Congrats on the trip, Michael! Thank you. 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. One of the ultimate road trip destinations has to be the Pacific Coast Highway, or Highway One, which spans 600 miles of the California coastline from San Diego in the south to San Francisco in the north. The rest of time will hopefully be in small towns all along the coast. 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. Your website is very helpful. Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! Thank you so much for this information! Pacific Coast Highway 1 (PCH) - California. I hope this helps! I am doing this trip with the boyfriend end of this month. I cant even imagine how incredible it must have been to experience all this in person. 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. The Ultimate Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide But never mind those technicalities, because equally bewitching ribbons of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 await all along this route. September and October are definitely best for visiting NorCal, so I recommend that time of year too! 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. Thanks Teena. 7 Most Scenic Spots on the Pacific Coast Highway I appreciate this guide. Id be happy to save the money and just drive with the windows down when I want some fresh air. haha. Stop 3: Monterey and its aquarium. BEST PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY STOPS Sun, sand, and surf. 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. Pacific Coast Hwy Road Trip | Travel Channel Great name btw . Briefly, here are some of the other must-see attractions in Seattle: If you want to spend a few days in Seattle, consider purchasing the Seattle CityPass. Adrian, great to hear from you! Here, waves are grand and harsh, and coastal cliffs are as breathtaking as it gets. Hello Valerie & Valise, I love this trip information on, it is so amazingly helpful. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Aberdeen, continue south along U.S. Highway 101. Drive Time: About 3.5 Hours. Pacific Coast Highway | 100% Pure New Zealand We are planning to stay overnight at the Madonna Inn. The Pacific Coast Highway is an ambitious road trip, but totally possible in as few as five days. Depending on whether you drive a Washington to California road trip or just drive portions in California, you can start/end your road trip at the various cities in this guide. 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. The 22 Best Pacific Coast Highway Stops for Your West Coast Road Trip What you suggested (Anaheim > SLO/Madonna Inn > Half Moon Bay) is a great two-day itinerary. But all of those are just ways to say "The 1.". You can definitely do that! I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. Its the best time for good weather on the whole coast! Police ticket 186 drivers in 12 hours on Pacific Coast Highway ?? Driving south on the right-hand side of the road, youll have a great view of the ocean and coastline. Hood. Thanks for your comment, Terri! Camp at Second Beach in Olympic NP Photo: Michael Matti For the California portion, I recommend September & October! Crescent City is the first city youll enter when driving southbound into California along the Pacific Coast Highway (or last if youre headed northbound). This Pacific Coast Highway itinerary is 7 days and will let you take the whole route and return home with unforgettable memories: If you have more time to drive the PCH, this 10-day itinerary is perfect. Did you drive it alone and what do you think about being able to see well driving north to south? Ive just started planning our trip for this autumn. The coast near Crescent City is dotted with the gigantic rock formations out at sea that characterize most of the northern and central California coastline. 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. 1-2 days in Portland to visit college and check out Portland. 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. The 17-Mile Drive between Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey It may have been in a reply to someone elses comment, but I cant seem to find it now. We are only going to be there once though and want to make the most of it. I will definitely use all the info youve provided. Christopher Franke - Pacific Coast Highway Album Reviews - AllMusic Hi, and thanks for this terrific resource. Where would you start and end if it is reasonable to go in December, and what might we expect weather wise? 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. Hurricane Ridge. You should drive the Pacific Coast Highway southbound! Yes, Id recommend flying one-way to Seattle, and flying one-way home from San Diego. Have a great trip! We are going to go the middle of September 2022 and take a flight from Phx to somewhere around Crescent city. As we will be married 40 years! I have a few questions. Thanks for reading, Dave. My problem is going to be deciding what not to do because Ill only have so much time (and money). In the city, the San Francisco CityPass is a good option its super helpful for getting around and seeing the citys top sights. Is Pacific Coast Highway the same as Highway 1 or Highway 101? Valerie I just came across this post. Starting in San Francisco, you'll cruise south along the Pacific Coast of California, visiting vibrant cities, secluded beaches and stunning State Parks as you go. How long is the Pacific Coast Highway? 