What a great and comprehensive post! Thanks again. This time I plan to take a friend and start in Portland. 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. Weve spent time in SF already so dont need to stay there. Glad this was helpful! Just starting to think about a 1st time road trip from Az to Washington and back among the PCH!!?? The PCH heads inland near Lompoc but is the main road you can take to Santa Barbara. 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. is booking hotels on the day or maybe the day before likely to be OK, or should we book well in advance? Youre very welcome, Wilbert! We want to spend 5 days for PCH and not sure where to fly in or out of. I have been to Europe, for 2 years, and nothing compares to this coastal trip. Thanks for reading and asking, Hunter! of the PCH? The most commonly driven part of the . Now my only problem is trying to figure out how many extra days were going to need! Please drop the the. Thanks for your comment, Anthony! I can think off the top of my head that you could do the Columbia River Gorge, Mt. To help you plan your road trip, here are two possible road trip itineraries you could take. Stop and admire the views in Big Sur, too! I havent been to Yellowstone so I cant say if its worth it, unfortunately. I am not fond of the cold and a bit fearful of icy driving in the mountains. Click on the image to learn more about the stop. The ideia is to have a West Coast Beer Route drive. Prior to retiring I have done the San Francisco to LA 3 times but always by myself. 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. Its not a long drive from Seattle to Olympia, so I recommend just making a waypoint stop here to stretch your legs before the rest of your driving today whether thats to Port Angeles or Portland. Thanks for your comment, Rex! I am not a family travel expert so I dont have advice there! (I used Roadtrippers Plus to create this route;you can get $5 off Plus byclicking this linkand using code BTR5QTP.). 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. We figured booking hotel in Seattle for 1 or 2 days for arrival and checking the college. I appreciate your asking for clarification! What is the average speed on the 101? Also known as Big Sur, the route winds along the rugged California coastline (from Cape San Martin to Ragged . To be honest, Id opt for the long route you only have one day, and Point Reyes is one of my favorite parts of California. I hope you had a great drive, Mindy! We are planning a west coast trip and are considering renting an RV one way from Portland or Seattle to San Francisco. Is this doable in 7 days, with stops during the day and to spend the night? I am planning a road-trip with my husband along the Pacific coast. Thank you for the recommendation! For each spot, I share whether I consider it an Overnight stop (where you should spend a night) or a Waypoint stop (where you should stop to stretch your legs and/or see the sights). Driving south on the right-hand side of the road, youll have a great view of the ocean and coastline. Hi Valerie, we are planning a trip from Crescent city back home to Phoenix traveling along PCH. 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. South of Seaside, be sure to stop in Cannon Beach to admire Haystack Rock. Youll have less distance (just the car and shoulder) instead of an entire lane of the road plus the shoulder. Thanks. Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? The PCH is on my bucket list since my daughter did it with Teens Westward Bound over 10 years ago. I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). San Jose is a creative and thriving high-tech culture epicenter. We continued on until we picked up the beginning of CA Hwy 1. Thank you for all this information. If youve just stayed overnight in Santa Barbara or started your road trip in San Diego, that may not make as much sense. Also wondering if you can tell me where I could get a printable version of your article. The rest of time will hopefully be in small towns all along the coast. That gives you a lot more to do each day to wear the kids out and much more suitable for an RV. I have tendency to suffer from analysis paralysis therefore navigating all the ins and outs what to do where to stay etc would be overwhelming to say the least. Let me know if you need any extra tips whenever you start planning! Long Beach is and always will be one of my favorite destinations in Washington. Drive safely! Cherie, thanks for your comment. From here on south, it's miles-upon-miles of beautiful sand beaches, palm-lined streets, and thriving coastal cities. Would it be worth it to continue to San Diego then back to LA? Im going to publish a suggested 7-day PCH guide soon! Travelling from Auckland to Napier, you'll experience lakes, wildlife, vineyards and a tranquil lagoon. Tim and Janice. You should have no problem making it down the road in December. