I had the chance to spend a weekend in Huntington Beach a few years ago and loved the vibe in this surf town. One of the longest state routes in California (after Interstate 5 and U.S. 101), California 1 sees some of the most . I do have OCD though, and Im having a really hard time getting past your use of the word lament in the paragraph suggesting to drive on southbound. Rudy. One of the most famous sea stacks on the U.S. Pacific Coast, Haystack Rock is picture perfect while you stretch your legs. But, we need to go the opposite way; starting in San Diego and heading north. 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 . 99. Victoria Beach. No matter which you choose, youll enter SF by driving across the Golden Gate Bridge; you can either stay along the coast and drive down Ocean Beach or head east into the city. Sep 26, 2017. ai traffic expansion highway 1 layout mod pacific coast pch. Im assuiming youve read the whole post, as I do cover a 7-day suggested itinerary, and cover overnight stops along the Oregon coast. Thoughts? The PCH is Highway 1 in California, though sometimes Highway 1 and 101 overlap which is what causes the confusion! Hi, and thanks for this terrific resource. 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?) I hope you have an amazing time! Thanks for sharing this great itinerary. This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. I do not plan to do any shopping at stores, so our money would be spent on a rental vehicle, hotels, gas, and food. The ocean's energy is magical. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also, niece is vegan and I am meat eater. 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. Youd need to fly into. ENJOY the sightseeing trip of a lifetime. 3. Hi Valerie, Great job! 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. Do you have any tips? The journey down Highway 1 is the iconic California road trip, and this coastal route is a great choice whether you're in Northern California, the central coast, or in SoCal. maybe to get a car, which adds about 6 hours of driving time. 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? Required fields are marked *. I also agree that Point Reyes (and the lighthouse) is spectacular and my top place to go when in North Ca. The West Coast especially is fantastic. We then took that to the end. Doing this trip starting this weekend! Your help is appreciated. Sea the possibilities. I would rather guess on the high side than the low side so Im prepared. 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. Wonderful trip sharing you made. Any suggestions. As we will be married 40 years! When driving the PCH south from Portland, how much of a detour would it be to see Crater Lake on the way? What a great and comprehensive post! We plan a trip to San Jos, California because of its diversity, beautiful scenery, and exceptionally high outputs. My favorite place is Mendocino if the skies are clear! Thank you for the recommendation! I do not care to get into the Los Angeles areaHowever, the Sequoias are a must. We definitely want to visit the redwood forest, which is the main reason we want to go so far north. Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. , Hi. Pacific Coast Highway stops include big city vacation destinations like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and smaller places like Monterey. Does that sound reasonable or doable? Now let me break down a few itineraries to choose from, based on how much time you have to do your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. San Luis Obispo with Paso Robles). They all offer budget rentals, run regular deals and specials, and have one-way rental options. I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. But there's something extra special about driving the Pacific Coast Highway as it approaches its southern end. Did you try searching my site using the search in the sidebar? The turn-out for Ruby Beach occurs right as the highway reaches the Pacific coast. 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. Sorry about the delay, Scott. Here, waves are grand and harsh, and coastal cliffs are as breathtaking as it gets. 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. What a drive! Now that Ive moved to this part of California, I know this is true. I was reading for the road trip from Seattle to San Diego. 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. Thanks for reading, Thomas. We are from FL and east coast and know very little about west coast, so this is great!! 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. 24 Best Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Stops. Hurricane Ridge. 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. 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. Great content here, thank you! Ann, thanks so much for your comment. Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! Here are some different starting/ending points for a PCH road trip: As you can see, you have options! We plan on doing the 7 day trip June/July. Thank you. This will be a great resource for the trip that we are planning. Thanks for reading, Jan. My wife and I (with our dog) are driving from Pismo Beach to Cannon Beach and staying at a beach house there. After all, I liked it so much when I first visited in 2012 that I moved there in 2013! Manny from Massachusetts. We are planning to stay overnight at the Madonna Inn. Stop 2: Santa Cruz and its boardwalk. In Washington, Oregon, and at the northern end of California, the Pacific Coast route follows US Highway 101. Will we be able to enjoy the drive in March? 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. 