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. Awesome suggestions and itinerary! This post was originally published in August 2014, and was updated regularly including most recently in May 2022. Sorry; I dont have any suggestions for that! Let me know in the comments! Rudy. Stretching from Washington to California, the Pacific Coast is picturesque, with cliffs, sea stacks, gorgeous urban spaces, and the raging ocean. This post was so helpful! I am currently planning a road trip from Phoenix to Vancouver, WA to visit family and weve decided to come back home via the PCH. 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. Youll see signs for Hoh Rainforest, a left turn that takes you inland to the forest. Wonderful trip sharing you made. I dont plan to change any of my travel plans based on the Coronavirus unless there are required quarantines. Thanks for reading, Angel! Hi, we are flying into Seattle 7/27 and out from San Diego 8/7, we are visiting colleges in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and San Diego for my daughter. Mendocino Your Pacific Coast Highway road trip begins at Leggett, so naturally, the first stop is the wonderful Mendocino. Tim & Janice, what kind words! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: None! 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. Hi! Santa Barbara marks the threshold to the southern California section of the pacific coast. WOW! More Buying Choices $18.53 (15 used & new offers) Kindle. We were planning on 10 days total for driving, site seeing and ending it with 2 days in Disneyland. Review of Pacific Coast Highway | Los Angeles, California, United 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 ? Thanks again. From Ventura. I would definitely do some research on inland options Im not as familiar with whats inland though. Depending on the timing of your itinerary, you may want to do an overnight here. If youre planning a PCH trip and want to pass through San Francisco, you can either skim over along the side of the city as you drive down the coast, take a detour inland to visit Yosemite National Park or dive in for one night knowing it will only make you want to come back for more. Kim. 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. This was a 6 day trip. Hi there, I am thinking of taking a solo trip down the PCH from Long Beach, WA to LA? Hi, My wife and I are planning a 7-day drive from San Fran to Portland in late June of this year. But the hills inland will go even steeper! In a few weeks, we intend to start a 10-ish day loop from San Jose, drive up on the inland route to Seattle, and do a southbound coastal drive. Sorry, I could not get past it, and I may not even be correct, but I truly loved this page. Have a great trip! Youre very welcome, Wilbert! 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! Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! I was hoping to see autumn colours in the northern area. Thanks for reading, Dale. You thinks thats safe or should I make some. Amazing! Here are the stops I suggest for a Pacific Coast Highway California road trip itinerary. Just one small thing, its not the PCH, its just PCH. I hope you have an amazing time! When you hit the California coast, its like driving in a postcard. Also, I will have 3 weeks to do this, I like small towns, Vegan food, and too out of shape for extended hikes. Thanks for your comment, Patty! Pacific Coast | region, North America | Britannica Where is the Pacific Coast Highway? Thank you, Archimedes. I want the most scenic route but RT 1 on the cliffs seem risky ? 10 things to consider before road tripping the Pacific Coast Highway Thanks so much for sharing your experience for others to know its worth doing!! Well, now we will have to wait to see how this Covid-19 progresses. Youll have less distance (just the car and shoulder) instead of an entire lane of the road plus the shoulder. In fact, we serve over 15 000 different locations worldwide. Sounds like it will be well worth it. Id like to make a 10 day trip with a couple days in San Francisco and San Diego. I recently discovered Mendocino on a weekend trip and fell in love with the small town. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: As you might have guessed continue following California Highway 1 south! That said, there are plenty of nice ones depending on which part of town you want to stay in. Thanks for asking! Oregon & California are both pretty vegan friendly states so Id expect lots of restaurants have at least an option thats animal-free. Theres a nice public parking area near a lake that overlooks the Washington State Capital building. I havent been to some of those national parks, but they sound amazing! Ill have to stop at these places, Thinking about a pch trip from San frans to LA.. suggestions on where to stop and how many days, I have this post that will help you plan your trip: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/, Hi Valerie I am looking for a 1 day coastal trip from Anaheim back to San Francisco with 4 kids ranging from Teen to toddler. Pacific Coast Highway | The American Road Trip Company Seattle is one of my favorite destinations in the world. Right, Mel? This Start with a stop for fresh pastries at Caf Aquatica in the tiny town of Jenner (population: less than 200), 11 miles from Bodega Bay. ), this post will give you all you need to know. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: If you are on a quick PCH road trip, turn inland along the Columbia River and then south on I-5 to Portland.If your Pacific Coast Highway road trip includes the Oregon Coast, skip Portland below and drive south along U.S. 101 to Seaside & Cannon Beach (#8). Sort of the opposite of sea stacks like Haystack Rock,Devils Punchbowlis another beautiful natural rock formation along the Oregon Coast. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip | Pacific Coast Highway Map - Visit SLO What are must see spots. The 9 best places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway 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. Prior to retiring I have done the San Francisco to LA 3 times but always by myself. I started this site to share my travel stories and inspiration to help you complete bucket list trips. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. Glad this was helpful! Thanks for reading, Jan. 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. This guide is great, do you have a Google map itinerary to download with the stops? Pacific Coast Highway - Tripadvisor Theres a link to that at the end of the post. Day 2: Forks, WA to Cape Kiwanda, OR. Also known as Route 1 or Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway is the road of the American Dream, a U.S. route that offers beautiful views of the coast along the 620-mile road from Orange County (near Dana Point, south of Los Angeles) to Mendocino County (just above San Francisco, in Leggett), that covers almost the entire California coast.. A Pacific Coast Highway road trip passes through . San Jose is a creative and thriving high-tech culture epicenter. We will be coming from Anaheim and want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway to Half Moon Bay. Thanks for reading, Kay. I havent been to Yellowstone so I cant say if its worth it, unfortunately. Route 1 is fine its twisty turny but its the best route by far. I was wondering if you could suggest a place for stargazing. Its not a long drive from Seattle to Olympia, so I recommend just making a waypoint stop here to stretch your legs before the rest of your driving today whether thats to Port Angeles or Portland. Homes similar to 20132 Pacific Coast Hwy are listed between $350K to $70M at an average of $2,795 per square foot. I am planning a trip for next year, saving and researching. Here are my suggestions: Therefore, the best month to drive the Pacific Coast Highway is September, when youre most likely to have great weather along the entire length of the road trip. Still figuring it out. (I used Roadtrippers Plus to create this route;you can get $5 off Plus byclicking this linkand using code BTR5QTP.). Find and save ideas about pacific coast highway on Pinterest. These are just ten of the many places off Highway 1 that you'll want to experience. Also, about how many miles a day are you traveling on your 10 day itinerary? Glad to help, Bethany! Have other questions about driving the Pacific Coast Highway? Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! Do you happen to know or can you suggest a source with info about the road conditoin in the light of recent terrible weather in California. The first time, we (I) had it all planned out. Chinquel, nice to hear from you! 14 Pacific Coast Highway Stops | Map + Route - Free Tours by Foot What are the reasons you really never got to enjoy using a convertible car? Your email address will not be published. Youd need to drive about 7-10 hours out of the way depending on the bridge, and miss major stretches of the road . Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101. Thanks. You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). Valerie, cant thank you enough for this guide! 8. Youll have a great time! I hope you have a great trip! If youve ever seen The Goonies, you know exactly what I mean. I wish I could remember the name of the mountain turnoff in Washington. Have a great drive! We figured booking hotel in Seattle for 1 or 2 days for arrival and checking the college. We are planning a west coast trip and are considering renting an RV one way from Portland or Seattle to San Francisco. Thank you for this wonderful review. 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 . 603 Ocean Captions for Instagram That Are Indeed Awesome I hope you can make it happen sooner! 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. Your email address will not be published. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Seattle, head south along US Highway 101 to Olympia. Do you have any tips? Planning a trip on PCH last week of July 2020. Also, its not exactly the most stimulating view its a bit better for older kids than younger ones. An unanticipated problem was encountered, check back soon and try again Free or royalty-free photos and images. Great read! Taking my granddaughter on an epic journey. Technically, it starts in Washington State, but it's best known for the stretch through California from the stunning redwood forests and wild, rugged coast down to the sun-drenched beaches of San Diego. I already have the vista points where we will stop for photos and eating. March is a fine time to drive the PCH the weather on the Pacific Coast is pretty similar all year long! Enjoying the Unexpectedly Cool Pitchwood Ale House, All words and images 2013-2023 The Kolibro Group LLC. I hope you can make this trip someday (hopefully soon!). I am planning a 10 day trip the last two weeks in May down the entire PCH from Seattle to San Diego. So the verb lament is correct in the present tense, and the tense of recommend earlier in the paragraph. 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. 