Thanks for reading and asking, Hunter! You could see Canada and the river valley. So doing our 101 bucket list too, but want a 2-3 days near Ocean Beach, CA. Thanks for reading, Jennifer. This post was so helpful! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: As you might have guessed continue following California Highway 1 south! Before launching into a bunch of details for where to stop along the Pacific Coast Highway, I need to define a few things: Now that you know the details, lets dig into the logistics of planning your own Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary! Youve got so much time, thats awesome! Kim. Here are my suggestions: Therefore, the best month to drive the Pacific Coast Highway is September, when youre most likely to have great weather along the entire length of the road trip. Im trying to connect with the guide I found on pinterest. Valerie, valuable tips ! This is exactly what I was looking for. The Pacific Coast Highway, also called California State Route 1, Coast Highway, or shortened by locals to be "PCH," is 650 miles of road. Ending at a beach front hotel in Diego for 2-3 days to visit that college, unwind and settle a little bit before leaving. 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. I love all the details and recommendations! Sounds like a great trip, Rudy! If you are short on time to drive the PCH, as I was, a Pacific Coast highway itinerary for 5 days is ideal. In this post, I promote travel across lands that are the traditional lands of many Indigenous groups. Valerie I just came across this post. How long is the Pacific Coast Highway? You might have even stopped to take a picture of the sunset from a beautiful lookout along the Pacific Coast Highway and can caption it with, "Just say the word and we'll go back." Every. Theres a link to that at the end of the post. A few years ago I started saving (unbeknownst to my husband) for his 50th birthday this summer. Thank you for sharing. Glad to help, Dan! But my priority for this trip is just going straight down the PCH so that should help me prioritize. More Buying Choices $18.53 (15 used & new offers) Kindle. I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. Does that sound reasonable or doable? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along California Highway 1. Any thoughts on this as it pertains to weather? Hi Valerie, we are planning a trip from Crescent city back home to Phoenix traveling along PCH. 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. From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. Can you believe theres a rainforest in Washington? We are just wondering if you have an estimate on how much it would be to travel the PCH! Should be pretty good it might be a bit rainy up in the Pacific Northwest, but the weather once you reach California should be great! Great content here, thank you! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Its a short drive south and a little east along U.S. 101 from Long Beach to cross the Astoria into Oregon. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I love to do a Pacific Coast Highway drive at some point in my life. Heres a Pacific Coast Highway map and schedule for 10 days: One of the most popular questions I get about driving the Pacific Coast Highway is about when to drive the PCH. You can look out over beautiful sea stacks that dot the northern part of the Pacific Coast and stroll along the sand covered with huge driftwood formations and seafoam. 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. Located on the Pacific side of the Olympic Peninsula, Hoh Rainforest qualifies as a rainforest due to the amount of precipitation that occurs each year. Credit: Bigstock.com Thanks for putting this fantastic guide together! I hope you can make it happen sooner! I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it!.why were you hardly ever able to enjoy driving a convertible???? Rainier, plenty of coastlines, and Redwoods. Id check out the California DOT website for the most up-to-date information. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on U.S. Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast to Newport. My stop in Fort Bragg was relatively short, but it was worth it! I appreciate any help you can provide. Most head to the Hollywood area and its movie-related attractions. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. The Pacific Coast Highway is the ultimate road trip - and it's certainly the best one in America. Awesome, Im hoping to do the PCH and NorCal next summer. Chinquel, nice to hear from you! Portland has loads of great hotels, but my favorite is the, For vacation rental options, consider this. 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. The Pacific Coast Highway is located in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Very nicely done thanks ever so much !! Thinking of Seattle to San Diego on US 1 in late September or early October, is the weather still good for a 10 day driving trip? Thank you so much for this information! 