Hello Valerie; my family and i are thinking about a trip from northern CA to San Diego along the coast. Please drop the the. For campsites, Im not super sure as Im not a big camper, but this might help: https://www.theoutbound.com/theoutbound/camping-along-the-pacific-10-seaside-campsites-for-your-west-coast-road-trip. 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. I was, for the most part, ambivalent about the cities along the PCH. I am currently living in crescent city and plan to make the drive in a couple of weeks. The skies are guaranteed to be blue, the weather begs for a convertible, and the passing sands are alive with . Flew into Seattle and drove back. 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. 2. Have a great trip! Explore the route. Stop 4: Bixby bridge. Ive been to Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valley but curious if there are any great places you are aware of. I appreciate this guide. This was a 6 day trip. Here are some different starting/ending points for a PCH road trip: As you can see, you have options! 5 Beds. I am thinking 5 days from Portland to LA. Maybe worth checking another site thats more expert in RV travel! Feel free to comment back here if you have questions while planning your trip . You can definitely do that! Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! 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. This guide is great, do you have a Google map itinerary to download with the stops? Which Direction to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway? Do you happen to know or can you suggest a source with info about the road conditoin in the light of recent terrible weather in California. And it's hard to miss: you'll be driving right through, so when you see roller coasters, it's time to stop. Oregon & California are both pretty vegan friendly states so Id expect lots of restaurants have at least an option thats animal-free. Hurricane Ridge. Planning a mother/son trip after my son graduates HS next year. Hi, we are flying into Seattle 7/27 and out from San Diego 8/7, we are visiting colleges in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and San Diego for my daughter. 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). Let me know in the comments! Before you hit the road, youve gotta figure out your car situation! Great content here, thank you! We will only have 7 days. Explore the beach then hit the trails to find waterfalls, massive redwoods, and an abandoned limekiln. For flights, I recently heard theres a flight from the Bay Area to Crescent City check out Contour Airlines (they come up when I google OAK > CEC). Also, about how many miles a day are you traveling on your 10 day itinerary? Thanks so much. You should have no problem finding vegan options! Best of all, theres no cell service so theyll have to look around to see them . "I'm California dreamin'." The. Is Yellowstone worth the long detour? You absolutely nailed it. Have a great trip! My husband and I are planning a Spring Break trip with our girls March 2020. My wife and I were planning to fly to San Diego to start the trip, but your point about southbound visibility makes total sense. Similar to Haystack Rock, your experience stopping at Devils Punchbowl will depend on the tides. I dont feel we missed a lot of Oregon coast the views we seen before & after Crater lake were absolutely stunning. As the tallest lighthouse on the U.S. Pacific Coast, Pigeon Point Lighthouse is picturesque, and you can view it from several different angles along the nearby coastline. Travelling from Auckland to Napier, you'll experience lakes, wildlife, vineyards and a tranquil lagoon. The Pacific Coast Highway is the ultimate road trip - and it's certainly the best one in America. Kim. It was just gorgeous with a 360 degree view. I love all the details and recommendations! You probably wont have any snow its usually just rain in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon & Washington). 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. 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 reading, Brianna! 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. 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. I have one question where is the best place to fly into? Thanks for your comment . Not sure it matters when you set out from Seattle; itll be great no matter when you go! Sorry, I dont have any special suggestions for kids! I am going to plan for at least a 10 day trip, its once in a lifetime and truly dont want to rush it I cant wait to see his face when I announce at his local birthday party in July that I have saved for and planned this fantastic trip for September 2021!! Right, Mel? Located on a beautiful crescent-shaped bay, Crescent City is along part of the PCH where California Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 101 overlap hence this guide refers to both Highway 1 and Highway 101 as the PCH in the different states. What day of the week would you recommend starting from WA? Sounds like youre well on the way to it . 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). I want to fly out to the NW and drive to Crescent city, then go inland to see the redwoods, Bend, and Mt. Thanks, CJ! I hope you have an epic time; Patrees such an amazing host! Valerie-thanks for the great overview. It looks so cute! 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. Thanks so much for any tips you can suggest on having adequate funds! We are going to go the middle of September 2022 and take a flight from Phx to somewhere around Crescent city. San Diego was the starting point of my Pacific Coast Highway road trip; for you, it may be the end. . NEW CONSTRUCTION. Especially watching the sun set over Morro Rock in the distance! We fly out of LA. Here are the stops I suggest for a Pacific Coast Highway California road trip itinerary. Glad to help, Nancy, and thanks for reading! Hey there! Karen, great question! Your email address will not be published. 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. I started this site to share my travel stories and inspiration to help you complete bucket list trips. What are must see spots. Aretta, thanks for your comment! 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!). A road trip along the scenic route features beautiful beaches, waterfalls, natural rock formations, striking bridges, delicious seafood, art communities, surfer towns, and dramatic cliffside views - all along the PCH. Crater lake was amazing!! Amazing, Melanii! Thanks for the great ideas! Crescent City! Great article. An unanticipated problem was encountered, check back soon and try again AI TRAFFIC - for Pacific Coast (0.95) 0.85. ), a Jeep Liberty, or most Subarus. Have a great trip! Super excited. Day 2: Forks, WA to Cape Kiwanda, OR. Sounds like a great trip either way drive safe! Its the best time for good weather on the whole coast! Driving south on the right-hand side of the road, youll have a great view of the ocean and coastline. In Northern California, the best weather of the year happens between September and October. Franke's first solo album is surprisingly melodic, highly accessible, and immaculately produced. maybe to get a car, which adds about 6 hours of driving time. Hi Valerie, I am doing the PCH drive southbound from Seattle and as far as we can go for 5 days. Other cool attractions include Hurricane Ridge (a popular hiking spot), Elwha River Valley, and Olympic Hot Springs. So it adds about 3 hours of driving time, but it also means youll miss out on basically all of the Oregon Coast. The ocean's energy is magical. I love road trips & he tolerates them so I am looking forward to all these sights to see! Thank you for sharing. Next time I have a few days off, Ill have to change that! Route 1 is fine its twisty turny but its the best route by far. Travelling from Australia and would like to spend 3 weeks driving around . Sireesha, thanks for reading. 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. Thanks for reading and asking, Hunter! Just one small thing, its not the PCH, its just PCH. I will definitely use all the info youve provided. Would you have any other suggestions since I am using 4 more days and not going south to Sa Diego and strarting in Vancouver? My problem is going to be deciding what not to do because Ill only have so much time (and money). 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 sounds like a great trip the PCH + inland Oregon! Hi V& VDid you make hotel reservations in advance for your overnight stops? Thanks for reading, Jennifer. 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. Best trip ever! I enjoyed it so much that I wrote a whole article about the experiences I recommend in Santa Barbara! ?? Great info . Waves, waves, and more waves. Glad to help, Dan! We just booked Patrees room! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: At this point in Northern California, the PCH is still U.S. 101. Hope that helps you plan! I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). The most easily accessible and breathtakingly stark part of the PCH is a short drive (about 3 hours) sound of San Francisco, so many people in the Bay Area do it as an overnight or weekend trip. What you suggested (Anaheim > SLO/Madonna Inn > Half Moon Bay) is a great two-day itinerary. Thank you! Its really up to you to decide where you want to end and figure out the closest rental car/airport option from there, but there are airports of all sizes throughout the region. If you go as big as a Suburban or Tahoe, youll be way to big and clunky to enjoy the road!