAA has no candle to this. Yes, Id recommend flying one-way to Seattle, and flying one-way home from San Diego. I hope you had a great drive, Mindy! Sorry, I could not get past it, and I may not even be correct, but I truly loved this page. These Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops really seem like true country California. Be sure to plan your trip on a day the lighthouse is open for tours, so you can climb the steps down to the lighthouse and lookout beneath the clouds across the sea. I can't stop looking at that ocean. 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). Three tips for the Best Pacific Coast Highway Stops Day 1: San Francisco to Santa Cruz Day 2: Santa Cruz to Carmel Day 3: Carmel to Big Sur Day 4: Big Sur to Paso Robles or Cambria Day 5: Paso Robles/Cambria to Santa Ynez Valley Day 6: Santa Ynez Valley to Los Angeles PCH Road Trip Planning Essentials Explore More of California I want to fly out to the NW and drive to Crescent city, then go inland to see the redwoods, Bend, and Mt. Youll see signs for Hoh Rainforest, a left turn that takes you inland to the forest. Scott, I replied to your email, so you should be all set! Stop 3: Monterey and its aquarium. Want to stop over a few nights, and hit some of the destinations you listed. Though hard to believe, you have to find out that on the Pacific Coast Highway the phone signal will be almost inexistent most of the time. Or. I appreciate you taking the time to answer everyones questions. It sounds like youll have an awesome trip, and happy early birthday to him! Similar to Haystack Rock, your experience stopping at Devils Punchbowl will depend on the tides. I wouldnt go all the way to Seattle, especially if you dont like big cities. Can you please give me a list of must sees in Santa Barbara (we could have two full days there). Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. If you are planning to cruise along that part of the Californian coastline, then here's our magnificent seven! Nate, thanks for your comment. Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! Your website is very helpful. Hi Valerie, Great job! 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. Therefore, its an amazing place to start your Pacific Coast Highway trip! Also, about how many miles a day are you traveling on your 10 day itinerary? 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! I hope you have a great trip! 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. Tim & Janice, what kind words! Dont drive down to SD and back up to LA. A frequent Cali traveler warned me of smog in the late summer and recommended late Sept. early Oct. What are your thoughts? Hope that helps you plan! Your email address will not be published. But never mind those technicalities, because equally bewitching ribbons of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 await all along this route. to San Diego, CA. But there's something extra special about driving the Pacific Coast Highway as it approaches its southern end. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Return west to U.S. 101 and turn south. Im driving with our 5 kids (ages 1 -13) and my wife. So the verb lament is correct in the present tense, and the tense of recommend earlier in the paragraph. This sounds like a great trip the PCH + inland Oregon! If you make it out this way, let me know, as Im now in the Bay Area! 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. Am interested in your upcoming 7 day itinerary of PCH. Thanks for the great ideas! I am saving this to research more of the places you mentioned !! The innovative sequencer work of his Tangerine Dream years has given way on this album to more predictable pop electronic orchestrations that . I didnt spend a ton of time on the Central Coast, but be sure to stop at Pismo Beach and drive through Carmel. Stargazing along the PCH depends a lot on the weather; since there arent a lot of roads that connect the PCH inland, you kinda have to make do with what happens out on the coast. While staying in Cannon Beach we have planned day trips to Astoria and Long Beach and maybe an inland drive to McMinnvile, for some wine tasting. Portland is the only city on this list thatisnton the coast, and its definitely a trip extender if you want to visit Portland while driving the Pacific Coast Highway. Hi! Crescent City is the first city youll enter when driving southbound into California along the Pacific Coast Highway (or last if youre headed northbound). Stop 4: Bixby bridge. Will we be able to enjoy the drive in March? Start here. Aberdeen has one main claim to fame: it was the hometown of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. Great question So Crater Lake is pretty far inland. Crescent City! This blog has been incredibly helpful. To ensure accommodations, I was thinking to book all of the hotels in advance. Our Pacific Coast Highway road trip is 575 miles of stunning coastal driving that's simply not to be missed. 1. I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it! You may encounter some rain up north near Portland and Seattle, but you shouldnt experience any snow! What do you think of Coos Bay/North Bend or better places for overnight, seemed a good split between Seattle and San Francisco? To help you plan your road trip, here are two possible road trip itineraries you could take. We will go from Seattle to San Diego using your itinerary as our planning guide. Dont be in a hurry and be cautious so you can enjoy everything. 