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? Thank you! You thinks thats safe or should I make some. The Oregon Coast Aquarium lets visitors explore the marine ecosystems around this part of the Pacific Ocean. PCH bucket list road trip done! The most important thing you need to decide first when driving the Pacific Coast Highway is which direction you prefer to travel the Pacific Coast Highway (northbound or southbound). Located just off the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, this campsite is sandwiched between a gorgeous beach and a redwood forest. 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! Basically, you cant start/end in Crescent City if you want to rent a car. Those little beaches overlooking the water below is freaking amazing. Its the best time for good weather on the whole coast! Have a great drive! Explore the route. 1. Just south of the Bay Area, Santa Cruz is a laid back, quirky hippie town. We are doing the PCH this July and August coming from Yellowstone, Glacier and Teddy Roosevelt NP it has been on our Bucket list for quite some time after this trip we only have Alaska to visit and we will have visited all the States !! Start in Seattle and end in San Diego. We are planning a trip in Sept 0f 2022, starting in Portland, ending in San Diego. Which Direction to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway? hi planing to do the PCH however we will be in Las Vegas and driving to San Francisco will be there for 2 or 3 days and dont know witch is better to do San Francisco to L A back to Vegas or go north San Francisco to Seattle and then drive to Vegas i will have a extra 3 to 4 days what is your thoughts, we are nature and wildlife lovers not to big into visiting towns. It connects the beautiful harbor town of Dana Point in southern California's Orange County to Leggett, California, in Mendocino County, home to some of the largest trees in the world. I recently discovered Mendocino on a weekend trip and fell in love with the small town. 1 question: weve booked hotels at both end (Seattle and LA) and would prefer not to book hotels until were on route and know how far were along and how long we want to stop in each place. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange . Im looking forward to have the same experience with my wife and my son. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue along CA-1 to San Diego, your final stop on this PCH road trip. Thanks for reading, Dave. My husband, myself and our four kids always take adventurous vacations every summer. We will only have 7 days. The best time of year to do this will be in the summer (June/July/August), probably sooner in the year rather than later. Sonja, glad to help! A frequent Cali traveler warned me of smog in the late summer and recommended late Sept. early Oct. What are your thoughts? We are from FL and east coast and know very little about west coast, so this is great!! 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!! Hi We have just 1-day and will be starting in Fortuna and heading to San Francisco. Pigeon Point can be a fun rest stop along the Pacific Coast Highway or a quirky one-night stop depending on your itinerary. We will be stopping to see the sights along the way but not for strenuous hikes. Thanks so much, Lois and glad to help! Depending on whether you drive a Washington to California road trip or just drive portions in California, you can start/end your road trip at the various cities in this guide. There are loads of cool things to explore in/around this small PNW town, including Olympic National Park! 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. Have other questions about driving the Pacific Coast Highway? We are thinking of late September of 2022 doing a two week drive from north to south. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along CA-1. Nope, headed northbound is not a bad way to go its actually the way I went on my first drive! Booking this trip for late Oct. Id like to fly in ( from East Coast) somewhere north of San Fran. Youll get access to five major attractions at a discounted price, so you can experience more of what Seattle has to offer for less. These are just ten of the many places off Highway 1 that you'll want to experience. 1. We both have a lot of vacation all the time, so 10 days or more would be fine. Thank so much for putting together a wonderful and comprehensive itinerary of the PC scenic drive. Have a great drive! Have a great trip! (Be prepared for fog from the marine layer! Thanks for your comment, Anthony! I appreciate you taking the time to answer everyones questions. Thanks for your help in advance!!!! Even an email answer is fine!! I want the most scenic route but RT 1 on the cliffs seem risky ? Best of all, theres no cell service so theyll have to look around to see them . Your second choice is where to start your road trip. Thank you for this wonderful review. I have suggestions on dates earlier in the article to help you figure out how long to do the trip and where to stop. Thanks for your comment, Victoria! from Seattle to San Diego along this route . Im also a not-so-secret space nerd and speak fluent emoji! The ocean is my happy place. