Glad to help, Andrew I hope you have an amazing trip! Now Im going to lay out step-by-step directions for a Pacific Coast Highway road trip based on all my tips so far. 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. You can stretch your legs with a short walk before getting back on the road. It may have been in a reply to someone elses comment, but I cant seem to find it now. Basically, you cant start/end in Crescent City if you want to rent a car. 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! WOW! Thanks, Larissa! Okay, now youve got your car, youve got your basic itinerary. Taking your advice, flying into Seattle (from KC), and heading south. Here's an example PCH itinerary: Day 1: Seattle WA, to Forks, WA. What are the reasons you really never got to enjoy using a convertible car? It includes so many things each person in my family wants to see and do! My husband and I plan to do this trip in June. Thanks again! The weather should be okay but be prepared for coastal fog and chill (as you would experience pretty much all year long!). I hope you had a great drive, Mindy! Franke's first solo album is surprisingly melodic, highly accessible, and immaculately produced. Pigeon Point can be a fun rest stop along the Pacific Coast Highway or a quirky one-night stop depending on your itinerary. Hi Valerie, Great tips! The first time, we (I) had it all planned out. The jagged coastline, infinite blue water, sunny days, gorgeous sunsets these are just a few of the reasons California Highway 1 became a popular route in the first place! Thanks so much for sharing your experience for others to know its worth doing!! Thanks for reading, Kay. If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. Let me know how it goes! FREE delivery Sat, Jan 7 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon. 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. 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 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. Carry on the fantastic work!|. 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. Blow your budget and stay the night at Fairmont San Francisco, one of the nicest hotels in town. Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! Hey Valerie great name yourself! We are planning a trip next year from New Orleans while my husband has a conference in Portlandwe were thinking of driving Hwy 1 down to Disneylandand catching some of the beautiful beaches and state parks. Tim & Janice, what kind words! Valerie-thanks for the great overview. We both have a lot of vacation all the time, so 10 days or more would be fine. I will be driving from Dallas to Seattle. Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! Thank you, Archimedes. The PCH heads inland near Lompoc but is the main road you can take to Santa Barbara. 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. Portland? The views of the colors changing in the trees were surreal. I had lots of recommendations from a friend, specific to Big Sur, but your article was so encompassing and complete. Thank you! Thanks so much for any tips you can suggest on having adequate funds! Thanks for reading, Dale. staying at decent places 3-4 star properties. Thanks for your comment, Erin! So heading east eventually to round out the trip. NEW CONSTRUCTION. Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. Stretching from Washington to California, the Pacific Coast is picturesque, with cliffs, sea stacks, gorgeous urban spaces, and the raging ocean. That gives you a lot more to do each day to wear the kids out and much more suitable for an RV. I had saved this resource to help me plan. So we used really about a day off the coast but well worth it. My problem is going to be deciding what not to do because Ill only have so much time (and money). This gorgeous building mostly survived the 1906 earthquake and captures Victorian glory with modern amenities. Id check out the California DOT website for the most up-to-date information. Thanks for your comment, Shelly! You did a fantastic job with this giude, everything is straight to the point but provided in a fun and educational way. Many thanks, alex, Alex, unfortunately, this might not be the trip for you. Your website is very helpful. Where is the Pacific Coast Highway? 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. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Head west along U.S. 101 until it turns south along the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula. 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. Youve put together one awesome road trip! I would love to take this vacation but not fall short on money. Making the drive in 2 days. Im also a not-so-secret space nerd and speak fluent emoji! Thank you. , Hi. 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. Pacific Coast Highway 1 (PCH) - California. You can find the Cobain house at 1210 E 1st St, and right next door you can see a memorial to Cobain in Kurt Cobain Memorial Park (the house now a private residence, so dont disturb the owners!). If you are connecting to Highway 1 from the Sacramento area, take I-80 West for about 50 miles, connect to US-101 S from there, and then connect US-101 North. Looking to fly into Crescent City Ive tried to locate flight from Oakland to Crescent City but havent been able to, do you have any info on this flight? 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! 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. This will be a great tool in planning. Portland! Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! taking my 13 and 17 year old with my wife. Thanks Teena. 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. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. Thanks for reading, Sonia. Id like to include Olympic NP, Mt. The Pacific Coast Highway, also called California State Route 1, Coast Highway, or shortened by locals to be "PCH," is 650 miles of road. The worst that happens is you might end up in a slightly less nice place than you had planned. Hi Valerie- What is the best time of year for this 10 day trip? Thanks so much for this comprehensive look at the PCH. Camp at Second Beach in Olympic NP Photo: Michael Matti 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? Weve spent time in SF already so dont need to stay there. It depends a lot on how long you plan to make the drive do you know how many days youll be driving? You can choose the spots you want to stop at that way . Santa Barbara was the biggest surprise I had on my PCH road trip in 2014. 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. The Pacific Coast Highway traces the coast as closely as possible around the edge of Los Angeles, America's second largest city. We will start in Portland, Or and drive to Las Angeles, CA. 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. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Aberdeen, continue south along U.S. Highway 101. We are planning to do Northboundfrom Ventura to Wine country but only have 5 days returning on the 5th day. Mendocino Your Pacific Coast Highway road trip begins at Leggett, so naturally, the first stop is the wonderful Mendocino. My husband and I are both 62 in pretty good shape and planning to do this trip from Portland to San Diego in late September 2019 over 2 weeks. I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). 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. Thanks for your comment, Jorge! These seem to be the hardest parts to figure out for this type of trip! However I actively lament that I was on the wrong side of the road in the present tense (as in, if you ask me today, I still lament it); I didnt really realize I was on the wrong side until after my trip was over and its not like you can change your route once you start! AAA has no candle to this. My English is very very basic but if you write to me I can understand it. Loved your trip adventure and recommendations !! The Pacific Coast Highway is up there with the most beautiful drives in the world. Explore the route. 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. Let me know if you have any other questions while planning or on the road! Ive never been to CA and I know the prices are high. 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. Were on day 2 of our 8-day PCH Tour.and its great to have your help! Great question, Sharon! Im glad it was helpful. Do you have any tips? ), a Jeep Liberty, or most Subarus. This sounds like a great trip the PCH + inland Oregon! Depending on the timing of your itinerary, you may want to do an overnight here. There and back that is? The 17-Mile Drive between Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey The PCH begins south of Dana Point in Orange County and ends at US 101 in Mendocino County. Got to save some $$$$$. 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. 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 ? Please keep doing what youre doing. For accommodation, try a small hotel like the. Hood, Crater Lake, the Redwoods in much greater depth than I advise above you could also spend some time at Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, or elsewhere in the Sierra Nevadas! Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! It probably means deviating from PCH for a bit and were ok with that. Hi Valerie, we are planning a trip from Crescent city back home to Phoenix traveling along PCH. Am interested in your upcoming 7 day itinerary of PCH. Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights.