Make sure you have enough guidance resources. From the beach boardwalk to the lush redwoods, Santa Cruz is one of the best places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway. We stay in San Diego on Pacific/Mission Beach a lot so no need to travel this far south for us. I agree, go north to south. Im not sure how to prioritize the rest of our time. Theres a link to that at the end of the post. 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). 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?) Can you please give me a list of must sees in Santa Barbara (we could have two full days there). Los Angeles to San Diego Drive: Distance, Best Route and Stops 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 ideia is to have a West Coast Beer Route drive. If you need to stretch your legs on your day of driving between Los Angeles and San Diego, Huntington Beach is a great spot to stop. I hate cold! March is a fine time to drive the PCH the weather on the Pacific Coast is pretty similar all year long! Its less than 10 minutes drive from Newport to Devils Punch Bowl. I want to fly out to the NW and drive to Crescent city, then go inland to see the redwoods, Bend, and Mt. Pismo is a popular camping destination, so the most common amenities youll find if you decide to stay longer than a few hours are camping-oriented. Pacific Coast Highway Map, Direction & Start/End Points. We were thinking October, but after reading all the comments, I think we will make it September. Hah, sounds like a good bonding experience, Angela! Im planning a trip for end of this year most probably the California part only. 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). Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101. "In America, the colors sing, they don't just glower at you. I have a question in regards to your amazing experiences and my hopes to travel the PCH with my older kids. This will be a great resource for the trip that we are planning. Thank you very much for providing a road map! The best way to enjoy southern California is by diving straight into the beachside culture. Pacific Coast Highway - Tripadvisor 4,329 Sq. Victoria Beach. 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!). Portland? It may have been in a reply to someone elses comment, but I cant seem to find it now. Pacific Coast, region, western North America, possessing two unifying geologic and geographic propertiesthe Pacific Ocean, which constitutes a natural western border, and the coastal mountain ranges that form the eastern border of the region. That gives you a lot more to do each day to wear the kids out and much more suitable for an RV. Thanks for reading, Thomas. 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. Were staying just outside of Long Beach, in cute little Ilwaco, WA, at Salt Hotel & Pub. Sounds like youve got a great plan drive safe! 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. Thanks for reading, Lynda! Thanks for reading, Teena! The PCH is on my bucket list since my daughter did it with Teens Westward Bound over 10 years ago. Mike, great to hear from you and thanks for reading! Thanks again! 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. I am doing this trip with the boyfriend end of this month. I was curious about which one you suggest if you were to slim down this itinerary by 1 day (ex. 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. But all of those are just ways to say "The 1.". Id go with a mid-size car for your rental. We might consider staying a total of 12-15 days. 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. 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. Sorry, I could not get past it, and I may not even be correct, but I truly loved this page. The ocean's energy is magical. Thank you for this wonderful review. Donna, thanks for your comment! If you're in need of California trip ideas, consider driving up the iconic Pacific Coast Highway. Sorry, but theres no way to do the drive to Seattle and back along the PCH in just 7 days. Pismo State Beach is another great stop during a day of driving from San Francisco to Santa Barbara (or reverse). 15+ Must-See Stops Along California's Pacific Coast Highway - Trips To Login or Register an account to download this content. Ive been to Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valley but curious if there are any great places you are aware of. I hope you have an amazing time! I am thinking 5 days from Portland to LA. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Follow California Highway 1 south. Glad to help, Ashley! Sounds like youve got a great itinerary planned! If you decide to drive the PCH, Im happy to give you any tips! 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. Do you have any tips? Im looking forward to have the same experience with my wife and my son. Have a great trip! It was also formed by wave erosion, and now the huge hole is a beautiful vista or hiking spot. 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). You should have no problem finding vegan options! Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! Fort Bragg is home to a beautiful glass beach, pictured above, where the entire beach is made of sea glass from past trash dumps. This will be a great tool in planning. While the glass is technically part of MacKerricher State Park and you cant take it home you can still spend time out of the car searching for different colors and shapes of beautiful sea glass that wash up from the Pacific Ocean. 