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: South of Humboldt Redwoods, theres a junction where California Highway 1 (CA-1) begins. lol. The worst that happens is you might end up in a slightly less nice place than you had planned. The speed limit ranges from 55mph to 25mph theres really no helpful way to give an average! There are loads of cool things to explore in/around this small PNW town, including Olympic National Park! I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it! Your email address will not be published. I would rather guess on the high side than the low side so Im prepared. One of the requests I get asked for is a Pacific Coast Highway map with all of the stops I suggest, so I used Roadtrippers to put together this one. (If you decide to fly to SF, heres a recent post I wrote: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/). Ive never been to CA and I know the prices are high. I hope you can make it happen sooner! 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! Best rates and airports to use. 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! The Oregon Coast Aquarium lets visitors explore the marine ecosystems around this part of the Pacific Ocean. You will miss Seaside & Cannon Beach on this route, so your next stop will be Newport (#9). 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. Flew into Seattle and drove back. I mapped it here so you can see the option to add in Crater Lake and what youll miss: https://goo.gl/maps/2A4GYTKnBcADVdRw5. So it adds about 3 hours of driving time, but it also means youll miss out on basically all of the Oregon Coast. I appreciate all the information! Glad to help, Andrew I hope you have an amazing trip! Making the drive in 2 days. If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Return west to U.S. 101 and turn south. For the California portion, I recommend September & October! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Follow California Highway 1 south. . Is this possible?? 2. Sea the possibilities. Great info . We both have a lot of vacation all the time, so 10 days or more would be fine. Thank you for the comprehensive narrative! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Seattle, head south along US Highway 101 to Olympia. Any ideas? Ft. 24615 Vista Cerritos, Calabasas, CA 91302 - $1182/sq ft larger lot 5 years newer View comparables on map Homeowner Tools Edit home facts Review property details and add renovations. In Washington, Oregon, and at the northern end of California, the Pacific Coast route follows US Highway 101. Aberdeen has one main claim to fame: it was the hometown of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. As the title suggests, this music would make the perfect soundtrack for a drive up the California coast. Thanks for your comment, Jorge! We will be stopping to see the sights along the way but not for strenuous hikes. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide - Brian Eagen 2016-09-23 A stunning visual guide for a road trip along the entire United States pacific coast. Portland? Just give yourself more time and end n LA. We were planning on 10 days total for driving, site seeing and ending it with 2 days in Disneyland. Use them in commercial designs under lifetime, perpetual & worldwide rights. Wonderful trip sharing you made. Also, for a map, I use the app Roadtrippers, which is linked in the post. Amazing! I was reading for the road trip from Seattle to San Diego. Doing this trip starting this weekend! Thank you so much for sharing this informative article with all of us. 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. Im thinking I might end my trip at Santa Barbara. Hurricane Ridge. I have one question where is the best place to fly into? Start here. San Diego was the starting point of my Pacific Coast Highway road trip; for you, it may be the end. https://www.valisemag.com/pacific-coast-highway-guide/ https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/ Both include info on the area between San Diego and Santa Monica. 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! Want to stop over a few nights, and hit some of the destinations you listed. If not, spend your day exploring the Seattle waterfront to see all of the city from above. I would like to follow the route on the map. Pigeon Point can be a fun rest stop along the Pacific Coast Highway or a quirky one-night stop depending on your itinerary. Before you hit the road, youve gotta figure out your car situation! Free or royalty-free photos and images. As I mentioned above, both are southbound itineraries. 8. Thanks for asking! At this point you should take the exit to CA-1; this is now the Pacific Coast Highway. I would love to receive the PDF version of this, please. Newport is a great destination to stretch your legs for a few hours once you arrive back on the Pacific Coast (you can also drive straight down Highway 101 from Cannon Beach if you decide to skip a stop in Portland). Then flying back to Michigan. My English is very very basic but if you write to me I can understand it. I do have the same recommendations youll see A LOT of fellow bikers/trikers out on the PCH; its a great ride on 2-3 wheels as well as 4 wheels . I would love to do a Pacific Coast Highway drive at some point in my life. This will be a great tool in planning. The West Coast especially is fantastic. We stay in San Diego on Pacific/Mission Beach a lot so no need to travel this far south for us. Anyway, we are looking to do the very same drive. Also being from Colorado, we would love to camp oceanside, do you have any recommendations on campsites? Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. Thank you for your great ideas and itineraries! Even an email answer is fine!! I hope you can make this trip someday (hopefully soon!). Thank you for sharing! You can get a printable version by signing up on the forms in this post. Where would you start and end if it is reasonable to go in December, and what might we expect weather wise? Thanks for reading, Thomas. So the verb lament is correct in the present tense, and the tense of recommend earlier in the paragraph. Let me know in the comments! Id like to include Olympic NP, Mt. Sorry about the delay, Scott. Homes similar to 20132 Pacific Coast Hwy are listed between $350K to $70M at an average of $2,795 per square foot. 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. Id check out the California DOT website for the most up-to-date information. Is this going to be a big disappointment? Aretta, thanks for your comment! My wife and I (with our dog) are driving from Pismo Beach to Cannon Beach and staying at a beach house there. If you're starting your PCH drive from Seattle . Sounds like it will be well worth it. 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. Were staying just outside of Long Beach, in cute little Ilwaco, WA, at Salt Hotel & Pub. May 16, 2022 by Allison Green. I hope this helps! Seattle is one of my favorite destinations in the world. 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. Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! Whether you stop to take a few Instagram-worthy spots or ogle the animals, theres plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego. 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. 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. Thanks for reading, Jennifer. I also agree that Point Reyes (and the lighthouse) is spectacular and my top place to go when in North Ca. Thank you in advance! It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! 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. Hello, Thanks for sharing your trips and valuable tips. And other than his military time at Ft Lewis many years ago, we have never lived nor toured the west coast at all. You should drive the Pacific Coast Highway southbound! Eileen, thanks for your comment, and for reading! I was planning 10-12 days? I agree, go north to south. Hi V& VDid you make hotel reservations in advance for your overnight stops? anything you can suggest extra the girls would be wowed by would be great. Also known as Route 1 or Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway is the road of the American Dream, a U.S. route that offers beautiful views of the coast along the 620-mile road from Orange County (near Dana Point, south of Los Angeles) to Mendocino County (just above San Francisco, in Leggett), that covers almost the entire California coast.. A Pacific Coast Highway road trip passes through . Pacific coast highway road trip with kids. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on CA-1, the Pacific Coast Highway. After reading your blog we are excited to visit San Jose. Send me a pic if you remember . Were using it to plan our itinerary for June/July this year, 3 weeks, Seattle to LA. Im not sure there are many good airports to leave a rental car in the region youre suggesting you may end up driving into L.A. to do so and to fly home. 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 Whats the best time of year to do this? Reading through this your article is going to be a huge help as our family plans our two-week trip. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. I didnt spend a ton of time on the Central Coast, but be sure to stop at Pismo Beach and drive through Carmel. Were taking the 5 to Seattle with a few stops on the way then PCH from Port Angeles to SD. We are planning our trip for the first half of April, SF to LA. Regarding I recommend an automatic car with a low center of gravity but skip the convertible! I am planning a 10 day trip the last two weeks in May down the entire PCH from Seattle to San Diego. Plan accordingly when you design your PCH itinerary. The Pacific Coast Highway is located in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Depending on the timing of your itinerary, you may want to do an overnight here. You live in SF! Hello, my name is Sonia and I am from Puerto Rico. Thats it! Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Also, I love your pictures! Old Highway 101 is now called the Avenue of the Giants, and I highly recommend slowing down to enjoy this 31-mile stretch through some of Californias oldest living and tallest! 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. Moon Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip: California, Oregon & Washington (Travel Guide) by Ian Anderson | Dec 20, 2022. 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 .