7 Stunning Viewpoints on the Pacific Coast Highway By Michael Hodson Updated on 06/03/19 At just over six hundred and fifty miles in length, and running along much of the coast of California, the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most popular road trip destinations in the United States. The 17-Mile Drive between Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey I will definitely use all the info youve provided. Follow the highway south as it winds inland and along the coast. 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. My overnight stop in Santa Barbara changed my mind. 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! You should have no problem making it down the road in December. 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. Adrian, great to hear from you! For accommodation, try a small hotel like the. I am not a family travel expert so I dont have advice there! Los Angeles is the last major city on my list of Pacific Coast Highway stops, and though I have a guide to spending one day in L.A., you can and should spend as much time as you like. Im nervous go excited. I appreciate all the information! As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. I was born on the East Coast and currently live in the Midwest but my heart will always be out West. Great trip! Suggestions? 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). This is a great itinerary! 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, My wife and I are planning a 7-day drive from San Fran to Portland in late June of this year. Have a great trip!! Thanks for all of this great information! 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. Hi We have just 1-day and will be starting in Fortuna and heading to San Francisco. I am saving this to research more of the places you mentioned !! Thanks for reading, Lynda! Nice ride. Explore the route. 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. It was actually quite a lot colder than I expected so I usually ended up too cold with the top down. The total distance is about 1,500 miles! Thank you. From the perspective of California Highway 1, it might seem like just a few buildings alongside the road. Have a great drive! For campsites, Im not super sure as Im not a big camper, but this might help: https://www.theoutbound.com/theoutbound/camping-along-the-pacific-10-seaside-campsites-for-your-west-coast-road-trip. Southern California. Reading through this your article is going to be a huge help as our family plans our two-week trip. I would like to follow the route on the map. That gives you a lot more to do each day to wear the kids out and much more suitable for an RV. 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. State Route 1. Im at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Thanks for your points. Great info . Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. But you missed it and it was so incredible. If you are planning to cruise along that part of the Californian coastline, then here's our magnificent seven! There and back that is? Unfortunately, I dont have suggestions for Santa Barbara as I havent been there in nearly a decade. Hi, I love Portland and San Francisco. In fact, we serve over 15 000 different locations worldwide. I travelled alone from San Francisco to LA while on a work trip years ago and havent stopped thinking about getting my husband out there. Sonja, glad to help! Nate, thanks for your comment. September and October are definitely best for visiting NorCal, so I recommend that time of year too! Franke's first solo album is surprisingly melodic, highly accessible, and immaculately produced. Donna, thanks for your comment! Hi! 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. A couple of reasons: 1. Looking to travel with your recommendations southbound! We were thinking October, but after reading all the comments, I think we will make it September. Life is made for the ocean. Explore the beach then hit the trails to find waterfalls, massive redwoods, and an abandoned limekiln. 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. Great article! 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. 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. I am planning a trip in late July. I was a truck driver for 29 years and could not drive that road. 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. Id be happy to save the money and just drive with the windows down when I want some fresh air. I wouldnt go all the way to Seattle, especially if you dont like big cities. 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. Silvia, not to minimize risks but I think the issue is not being represented realistically by the media. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Carry on south on CA-1, the PCH. But my priority for this trip is just going straight down the PCH so that should help me prioritize. Our kids will be 15 & 10Im just afraid it will be a boring ride for them in the car. We fly out of LA. Congrats on finishing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. Also being from Colorado, we would love to camp oceanside, do you have any recommendations on campsites? Your article was just what I needed!! Again, thanks for great info and advice. Thanks for your comment, Shelly! Best of all, theres no cell service so theyll have to look around to see them . If youve just stayed overnight in Santa Barbara or started your road trip in San Diego, that may not make as much sense. 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. When you drive on the Pacific Coast Highway, you will see sheer cliffs straight down to the water. Ive done Yosemite and Sequoia, so no need for inland stops. memory cards before you know it. Eileen, thanks for your comment, and for reading! Kim. It was so helpful as I planned and traveled cross country this summer starting with the PCH. I can really tell that you love traveling, Valerie . More Buying Choices $18.53 (15 used & new offers) Kindle. In this forest, youll find amazing old growth trees and is incredibly verdant.
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