We are going to go the middle of September 2022 and take a flight from Phx to somewhere around Crescent city. If you are planning to cruise along that part of the Californian coastline, then here's our magnificent seven! Great post. 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. For the California portion, I recommend September & October! I am starting from seattle 8/26 down to los angeles taking PCH. I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it! 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. Also wondering if you can tell me where I could get a printable version of your article. Do you have a version that is just typed up not with pictures? We want to make the best out of drive there. Thank you for your great ideas and itineraries! We are thinking Crescent City to Santa Barbara? Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. is booking hotels on the day or maybe the day before likely to be OK, or should we book well in advance? Stay safe. Sorry, I could not get past it, and I may not even be correct, but I truly loved this page. 4 Baths. Also, further north, you could fly to Portland and do the Oregon coast too. 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 . Great article! I started this site to share my travel stories and inspiration to help you complete bucket list trips. I was considering driving from San Jose with overnight stops at Mt Shasta or Lassen NP, Crater Lake, Portland, and Seattle (maybe a few nights in the cities). Thank you again for all of your information. LA's vast size may seem daunting, but if you plan what you want to see and do, it can be a really rewarding place to visit. 4,329 Sq. Thanks for reading, Brian. Great trip! Just one small thing, its not the PCH, its just PCH. Its impossible to reduce all of the amazing things to do in San Francisco down to a small paragraph or overnight stop on a Pacific Coast Highway road trip. Along the way we plan to stop at the Benbow Inn near Garberville, CA and in Newport. Thanks for asking, Helen! Where is the Pacific Coast Highway? 21500 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, California, United States, 92648 Phone +1 714 698 1234 Email [email protected] View Details Rooms Featuring a coastal chic aesthetic, our rooms and suites each feature terraces overlooking Huntington Beach, pools and lavishly landscaped courtyards. 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. 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. I have a few questions. The views of the colors changing in the trees were surreal. Is there any river rafting or boating along the way? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: If you are doing a quick Pacific Coast Highway road trip, head south from Olympia along I-5 to Portland. From here on south, it's miles-upon-miles of beautiful sand beaches, palm-lined streets, and thriving coastal cities. If I were going to recommend a route, Id do something like the National Parks in California or the Utah/Arizona/SoCal loop. The huge sweeping beach is admittedly not warm enough for a swim but its great for a stroll in the surf. To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to exploreNative Land. 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. My best advice is to take a look at the app Roadtrippers and start plugging in where you might want to go to get a sense of travel time then you can decide whats must-do, what extra you have time for, and what needs to be cut.I hope that helps! Thanks for reading, Sonia. There and back that is? 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. Pigeon Point can be a fun rest stop along the Pacific Coast Highway or a quirky one-night stop depending on your itinerary. An unanticipated problem was encountered, check back soon and try again Have a wonderful trip! I love all the details and recommendations! We are planning to stay overnight at the Madonna Inn. 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 You thinks thats safe or should I make some. "I'm California dreamin'." The. Would you recommend the 7 day to get 2-3 days in Diego? The must-see sights definitely include places such as Hearst Castle and Big Sur. Is it worth waiting to do this trip in summer? You may encounter some rain up north near Portland and Seattle, but you shouldnt experience any snow! I have 22 foot van camper are their any length height(9.5 ft) restrictions I am hoping their are amp sites along the way? The innovative sequencer work of his Tangerine Dream years has given way on this album to more predictable pop electronic orchestrations that . My blog posts likely contain affiliate links, including for the Amazon Associates program.If you click, book, or buy from one of these links, I may earn a commission. One of the longest state routes in California (after Interstate 5 and U.S. 101), California 1 sees some of the most . Have a great trip!! These stops are numbered to match my Roadtrippers map and trip above (click here to open the trip in a separate window). San Luis Obispo with Paso Robles). Have you seen these two posts? Valerie, valuable tips ! I didnt spend a ton of time on the Central Coast, but be sure to stop at Pismo Beach and drive through Carmel. You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). If youve just stayed overnight in Santa Barbara or started your road trip in San Diego, that may not make as much sense. Thanks for your comment, Pam, but Im a little confused its a 10-day itinerary, so its a 9-night trip. Stop 2: Santa Cruz and its boardwalk. Also, I love your pictures! 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). We are doing the PCH this July and August coming from Yellowstone, Glacier and Teddy Roosevelt NP it has been on our Bucket list for quite some time after this trip we only have Alaska to visit and we will have visited all the States !! Rudy. . I hope you have a great trip! Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! The skies are guaranteed to be blue, the weather begs for a convertible, and the passing sands are alive with . 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. NEW CONSTRUCTION. Login or Register an account to download this content. This was a 6 day trip. P.S. 9. Chinquel, nice to hear from you! Want to avoid the summer crowds, but still enjoy nice weather. Rainier, plenty of coastlines, and Redwoods. You should have no problem making it down the road in December. Whether you stop to take a few Instagram-worthy spots or ogle the animals, theres plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego. I would hate to plan a trip only to find out that things are shut down or there are big restrictions placed on free movement. We want to spend 5 days for PCH and not sure where to fly in or out of. Gavin Newsom and . We plan on doing the 7 day trip June/July. As I mentioned above, both are southbound itineraries. I did a bit of research into this seems like its a Los Angeles thing to drop the the but as I lived up in Northern California, we use the the. Since my post is referring to a much larger area than just SoCal, Im still going to keep the the. Thanks for providing me this opportunity to learn about a quirky bit of California lingo! San Diego is high on my must-visit-longer list, so Im again a bit short on recommendations here. 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 Crater lake was amazing!! 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. How Long is it? Camp at Second Beach in Olympic NP Photo: Michael Matti One of the most famous sea stacks on the U.S. Pacific Coast, Haystack Rock is picture perfect while you stretch your legs. (Be prepared for fog from the marine layer! Follow the highway south as it winds inland and along the coast. Right, Mel? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: As you might have guessed continue following California Highway 1 south! I agree, go north to south. If youre not sure (or not loyal to any particular car rental company), consider using a tool like Kayak or TripAdvisor to compare a bunch of options (yes, TripAdvisor does rental cars!). (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!). Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. 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. Am interested in your upcoming 7 day itinerary of PCH. Is this time of year realistic for an enjoyable adventure, or should we maybe plan to go somewhere else? I think its going to be a tough year fro travel! 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. 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. ENJOY the sightseeing trip of a lifetime. Our Pacific Coast Highway road trip is 575 miles of stunning coastal driving that's simply not to be missed. Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! You can even stretch it out by spending a few extra days exploring some of the cities along the route if you want to. Thanks for your comment, Shelly! 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. The Oregon Coast Aquarium lets visitors explore the marine ecosystems around this part of the Pacific Ocean. to San Diego, CA. Both have way more to explore once you stop or pull off the road. I am planning 14 days to take in the sights. As we will be married 40 years! Thank so much for putting together a wonderful and comprehensive itinerary of the PC scenic drive. Where would you start and end if it is reasonable to go in December, and what might we expect weather wise? 99. 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. The best time of year to do this will be in the summer (June/July/August), probably sooner in the year rather than later. Phoenix77. Do you have any tips? Thinking of maybe making this where we would b me somewhere different for 4th of July. We will be coming from Anaheim and want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway to Half Moon Bay. I havent stayed at any L.A. hotels, so I dont feel comfortable recommending any. I would love to take this vacation but not fall short on money. 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. Awesome, Tim! Nate, thanks for your comment. Thanks for such a thorough rundown of what to do. Thanks for your points. Is this going to be a big disappointment? We were planning on 10 days total for driving, site seeing and ending it with 2 days in Disneyland. 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. Thank you. I was reading for the road trip from Seattle to San Diego. It depends a lot on how long you plan to make the drive do you know how many days youll be driving? The speed limit ranges from 55mph to 25mph theres really no helpful way to give an average! 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! I dont have it I just want to make sure businesses are open? Hah, sounds like a good bonding experience, Angela! Point Reyes is arguably my favorite part of the Pacific Coast Highway and that is saying something as its really hard to choose favorites from over 650 miles of California coastline! 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. Let me know how it goes! Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! Will we be able to enjoy the drive in March? Its less than 10 minutes drive from Newport to Devils Punch Bowl. 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. Glad to help, Andrew I hope you have an amazing trip! Stretching from Washington to California, the Pacific Coast is picturesque, with cliffs, sea stacks, gorgeous urban spaces, and the raging ocean. I love road trips & he tolerates them so I am looking forward to all these sights to see! 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! Unfortunately, when I drove the PCH it was pretty foggy and cool most of the week. Extremely informative. Hi Valerie, Great job! Thanks for reading, Lauren! We are so overwhelmed. Sounds like youve got a great plan drive safe! Thanks for reading, Dale. Dont be in a hurry and be cautious so you can enjoy everything. Aretta, thanks for your comment! Sounds like youre well on the way to it . So the verb lament is correct in the present tense, and the tense of recommend earlier in the paragraph. 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. (I used Roadtrippers Plus to create this route;you can get $5 off Plus byclicking this linkand using code BTR5QTP.). Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Head west along U.S. 101 until it turns south along the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula. I would rather guess on the high side than the low side so Im prepared. Valerie-thanks for the great overview. 5 Beds. I wouldnt advise doing this one in an RV, to be honest. Youve got so much time, thats awesome! 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. Thanks for your comment, Vicky! Hi, My wife and I are planning a 7-day drive from San Fran to Portland in late June of this year. What do you think about making this drive in November? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue along CA-1 to San Diego, your final stop on this PCH road trip. Im saving this post to reference when I think about doing this trip, because that has to happen! "Golden state of mind." 3. You could see Canada and the river valley. Looking to travel with your recommendations southbound! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101 to Crescent City always stick to the coast! 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. 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 for reading, Thomas. I hate cold! Thanks for your comment, Archimedes. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: When youre ready to continue on your PCH road trip, make your way back to California Highway 1 and head south. Any thoughts on this as it pertains to weather? If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. Gov. Sireesha, thanks for reading. Weve spent time in SF already so dont need to stay there. The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. 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. Three police agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, crack down on motorists along the Pacific Coast Highway near Crystal Cove on Sunday, May 3, 2020. My question is: how to best use our time? I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. Such a thorough guide! You could do this road-trip in as little as five days, but I recommend taking at least seven or maybe 10 if you have the time! ), Valerie, My wife and I are planning this very trip you outlined. maybe to get a car, which adds about 6 hours of driving time. 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. I was hoping to see autumn colours in the northern area. Have a great trip! The Pacific Coast Highway, also called California State Route 1, Coast Highway, or shortened by locals to be "PCH," is 650 miles of road. Thanks for sharing this! Amazing! Thanks for your comment, Manny. I have no idea what the case will be for forest fires next year, unfortunately! The West Coast especially is fantastic. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along California Highway 1. South of Seaside, be sure to stop in Cannon Beach to admire Haystack Rock. Thank you . Donna, thanks for your comment! May 16, 2022 by Allison Green. 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. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Aberdeen, continue south along U.S. Highway 101. 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. Thank you, Archimedes. I hope you had a good trip! Thank you for the pointers! Adrian, great to hear from you! If I am going to follow your 10 day itinerary from Washington State to San Diego, how many overnight stays can I have? 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. Thanks again. Thanks for reading, Jan. 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. Thanks so much from a couple of Canucks! Thank you again. 3 days trip to Joshua Tree/stay at Twentynine Palms, then swing to San Diego. Route 1 is fine its twisty turny but its the best route by far. . 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. 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. Awesome suggestions and itinerary! This is a great itinerary! I know we wont see everything, but its the only time frame we have. We stay in San Diego on Pacific/Mission Beach a lot so no need to travel this far south for us. Heather, you saw the rest of the post, right? Basically, you cant start/end in Crescent City if you want to rent a car. Amy, take a look at the Santa Maria Valley I stopped in Lompoc on a trip recently and they have some fun and interesting wineries there. Santa Barbara marks the threshold to the southern California section of the pacific coast. 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. Those are my top recommendations! We are only going to be there once though and want to make the most of it. Great tips, Kathi! Were making a shortlist of 3 or 4 likely hotels for each expected stopover. (Hours and dates for the attractions on the SF CityPass have been affected by the pandemic, so be sure to check those when you purchase!). Also, how many days should we take for the one-way trip back. Sort of the opposite of sea stacks like Haystack Rock,Devils Punchbowlis another beautiful natural rock formation along the Oregon Coast. Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! I will be driving alone and he thought I would be able to enjoy the view better looking to my left than to my right while driving. Youve put together one awesome road trip! memory cards before you know it. Drive safe in between those beer stops! Now I want to take a trip there from San Diego to the Canadian border while sitting on a Honda Goldwing trike. Thank you so very much. Congrats on finishing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. When I drove the PCH, I rented a car and drove it as a one-way rental (meaning I dropped it off in a different city than I picked it up). Download Pacific Coast Highway stock photos. 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. 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. March is a fine time to drive the PCH the weather on the Pacific Coast is pretty similar all year long! Thank you for sharing your travels and still helping others along their journey! Overwhelmed by the vastness of it all. The longer you spend, the more youll get to see and enjoy. September and October are definitely best for visiting NorCal, so I recommend that time of year too! 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. Just starting to think about a 1st time road trip from Az to Washington and back among the PCH!!?? Bonus- Rent A Car To Drive The Pacific Coast Highway. Day 3: Cape Kiwanda, OR to Redwood State Park, CA. Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. We planned to start in Seattle and drive to San Diego. 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). Seattle is one of my favorite destinations in the world. My English is very very basic but if you write to me I can understand it. Maybe Im AAAA ? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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