75 Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Stops Off-the-Beaten-Path It'll take you about three hours to reach Big Sur from San Francisco, and by then you'll be ready to stretch your legs. Did you try searching my site using the search in the sidebar? is booking hotels on the day or maybe the day before likely to be OK, or should we book well in advance? Hoping to do this mid Sept 2020. For bigger cities, there are probably enough options that you can wait until you arrive to book, even during that time of year. Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! I have been reading your blog posts about the PCH and think I read where you mentioned a couple of crossover vehicles that would be good rental cars. 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. If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. You should drive the Pacific Coast Highway southbound!
Driving California's Pacific Coast Highway | Audley Travel We live in Colorado, so more interested in Ocean more than hiking, so 101 is ideal. Ive never been to CA and I know the prices are high. 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. Id go with a mid-size car for your rental. 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 had saved this resource to help me plan. I do too (ish Im in Oakland!). I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). Thank you for the recommendation! 8. 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. My question is: how to best use our time? We can skip Napa and SF. Hi, I love Portland and San Francisco. Youd need to fly into. Thank so much for putting together a wonderful and comprehensive itinerary of the PC scenic drive. Weve daydreamed about a lot of different trips we would take one day, and a flight from the southeast US to Seattle and PCH drive to San Diego was one of them. Im thinking of a four day road trip for easter next year but thinking along the lines of vegas to grand canyon and so. As this post is over 6,000 words long, I typically dont provide extra additional itinerary services for free. You'll also pass by several unique beaches on the way, but one you should totally check out is Glass Beach. 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. 01 of 04 Explore the route. ENJOY the sightseeing trip of a lifetime. Stretching from Washington to California, the Pacific Coast is picturesque, with cliffs, sea stacks, gorgeous urban spaces, and the raging ocean. BEST PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY STOPS Sun, sand, and surf. I am thinking 5 days from Portland to LA. San Jose is a creative and thriving high-tech culture epicenter. I do not plan to do any shopping at stores, so our money would be spent on a rental vehicle, hotels, gas, and food. Here, waves are grand and harsh, and coastal cliffs are as breathtaking as it gets. Thank you for your great ideas and itineraries! We were thinking October, but after reading all the comments, I think we will make it September. Best Quotes about the West Coast There are many quotes that sing praises and are written as an ode to the beauty of the West Coast. Should we go down the coast only (plus say Portland & Crater Lk), or head inland given how much time we have? Your article was just what I needed!! Thanks for all of this great information! So nice to hear from you, Silvia! Sorry; I dont have any suggestions for that! Were taking the 5 to Seattle with a few stops on the way then PCH from Port Angeles to SD. 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. Flew into Seattle and drove back. Dont be in a hurry and be cautious so you can enjoy everything. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. Also, about how many miles a day are you traveling on your 10 day itinerary? Prior to retiring I have done the San Francisco to LA 3 times but always by myself. Congrats on finishing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. I wish I could remember the name of the mountain turnoff in Washington. 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?) Stargazing along the PCH depends a lot on the weather; since there arent a lot of roads that connect the PCH inland, you kinda have to make do with what happens out on the coast. 1. Thanks for reading, Dale. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary Options, How to Choose a Car for the Pacific Coast Highway, Step-by-Step Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Directions, this gorgeous 3-bedroom oceanfront property, plenty of experiences to choose from in San Diego, https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/, Wandering the Olympic Peninsula - Valerie & Valise, https://www.theoutbound.com/theoutbound/camping-along-the-pacific-10-seaside-campsites-for-your-west-coast-road-trip, https://www.valisemag.com/visit-san-juan-islands/, https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-seattle/, https://www.valisemag.com/3-days-san-francisco/, https://www.valisemag.com/portland-city-guide/, https://www.valisemag.com/pacific-coast-highway-guide/. We are from Ohio. I have no idea what the case will be for forest fires next year, unfortunately! 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. 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!
10 things to consider before road tripping the Pacific Coast Highway Start in Seattle and end in San Diego. Credit: Bigstock.com Portland has loads of great hotels, but my favorite is the, For vacation rental options, consider this.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip {25 Stops - California Through My Lens In Washington, Oregon, and at the northern end of California, the Pacific Coast route follows US Highway 101. If youve just stayed overnight in Santa Barbara or started your road trip in San Diego, that may not make as much sense. The worst that happens is you might end up in a slightly less nice place than you had planned. There are a few restaurants in town and 17 miles of beautiful beach to explore. Thank you for great info This is exactly what I was looking for. 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. Cant say enough how appreciative we are. 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. We are planning to do Northboundfrom Ventura to Wine country but only have 5 days returning on the 5th day. Thanks for your help in advance!!!! Great question, Judy. Kim, December should be a pretty good time, but plan for classic marine layer weather (chilly and cloudy this is whats normal on the Pacific coast!). Ive been to Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valley but curious if there are any great places you are aware of. Thanks! This is a great itinerary!
The Classic Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip | ROAD TRIP USA Aberdeen has one main claim to fame: it was the hometown of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain. 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. 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. Nate, thanks for your comment. Ft. 1553 S Monte Viento St, Malibu, CA 90265. Travelling from Auckland to Napier, you'll experience lakes, wildlife, vineyards and a tranquil lagoon. Making a Pacific Coast Highway road trip is a popular bucket list experience - for good reason! With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to the past and present people of these lands. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. I would love to receive the PDF version of this, please. It includes so many things each person in my family wants to see and do! While staying in Cannon Beach we have planned day trips to Astoria and Long Beach and maybe an inland drive to McMinnvile, for some wine tasting. Let me know if you need any extra tips whenever you start planning! Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Youd need to drive about 7-10 hours out of the way depending on the bridge, and miss major stretches of the road . Hi V& VDid you make hotel reservations in advance for your overnight stops? In smaller towns though, Id recommend committing to those earlier you may find you have nowhere to stay and have to drive on another 100+ miles at some parts! You may encounter some rain up north near Portland and Seattle, but you shouldnt experience any snow! Again, thanks for great info and advice. I make all of my must see recommendations in this post, so I recommend checking out the section on California to find the ones that sound interesting to you. 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). 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. I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. Great question So Crater Lake is pretty far inland. Thanks for sharing this! AAA has no candle to this. Login or Register an account to download this content. Id recommend booking or at least searching every hotel you want to stay at, and the nights you want to stay, so you can get a sense of exactly how much its going to cost.
Pacific Coast Highway Road-Trip Itinerary Has Hidden Gems - AARP WOW! In a few weeks, we intend to start a 10-ish day loop from San Jose, drive up on the inland route to Seattle, and do a southbound coastal drive. Are you planning to stay in bigger cities (Portland, SF, Santa Barbara), or smaller ones? So I am very, very thankful to have found THIS resource!! You have the same recommendations? I was wondering if you could suggest a place for stargazing. San Luis Obispo with Paso Robles). Life is made for the ocean. Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most famous and beautiful road trips on earth.