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? The Classic Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip | ROAD TRIP USA Great content here, thank you! Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip itinerary: driving on Route 1 in California Many thanks, alex, Alex, unfortunately, this might not be the trip for you. You did a fantastic job with this giude, everything is straight to the point but provided in a fun and educational way. Sireesha, thanks for reading. I was a truck driver for 29 years and could not drive that 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. Have a great trip! Okay, now youve got your car, youve got your basic itinerary. Thanks for such a thorough rundown of what to do. 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. The incredibly scenic California stretch is known for its oceanfront locales, rugged cliffs, hidden coves, and numerous beaches, making it one of the nation's most popular road-trip routes. The ocean is my happy place. Have a great trip!! Thanks for sharing this! The ideia is to have a West Coast Beer Route drive. We planned to start in Seattle and drive to San Diego. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. Flew into Seattle and drove back. Now we want to take our girls on the same trip. Its worth it! Glad to help, Dan! From here on south, it's miles-upon-miles of beautiful sand beaches, palm-lined streets, and thriving coastal cities. Thanks again! Just south of the Bay Area, Santa Cruz is a laid back, quirky hippie town. Aberdeen has one main claim to fame: it was the hometown of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. Take a road trip along California's Pacific Coast Highway for a look at some of America's most dramatic coastal vistas. I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). 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. do you have a printable version of this? I used to use Google Maps to do this, but I find that the numbered stops and waypoints are much easier to understand, and this Roadtrippers map also has other points of interest (Extraordinary Places) you might want to stop at too. Now that Ive moved to this part of California, I know this is true. When you drive on the Pacific Coast Highway, you will see sheer cliffs straight down to the water. Thank you for all this information. 1. Im glad to surpass the AAA level. What type of car would you rent for 4 of us? Im assuiming youve read the whole post, as I do cover a 7-day suggested itinerary, and cover overnight stops along the Oregon coast. Im thinking I might end my trip at Santa Barbara. Sounds like youve got a great itinerary planned! Lastly, Pismo is a great stop for a midday workout on the road, with a huge stretch of beach to walk/run on. Then flying back to Michigan. Congrats on finishing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. 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. You can get a printable version by signing up on the forms in this post. We just did this trip in October 2019, We started in Portland to Cannons beach then headed south on HWY 101. A couple of reasons: 1. How Long is it? I havent been to Monterey but its high on my list! The redwoods are a definite. I stopped here to eat a to-go lunch I had purchased earlier in the drive, with my toes in the sand. We want a mix of National/State Parks, cities, and coasts. 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. I dont have it I just want to make sure businesses are open? Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide - Brian Eagen 2016-09-23 A stunning visual guide for a road trip along the entire United States pacific coast. The Ultimate Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip - Valerie & Valise My favorite place is Mendocino if the skies are clear! Awesome, you can sign up using the forms in this post to get the PDF! Sounds like youve got a great plan drive safe! Santa Cruz. Unfortunately, you cant climb the lighthouse steps as it has been closed for restoration since 2001. Would it be worth it to continue to San Diego then back to LA? I hope you have a great trip whenever you can make it! What time of year would be best to do this. Thanks for your comment, Archimedes. Sounds like youre well on the way to it . With an RV, Id just give yourself a lot more time each day (probably 25% more driving time) since youll need to go a bit slower. Im thinking of doing this trip from Seattle to San Diego. There are a few restaurants in town and 17 miles of beautiful beach to explore. Yes, I do have San Francisco guides! Related posts: Stop 1: San Francisco. Thanks for your comment . Here's an example PCH itinerary: Day 1: Seattle WA, to Forks, WA. Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway (Official Audio) - YouTube I am planning to take this trip with my family of 5 as you have lined out for the 10 days this coming June. I hope you had a great drive, Mindy! I am not fond of the cold and a bit fearful of icy driving in the mountains. 23 Instagram Captions For California Sunsets & Endless Beach Days Southern California. Other cool attractions include Hurricane Ridge (a popular hiking spot), Elwha River Valley, and Olympic Hot Springs. (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!). To ensure accommodations, I was thinking to book all of the hotels in advance. 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/. As soon as you hit the section of the Pacific Coast Highway connecting.
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