35 Captions For Throwback Road Trip Pictures With Your Ride Or Dies On your stop here, be sure to walk out along the pier and keep an eye out for surfers working the breaks along the beach. This is great information and very helpful! AAA has no candle to this. The Pacific Coast Highway is arguably one of the most famous drives in the entire world. 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. Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. Have a wonderful trip! 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. The 9 best places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway I would love to do a Pacific Coast Highway drive at some point in my life. Gov. Let me know how it goes! I am planning a trip for next year, saving and researching. You thinks thats safe or should I make some. You can definitely do that! 3. I am planning to start my road trip in Vancouver BC and ending in San Francisco. We will only have 7 days. This is a great itinerary! We are going to go the middle of September 2022 and take a flight from Phx to somewhere around Crescent city. Pacific Coast Highway or PCH, segments of California State Route 1 Pacific Coast Highway, parts of New Zealand State Highway 2 and all of New Zealand State Highway 25 and New Zealand State Highway 35. If I can make a recommendation? Thanks for your comment, Shelly! Rudy. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on U.S. Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast to Newport. That route looks good have you input all the drive times in Google to confirm that you want to be on the road that much each day? Its worth it! 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. Have a great trip!! What you suggested (Anaheim > SLO/Madonna Inn > Half Moon Bay) is a great two-day itinerary. Sounds like youre well on the way to it . I didnt want to make all my reservations, but just go with it for one time in my life. 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. So we used really about a day off the coast but well worth it. This post was originally published in August 2014, and was updated regularly including most recently in May 2022. I wish I could remember the name of the mountain turnoff in Washington. I am saving this to research more of the places you mentioned !! Hi Valerie, Great job! Im pretty confident theyll be wowed by these sights. 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. Along the way we plan to stop at the Benbow Inn near Garberville, CA and in Newport. I wouldnt advise doing this one in an RV, to be honest. Maps of the Pacific Coast Highway Portland! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: As you might have guessed continue following California Highway 1 south! My question is: how to best use our time? 90 Famous West Coast Quotes and West Quotes Sayings I was hoping to see autumn colours in the northern area. Yes, we intend to stay a couple of nights in Portland and 2 or 3 in San Francisco but well probably look for hotels on the outskirts and travel in to the cities by car or public transport each day. Can you believe theres a rainforest in Washington? We are planning our trip for the first half of April, SF to LA. Hi, My wife and I are planning a 7-day drive from San Fran to Portland in late June of this year. Making a Pacific Coast Highway road trip is a popular bucket list experience - for good reason! Thank you for sharing! Do you have any recommendations or modifications while traveling with kids. Whether you stop to take a few Instagram-worthy spots or ogle the animals, theres plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego. The Pacific Coast Highway has long been considered a "dream drive" and the ultimate road trip. I do not care to get into the Los Angeles areaHowever, the Sequoias are a must. Before you hit the road, youve gotta figure out your car situation! Where does the Pacific Coast Highway start and end? If you do decide to spend an overnight in the area, I recommend stopping in the town of Mendocino first for late lunch, walking around the Mendocino Headlands, then continue driving south to spend the night at the beautiful Little River Inn for dinner at the Whale Watch Bar. Thanks for reading, Heather! I was, for the most part, ambivalent about the cities along the PCH. 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. As soon as you hit the section of the Pacific Coast Highway connecting. Now I want to take a trip there from San Diego to the Canadian border while sitting on a Honda Goldwing trike. I know we wont see everything, but its the only time frame we have. My husband, myself and our four kids always take adventurous vacations every summer. We can skip Napa and SF. Seeing some nice beaches is also of interest. 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. Still figuring it out. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. What a drive! You can get a printable version by signing up on the forms in this post. Were on day 2 of our 8-day PCH Tour.and its great to have your help! Planning a mother/son trip after my son graduates HS next year. The Point Reyes Lighthouse is only open to visitors from Fridays to Mondays (weekends) from 10am-4:30pm. November should be a good time, but you may experience some days where the Marine Layer rolls in be sure to pack layers in case its cooler/less sunny than expected! 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. Will we be able to enjoy the drive in March? We plan a trip to San Jos, California because of its diversity, beautiful scenery, and exceptionally high outputs. Im planning on doing the PCH from Seattle to SF next Sept. (We did SF to SD in 2019). South of Seaside, be sure to stop in Cannon Beach to admire Haystack Rock.