If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. Hi Valerie- What is the best time of year for this 10 day trip? Amazing! Please drop the the. Sort of a round trip Oregon adventure. I didnt want to make all my reservations, but just go with it for one time in my life. 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. 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 your comment, Anthony! Can you share with me how long this should take us?? Wonderful trip sharing you made. We always wanted to do an RV trip, but maybe the PCH is not the one to do that on?? "In America, the colors sing, they don't just glower at you. Also, how many days should we take for the one-way trip back. The most important thing you need to decide first when driving the Pacific Coast Highway is which direction you prefer to travel the Pacific Coast Highway (northbound or southbound). Thanks for reading, Teena! Valerie, I am so glad I found your guide to the PCH! Would you have any other suggestions since I am using 4 more days and not going south to Sa Diego and strarting in Vancouver? Raynard, when are you going? I hope you have a great trip! We just booked Patrees room! I would love to receive the PDF version of this, please. The Oregon Coast Aquarium lets visitors explore the marine ecosystems around this part of the Pacific Ocean. Stop 4: Bixby bridge. I havent been to some of those national parks, but they sound amazing! Flew into Seattle and drove back. Ive just started planning our trip for this autumn. You should drive the Pacific Coast Highway southbound! This guide is great, do you have a Google map itinerary to download with the stops? I see we can head to Mendocino and then over to a larger highway to San Francisco or.drive all the way down the PCH to Point Reyes Station & then head over San Francisco but that would be a lot of driving. Unfortunately, when I drove the PCH it was pretty foggy and cool most of the week. A one-week Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary will allow you to see the highlights without feeling rushed. Do you think we could do it in 7 days?? 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. Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. Planning a mother/son trip after my son graduates HS next year. memory cards before you know it. You can even stretch it out by spending a few extra days exploring some of the cities along the route if you want to. 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. We stayed in Seattle and drove south to Olympia, to pick up the beginning of the 101. Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! One day, I would LOVE to make this road trip. Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. I think its going to be a tough year fro travel! There are no reasonable alternatives for some of the routes like the one across Bixby Canyon Bridge (shown above). Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! One of the longest state routes in California (after Interstate 5 and U.S. 101), California 1 sees some of the most . Crescent City is the first city youll enter when driving southbound into California along the Pacific Coast Highway (or last if youre headed northbound). Glad to help, Dan! Great article! Thank you. 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. Now I want to take a trip there from San Diego to the Canadian border while sitting on a Honda Goldwing trike. If you would like a customized itinerary, I offer that for a fee to help cover the time it takes me to put those tips together. This information is great!!! . My only additional rec for anyone would be to add the Great Tide Pool in Monterrey to check out little worlds of marine life. We are planning our trip for the first half of April, SF to LA. Great info . I recommend checking out California resources for the pandemic before you book anything. Id find an interesting podcast for everyone in the car and have the kids keep an eye out for whales and wildlife. Youve got so much time, thats awesome! Life is made for the ocean. I appreciate all the information! Start here. Well, now we will have to wait to see how this Covid-19 progresses. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: None! Thanks for your comment, Erin! Thanks Valerie. Have a great trip! Youre very welcome, and have a great road trip!! As the title suggests, this music would make the perfect soundtrack for a drive up the California coast. We are from FL and east coast and know very little about west coast, so this is great!! So it adds about 3 hours of driving time, but it also means youll miss out on basically all of the Oregon Coast. Seeing some nice beaches is also of interest. Thanks for reading, Laurie! Here, waves are grand and harsh, and coastal cliffs are as breathtaking as it gets. Want to know more? My English is very very basic but if you write to me I can understand it. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Aberdeen, continue south along U.S. Highway 101. I am planning to start my road trip in Vancouver BC and ending in San Francisco. The ideia is to have a West Coast Beer Route drive. Stop 2: Santa Cruz and its boardwalk. Thanks for sharing this great itinerary. Youll have a great time! If I am going to follow your 10 day itinerary from Washington State to San Diego, how many overnight stays can I have? It is best known for the stretch along the Californian coast, with spectacular ocean views and awesome attractions as you travel. Thank you for great info This is exactly what I was looking for. Any thoughts on this as it pertains to weather? ), a Jeep Liberty, or most Subarus. To help you plan your road trip, here are two possible road trip itineraries you could take. Aberdeen has one main claim to fame: it was the hometown of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. 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. from Seattle to San Diego along this route . We were thinking October, but after reading all the comments, I think we will make it September. Hi Valerie, Great tips! 