I didnt spend a ton of time on the Central Coast, but be sure to stop at Pismo Beach and drive through Carmel. Anyway, we are looking to do the very same drive. You should have no problem finding vegan options! My fiance & I want to do this for our honeymoon next month! Login or Register an account to download this content. Also, niece is vegan and I am meat eater. Glad to help, Andrew I hope you have an amazing trip! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Its a short drive south and a little east along U.S. 101 from Long Beach to cross the Astoria into Oregon. So the verb lament is correct in the present tense, and the tense of recommend earlier in the paragraph. Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? The total distance is about 1,500 miles! Question, if we were to add a stop, possible one night stay at Crater Lake, where would you suggest doing this from without missing much, (or any?) The PCH begins south of Dana Point in Orange County and ends at US 101 in Mendocino County. And thanks for confirming what I thought (hoped) that southbound is the best way to go. Youll see signs for Hoh Rainforest, a left turn that takes you inland to the forest. Can you recommend where to spend time and in which cities to plan to spend the night? To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to exploreNative Land. Just south of the Bay Area, Santa Cruz is a laid back, quirky hippie town. How do I do it? 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! Glad to help, Dan! Located on a beautiful crescent-shaped bay, Crescent City is along part of the PCH where California Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 101 overlap hence this guide refers to both Highway 1 and Highway 101 as the PCH in the different states. I do have the same recommendations youll see A LOT of fellow bikers/trikers out on the PCH; its a great ride on 2-3 wheels as well as 4 wheels . Want to stop over a few nights, and hit some of the destinations you listed. Thanks for sharing this great itinerary. (Be prepared for fog from the marine layer! We are only going to be there once though and want to make the most of it. 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. 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). 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. The Pacific Coast Highway is up there with the most beautiful drives in the world. Also being from Colorado, we would love to camp oceanside, do you have any recommendations on campsites? In smaller towns though, Id recommend committing to those earlier you may find you have nowhere to stay and have to drive on another 100+ miles at some parts! Hello good morning my name is Cherie Carmona, Wealth to California a little over a year ago I love it I live in Dana Point California, my husband will be moving here in a few weeks and Im so excited my daughter lives in Seattle so we were considering a road trip to Seattle realistically how long do you think it would take thank you so much God-bless. It was so helpful as I planned and traveled cross country this summer starting with the PCH. March is a fine time to drive the PCH the weather on the Pacific Coast is pretty similar all year long! As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. Youre very welcome, and have a great road trip!! Thanks for all of this great information! Awesome, Im hoping to do the PCH and NorCal next summer. Thank you for sharing! is booking hotels on the day or maybe the day before likely to be OK, or should we book well in advance? What day of the week would you recommend starting from WA? Thanks for reading, Oleg. I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. This sounds like a great trip the PCH + inland Oregon! Thanks for your comment, Jorge! Am planning to do a 10 day PCH drive in August. At this point you should take the exit to CA-1; this is now the Pacific Coast Highway. Well, now we will have to wait to see how this Covid-19 progresses. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. You did a fantastic job with this giude, everything is straight to the point but provided in a fun and educational way. Eileen, thanks for your comment, and for reading! I share travel resources and stories based on my personal experience and knowledge. ?? Hi there, I am desperate to do the road trip next year however, I am not keen on driving over bridges (I am fine on coastal roads/cliff edges), so are there any places that i definitely need to avoid or that you cant get through/past without crossing a bridge? I appreciate all the information! Taking your advice, flying into Seattle (from KC), and heading south. The Pacific Coast Highway is located in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. 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. Scott, I replied to your email, so you should be all set! Sorry, I dont have any special suggestions for kids! Nate, thanks for your comment. Take a road trip along California's Pacific Coast Highway for a look at some of America's most dramatic coastal vistas. We will only have 7 days. Valerie, I am so glad I found your guide to the PCH! 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. Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! 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. 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!). A weekend of sea, sand, and sunscreen. We booked a flight to San Jose to explore the citys economic hub and cultural traditions. Im driving with our 5 kids (ages 1 -13) and my wife. Day 4: Redwood State Park, CA to San Francisco, CA. Id be happy to save the money and just drive with the windows down when I want some fresh air. Just one small thing, its not the PCH, its just PCH. It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! Overwhelmed by the vastness of it all. 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. Glad to help, Ashley! 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! Unfortunately, you cant climb the lighthouse steps as it has been closed for restoration since 2001. After Crater lake we headed back to 238 towards HWY 101, we took an off road to hit the coast right at Brookings. Great article. 1. But my priority for this trip is just going straight down the PCH so that should help me prioritize. Fort Bragg is home to a beautiful glass beach, pictured above, where the entire beach is made of sea glass from past trash dumps. You can even stretch it out by spending a few extra days exploring some of the cities along the route if you want to. San Diego is high on my must-visit-longer list, so Im again a bit short on recommendations here. Youd need to fly into. Cant say enough how appreciative we are. Want to know more? 