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. 8. is booking hotels on the day or maybe the day before likely to be OK, or should we book well in advance? Maybe worth checking another site thats more expert in RV travel! Sorry; I dont have any suggestions for that! As we will be married 40 years! We are from Ohio. I will be driving from Dallas to Seattle. P.S. Our plan (2 people) would be to fly into Seattle, where family is. Valerie-thanks for the great overview. Suggestions? 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. 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. I have no idea what the case will be for forest fires next year, unfortunately! If you are connecting to Highway 1 from the Sacramento area, take I-80 West for about 50 miles, connect to US-101 S from there, and then connect US-101 North. 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. Hello, Thanks for sharing your trips and valuable tips. Also, for a map, I use the app Roadtrippers, which is linked in the post. 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) Is Yellowstone worth the long detour? 1. We are planning a trip in Sept 0f 2022, starting in Portland, ending in San Diego. 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (1) Paperback. 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. Have a great trip! Thanks for reading, Jan. A few years ago I started saving (unbeknownst to my husband) for his 50th birthday this summer. Thanks for reading, Angel! of the PCH? Not sure it matters when you set out from Seattle; itll be great no matter when you go! We were thinking October, but after reading all the comments, I think we will make it September. Its a great spot for a short hike to stretch your legs. 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. Doing this trip starting this weekend! Thank you again. Ive never been to CA and I know the prices are high. Let me know in the comments! Mike, great to hear from you and thanks for reading! Thanks for your help in advance!!!! After reading your blog we are excited to visit San Jose. Making the drive in 2 days. If youve ever seen The Goonies, you know exactly what I mean. You could see Canada and the river valley. Its a very winding cliff-side road and doing it in an RV is going to be laboriously slow and probably make you a bit nervous at times. NEW CONSTRUCTION. I am beginning to plan a family trip and loved all the recommendations. Heather, you saw the rest of the post, right? Love it. 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 ? $23.99 $ 23. Raynard, when are you going? We will probably book Airbnb if cost effective. I hope you had a good trip! Youll have less distance (just the car and shoulder) instead of an entire lane of the road plus the shoulder. So heading east eventually to round out the trip. However I actively lament that I was on the wrong side of the road in the present tense (as in, if you ask me today, I still lament it); I didnt really realize I was on the wrong side until after my trip was over and its not like you can change your route once you start! But all of those are just ways to say "The 1.". Valerie, cant thank you enough for this guide! We were 70s teenagers all around! Taking my granddaughter on an epic journey. I was hoping to see autumn colours in the northern area. Karen, great question! We continued on until we picked up the beginning of CA Hwy 1. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101. Also known as California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway is the longest state route in California at just over 656 miles. I would love to receive the PDF version of this, please. Flew into Seattle and drove back. Just starting to think about a 1st time road trip from Az to Washington and back among the PCH!!?? Seaside is a picturesque coastal town, a western interpretation of the East Coast summer destinations along the Atlantic. Thanks for reading, Kay. To be honest, Id opt for the long route you only have one day, and Point Reyes is one of my favorite parts of California. from Seattle to San Diego along this route . Drive safe in between those beer stops! We stay in San Diego on Pacific/Mission Beach a lot so no need to travel this far south for us. More Buying Choices $18.53 (15 used & new offers) Kindle. The total distance is about 1,500 miles! This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. Credit: Bigstock.com The Pacific Coast Highwayalso known as PCH or, more commonly, Highway 1runs north-south along most of the United States' West Coast. 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. Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! A road trip along the scenic route features beautiful beaches, waterfalls, natural rock formations, striking bridges, delicious seafood, art communities, surfer towns, and dramatic cliffside views - all along the PCH. This was more expensive than a round-trip rental, but I didnt want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway both ways! Are you planning to stay in bigger cities (Portland, SF, Santa Barbara), or smaller ones? Wifey and I did the PCH trip a while ago, shortly after we got married. Thank you for this wonderful review. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Follow California Highway 1 south. Thanks for sharing this! Thanks for your comment, Archimedes. 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. 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.
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