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. Thanks for asking, Helen! It's renowned as one of the most scenic road trips in America, and of course there are dozens of fun places to stop and check out along the way. The route between Los Angeles and San Diego is not as popular as the classic long road trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco on Highway 1.San Francisco is one of the most important cities in the United States and, thanks to its charm and favorable location on the way to visit the national parks, is often preferred over San Diego, which shares the Pacific Ocean with San Francisco and Los . The Outdoor Blueprint team pieces together an incredible guide featuring all the best coastal stops from Vancouver, B.C. 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. 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. In Washington, Oregon, and at the northern end of California, the Pacific Coast route follows US Highway 101. Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! Youll get access to five major attractions at a discounted price, so you can experience more of what Seattle has to offer for less. 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. Its easy to make a stop in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, so take the opportunity! 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. Thank you again. Day 4: Redwood State Park, CA to San Francisco, CA. I will definitely use all the info youve provided. We are coming from Pennsylvania. Suggestions? Thank you. The ocean is my happy place. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue along CA-1 to San Diego, your final stop on this PCH road trip. Any other advise you could give us. I love that the Pacific coast has those little hideaways! If I can make a recommendation? Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). 5 Beds. We are planning a west coast trip and are considering renting an RV one way from Portland or Seattle to San Francisco. Hope to rent a car there? Required fields are marked *. 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 is an ambitious road trip, but totally possible in as few as five days. My question is: how to best use our time? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along California Highway 1. I already have the vista points where we will stop for photos and eating. We want a mix of National/State Parks, cities, and coasts. maybe to get a car, which adds about 6 hours of driving time. 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. Have you heard any issues with the Covid and being able to rent places on the way down? Thank you for the article. Let me know if you need any extra tips whenever you start planning! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Follow California Highway 1 south. I have been to Europe, for 2 years, and nothing compares to this coastal trip. Loved your trip adventure and recommendations !! Santa Barbara marks the threshold to the southern California section of the pacific coast. When you hit the California coast, its like driving in a postcard. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101. Manny from Massachusetts. Thank you again for all of your information. Thanks for asking! Both have way more to explore once you stop or pull off the road. Especially watching the sun set over Morro Rock in the distance! Weve daydreamed about a lot of different trips we would take one day, and a flight from the southeast US to Seattle and PCH drive to San Diego was one of them. Karen, great question! While driving southbound, youll approach Marshall first. 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. 4,329 Sq. The most commonly driven part of the . Mike, great to hear from you and thanks for reading! 1. Id go with a mid-size car for your rental. We will be stopping to see the sights along the way but not for strenuous hikes. Id check out the California DOT website for the most up-to-date information. 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! It was a great help! My favorite place is Mendocino if the skies are clear! I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. We are planning a trip in Sept 0f 2022, starting in Portland, ending in San Diego. Appreciate you sharing your experience and advice. Crater lake was amazing!! Feel free to comment back here if you have questions while planning your trip . Hey there! But never mind those technicalities, because equally bewitching ribbons of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 await all along this route. Weve spent time in SF already so dont need to stay there. Best trip ever! 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). I can't stop looking at that ocean. I hope this helps! Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! Hurricane Ridge. I lived for 15 years in Alaska, as well as four years each in California and Washington. I hope you had a good trip! Your email address will not be published. If I were youI would do a leisurely drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles/San Diego. We live in Colorado, so more interested in Ocean more than hiking, so 101 is ideal. is booking hotels on the day or maybe the day before likely to be OK, or should we book well in advance? My stop in Fort Bragg was relatively short, but it was worth it! Awesome, Im hoping to do the PCH and NorCal next summer. Thats it! Long Beach is and always will be one of my favorite destinations in Washington. 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. Here are my twenty five favorite stops on PCH from south to north. Solvang As the tallest lighthouse on the U.S. Pacific Coast, Pigeon Point Lighthouse is picturesque, and you can view it from several different angles along the nearby coastline. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange . The Pacific Coast Highway runs along two highways: In Washington and Oregon, the best weather of the year happens between June and September. This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for reading and asking, Hunter! For bigger cities, there are probably enough options that you can wait until you arrive to book, even during that time of year. Theres a nice public parking area near a lake that overlooks the Washington State Capital building. Valerie, valuable tips ! I love road trips & he tolerates them so I am looking forward to all these sights to see! San Diego was the starting point of my Pacific Coast Highway road trip; for you, it may be the end. The first time, we (I) had it all planned out. "Golden state of mind." 3. Love all the comments ideas and suggestion, will try and make this trip happen in about 2-3 years . You could see Canada and the river valley. 