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. 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. From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. Hi Valerie- What is the best time of year for this 10 day trip? Any suggestions. Here's an example PCH itinerary: Day 1: Seattle WA, to Forks, WA. 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 Here are my twenty five favorite stops on PCH from south to north. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Aberdeen, continue south along U.S. Highway 101. I love small beaches and in less popular destinations like this! 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. 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. Or, do you think one could just take a chance and stop and book a room when in need??? 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. haha. ), a Jeep Liberty, or most Subarus. Let me know how it goes! Were using it to plan our itinerary for June/July this year, 3 weeks, Seattle to LA. This information is great!!! to San Diego, CA. 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. Also, we were thinking with the additional days to do a detour over to Yosemite. Sorry, but theres no way to do the drive to Seattle and back along the PCH in just 7 days. Thanks for your comment, Pam, but Im a little confused its a 10-day itinerary, so its a 9-night trip. To answer your questions: 1. Making the drive in 2 days. Do you recommend any of your overnights for golf fireworks for 4th of July? Thanks Teena. You can stretch your legs with a short walk before getting back on the road. Also, I will have 3 weeks to do this, I like small towns, Vegan food, and too out of shape for extended hikes. Sounds like youve got a great plan drive safe! Were renting an RV in Seattle (after few days in hotel) and have 30 days before we drop it off in San Fran (and hotel for a few days). Suggestions? We fly out of LA. The PCH is on my bucket list since my daughter did it with Teens Westward Bound over 10 years ago. Youll have less distance (just the car and shoulder) instead of an entire lane of the road plus the shoulder. I have one question where is the best place to fly into? Have a great trip! I already have the vista points where we will stop for photos and eating. The weather also wasnt great for most of the route; after moving up out of SoCal, youre much more likely to experience clouds and/or the marine layer on the PCH. 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (1) Paperback. I hope you have a great trip whenever you can make it! 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. I hope you have a great trip! Hi Valerie, I am doing the PCH drive southbound from Seattle and as far as we can go for 5 days. 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. To access the map on Roadtrippers, you just need to click the map! Very glad to help, and I hope you have a great trip! Have a great trip and drive safely! Also, for a map, I use the app Roadtrippers, which is linked in the post. I can really tell that you love traveling, Valerie . Gavin Newsom and . Whats your thought on late availability rooms at that time of year? There are loads of cool things to explore in/around this small PNW town, including Olympic National Park! My only additional rec for anyone would be to add the Great Tide Pool in Monterrey to check out little worlds of marine life. I hope you can make this trip someday (hopefully soon!). We are planning to stay overnight at the Madonna Inn. Is Yellowstone worth the long detour? I appreciate you taking the time to answer everyones questions. 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. The majority of this California road trip will take place on Highway 1, AKA the Pacific Coast Highway, AKA the PCH, AKA Cabrillo Highway, AKA Shoreline Highway, AKA The Prettiest Highway in the World. I had lots of recommendations from a friend, specific to Big Sur, but your article was so encompassing and complete. The West Coast especially is fantastic. Next, youll pass through Point Reyes, which again seems underwhelming. Thanks for reading, Sonia. Aretta, thanks for your comment! 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. While driving southbound, youll approach Marshall first. Am interested in your upcoming 7 day itinerary of PCH. When driving the PCH south from Portland, how much of a detour would it be to see Crater Lake on the way? This will be a great resource for the trip that we are planning. I hope you can do at least part of the PCH someday soon . Regarding I recommend an automatic car with a low center of gravity but skip the convertible! Start in Seattle and end in San Diego. I love to do a Pacific Coast Highway drive at some point in my life. Heather, you saw the rest of the post, right? Thanks for your help in advance!!!! The Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip While many travelers begin in Los Angeles and head north, driving the Pacific Coast Highway from north to south keeps you in the lane closest to the ocean. You also mentioned Suburbans are not great because they are so big, but I dont think we have much choice with the large family. Those are my top recommendations! Great tips, Kathi! My problem is going to be deciding what not to do because Ill only have so much time (and money). Great name btw . Im sure someone else has asked this but..When is the best time to travel PCH (traveling Southbound through California to San Diego in hopes of warm days and cool(ish) nights)? Maybe Im AAAA ? I dont have it I just want to make sure businesses are open? 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. Thanks again for this excellent resource. The most commonly driven part of the . 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 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. Thanks for your comment, David! First thank you for all the work you put into this! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: If you are doing a quick Pacific Coast Highway road trip, head south from Olympia along I-5 to Portland. Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As we will be married 40 years! This was more expensive than a round-trip rental, but I didnt want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway both ways! We just did this trip in October 2019, We started in Portland to Cannons beach then headed south on HWY 101. Have a great drive! You'll feel far from it all as you pass through tiny towns and secluded beaches and wind around cliffs surrounded by yellowy beige grasses and cliffs. Sireesha, thanks for reading. 0:42. Is this possible? Im thinking of doing this trip from Seattle to San Diego. I hope you had a good trip! More Buying Choices $18.53 (15 used & new offers) Kindle. 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 Hoping to do this mid Sept 2020. Southern California has great weather year-round. and so much more! The must-see sights definitely include places such as Hearst Castle and Big Sur. 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. Start here. Thanks so much. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Seattle, head south along US Highway 101 to Olympia. The turn-out for Ruby Beach occurs right as the highway reaches the Pacific coast. Im nervous go excited. Hi V& VDid you make hotel reservations in advance for your overnight stops? We might consider staying a total of 12-15 days. I mapped it here so you can see the option to add in Crater Lake and what youll miss: https://goo.gl/maps/2A4GYTKnBcADVdRw5. You can choose the spots you want to stop at that way . Then flying back to Michigan. Thank you for the recommendation! When you picture the Pacific Coast Highway, its Big Sur that comes to mind. What do you think about making this drive in November? From the beach boardwalk to the lush redwoods, Santa Cruz is one of the best places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway. 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. Glad this was helpful! "I'm California dreamin'." The. $2,785,000. Pismo State Beach is another great stop during a day of driving from San Francisco to Santa Barbara (or reverse). San Diego was the starting point of my Pacific Coast Highway road trip; for you, it may be the end. This is exactly what I was looking for. Great questions, Julie. Im thinking of a four day road trip for easter next year but thinking along the lines of vegas to grand canyon and so. Once inPortland, its easy to spend a few days exploring; I have been to Portland repeatedly and there are so many experiences that can more than fill a stop on your road trip. Travelling from Auckland to Napier, you'll experience lakes, wildlife, vineyards and a tranquil lagoon. This was a 6 day trip. 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. Were driving south-to-north. My favorite place is Mendocino if the skies are clear! Looking forward to follow your tips. Youve got so much time, thats awesome! Well be camping out at most stops except for SF. We figured booking hotel in Seattle for 1 or 2 days for arrival and checking the college. Thats it! 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 havent been to some of those national parks, but they sound amazing! 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. I will be driving from Dallas to Seattle. Long Beach is and always will be one of my favorite destinations in Washington. Hi, I love Portland and San Francisco. Thank you so much for this information! Valerie I just came across this post. 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! 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. Theres a link to that at the end of the post. But never mind those technicalities, because equally bewitching ribbons of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 await all along this route. We stayed in Seattle and drove south to Olympia, to pick up the beginning of the 101. $23.99 $ 23. Great question, Judy. Im looking forward to have the same experience with my wife and my son. This is such a great article. 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. 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. 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. Thanks so much for sharing your experience for others to know its worth doing!! 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. do you have a printable version of this? Thanks for reading, Laurie! Id go with a mid-size car for your rental. I had saved this resource to help me plan. If I were going to recommend a route, Id do something like the National Parks in California or the Utah/Arizona/SoCal loop. Mendocino Your Pacific Coast Highway road trip begins at Leggett, so naturally, the first stop is the wonderful Mendocino. Valerie-thanks for the great overview. Stop 3: Monterey and its aquarium. Thank you for this wonderful review. 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. Thanks for asking, Helen! It was actually quite a lot colder than I expected so I usually ended up too cold with the top down. Also how many days driving for this trip. Feel free to comment back here if you have questions while planning your trip . I want to fly out to the NW and drive to Crescent city, then go inland to see the redwoods, Bend, and Mt. 3 days trip to Joshua Tree/stay at Twentynine Palms, then swing to San Diego. Solvang Pacific Coast Highway or PCH, segments of California State Route 1 Pacific Coast Highway, parts of New Zealand State Highway 2 and all of New Zealand State Highway 25 and New Zealand State Highway 35. Do you have any tips? From Bixby Creek Bridge to Mcway Falls to the sea lions of San Simeon, there are so many epic places to see and photos to snap in Big Sur along the Pacific Coast Highway that you'll find yourself exhausting your camera battery and filling up your. I would like to follow the route on the map. If you're starting your PCH drive from Seattle . Nice ride. 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. Karen, great question! Chinquel, nice to hear from you! I also agree that Point Reyes (and the lighthouse) is spectacular and my top place to go when in North Ca. Seattle is perfect for anywhere between one day and three days if you have the time. I am flying into Portland to meet my niece and we will rent a car and drive down the coast to LA to meet another nephew. If you go to the Big Sur Crater, you will be a full one mile (1.6 km) above sea level while remaining only three miles (5 km) inland from the ocean. Great question So Crater Lake is pretty far inland. Youve put together one awesome road trip! Its less than 10 minutes drive from Newport to Devils Punch Bowl. #addittothelist. 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.