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. Thanks so much from a couple of Canucks! 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. Youd need to fly into. Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. I hope that helps! My husband and I are planning a Spring Break trip with our girls March 2020. The weather should be okay but be prepared for coastal fog and chill (as you would experience pretty much all year long!). Were driving south-to-north. If youve ever seen The Goonies, you know exactly what I mean. Thanks for your points. (If you decide to fly to SF, heres a recent post I wrote: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/). Blow your budget and stay the night at Fairmont San Francisco, one of the nicest hotels in town. Technically, Seattle is not on the Pacific Coast Highway, but you can fly into Seattle and drive one hour south to Olympia to start your PCH road trip. That said, there are plenty of nice ones depending on which part of town you want to stay in. Have a wonderful trip! I was curious about which one you suggest if you were to slim down this itinerary by 1 day (ex. 3 days trip to Joshua Tree/stay at Twentynine Palms, then swing to San Diego. anything you can suggest extra the girls would be wowed by would be great. Ive done Yosemite and Sequoia, so no need for inland stops. The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. Astoria, like Aberdeen in Washington, is a great destination for lovers of pop culture. Officially, only the short, sun-loving stretch of Hwy 1 through Orange and Los Angeles Counties can legally call itself Pacific Coast Highway. Very nicely done thanks ever so much !! Here are the stops I suggest for a Pacific Coast Highway California road trip itinerary. 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. Thanks for such a thorough rundown of what to do. Have a great drive! Have you seen these two posts? $2,785,000. Are you hoping to do a one-way rental car for your PCH drive? Also wondering if you can tell me where I could get a printable version of your article. Thanks again! Basically, you cant start/end in Crescent City if you want to rent a car. Taking your advice, flying into Seattle (from KC), and heading south. I also agree that Point Reyes (and the lighthouse) is spectacular and my top place to go when in North Ca. If I wanted to follow your trip but stop off a day at Yosemite what might the drive look like? The Pacific Coast Highway, also called California State Route 1, Coast Highway, or shortened by locals to be "PCH," is 650 miles of road. Have a great drive!! Whether you stop to take a few Instagram-worthy spots or ogle the animals, theres plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego. Eileen, thanks for your comment, and for reading! If youve just stayed overnight in Santa Barbara or started your road trip in San Diego, that may not make as much sense. I started this site to share my travel stories and inspiration to help you complete bucket list trips. 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. Can you please give me a list of must sees in Santa Barbara (we could have two full days there). As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. In the city, the San Francisco CityPass is a good option its super helpful for getting around and seeing the citys top sights. Santa Barbara was the biggest surprise I had on my PCH road trip in 2014. Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Thanks again! Our Pacific Coast Highway road trip is 575 miles of stunning coastal driving that's simply not to be missed. Please keep doing what youre doing. Sounds like youve got a great plan drive safe! I hope this helps. You should have no problem finding vegan options! My husband are I are planning 20 days to do the PCH(starting in Seattle and ending in San Diego) We are using your the ultimate pacific coast road trip itinerary as a guide. Thanks for your comment . Make sure you have enough guidance resources. 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. 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. This was more expensive than a round-trip rental, but I didnt want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway both ways! Seattle is one of my favorite destinations in the world. March is a fine time to drive the PCH the weather on the Pacific Coast is pretty similar all year long! We only wish to go South as far as Salinas (more family) or Santa Barbara the furthest. #addittothelist. But, we need to go the opposite way; starting in San Diego and heading north. 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. , Hi. There are plenty of things to do in Long Beach for more than an overnight stop! I am saving this to research more of the places you mentioned !! 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. I will be driving from Dallas to Seattle. I am planning a trip for next year, saving and researching. Thanks! Thanks for reading, Brian. I love all the details and recommendations! Great tips, Kathi! If not, spend your day exploring the Seattle waterfront to see all of the city from above. Pacific Coast Highway stops include big city vacation destinations like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and smaller places like Monterey. 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? These make perfect Instagram captions for dreamy sunsets or foggy mornings on the Pacific. Are you planning to stay in bigger cities (Portland, SF, Santa Barbara), or smaller ones? Im also a not-so-secret space nerd and speak fluent emoji! I havent stayed at any L.A. hotels, so I dont feel comfortable recommending any. 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. Wifey and I did the PCH trip a while ago, shortly after we got married. It sounds like youll have an awesome trip, and happy early birthday to him! We are planning to do Northboundfrom Ventura to Wine country but only have 5 days returning on the 5th day.

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