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: From Seattle, head south along US Highway 101 to Olympia. 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. The Pacific Coast Highwayalso known as PCH or, more commonly, Highway 1runs north-south along most of the United States' West Coast. We can only do a quick trip. 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. I would like to follow the route on the map. 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/. Not sure it matters when you set out from Seattle; itll be great no matter when you go! Dont be in a hurry and be cautious so you can enjoy everything. The Pacific Coast Highway traces the coast as closely as possible around the edge of Los Angeles, America's second largest city. Be sure to stop at Nicks Cove in Marshall, CA for a meal or Hog Island Oyster if you love oysters! BIG SUR, Calif. A section of California's scenic and iconic Pacific Coast Highway that collapsed during a winter storm in January reopened to traffic on Friday. Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway (Official Audio) - YouTube 0:00 / 6:18 Kavinsky - Pacific Coast Highway (Official Audio) Record Makers 225K subscribers Share 12M views 11 years ago #Kavinsky It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! We figured booking hotel in Seattle for 1 or 2 days for arrival and checking the college. I havent stayed at any L.A. hotels, so I dont feel comfortable recommending any. Any suggestions. In particular, plan a long foray out to Point Reyes State Park and Lighthouse. I drove part of this back in 2009 from LA to San Francisco (northbound..) and would also recommend stops in Morro Bay and Monterey I enjoyed both very much! Youll see signs for Hoh Rainforest, a left turn that takes you inland to the forest. So the verb lament is correct in the present tense, and the tense of recommend earlier in the paragraph. If your PCH road trip includes the Olympic Peninsula, follow U.S. 101 west and then north along the eastern side of the Olympic Peninsula toward Port Angeles. To answer your questions: 1. I appreciate this guide. If youve ever seen The Goonies, you know exactly what I mean. 2. The rest of time will hopefully be in small towns all along the coast. Id like to include Olympic NP, Mt. Is Pacific Coast Highway the same as Highway 1 or Highway 101? Seattle is perfect for anywhere between one day and three days if you have the time. Please drop the the. Youd need to fly into. Here's an example PCH itinerary: Day 1: Seattle WA, to Forks, WA. You probably wont have any snow its usually just rain in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon & Washington). Oregon & California are both pretty vegan friendly states so Id expect lots of restaurants have at least an option thats animal-free. Pacific Coast Highway Map, Direction & Start/End Points. So it adds about 3 hours of driving time, but it also means youll miss out on basically all of the Oregon Coast. I am planning a trip in late July. After about 15 miles, you will reach Highway 1. Thats it! Prior to retiring I have done the San Francisco to LA 3 times but always by myself. Plan accordingly when you design your PCH itinerary. I am planning a trip for next year, saving and researching. Thank you. I hope you had a good trip! Thanks for your comment, Kathy! Portland! After all, I liked it so much when I first visited in 2012 that I moved there in 2013! So, don't just rely on Google Maps, instead download an offline map in advance, so there's no chance of getting lost. haha. These seem to be the hardest parts to figure out for this type of trip! Thanks for reading, Heather! For accommodation, try a small hotel like the. Next, youll pass through Point Reyes, which again seems underwhelming. Eileen, thanks for your comment, and for reading! Thank you so very much. , Hi. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: South of Humboldt Redwoods, theres a junction where California Highway 1 (CA-1) begins. Heather, you saw the rest of the post, right? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: When youre ready to continue on your PCH road trip, make your way back to California Highway 1 and head south. Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! My wife and I have been to Cali a couple of times, our daughter once from Diego to Fran (Berkeley) and loved it, and just us once to Seattle and Portland, but flying in and out only. 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. Great question, Sharon! The huge sweeping beach is admittedly not warm enough for a swim but its great for a stroll in the surf. If I am going to follow your 10 day itinerary from Washington State to San Diego, how many overnight stays can I have? Thanks. This is great information and very helpful! Would you have any other suggestions since I am using 4 more days and not going south to Sa Diego and strarting in Vancouver? We want to spend 5 days for PCH and not sure where to fly in or out of. Youve put together one awesome road trip! 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!). I will be driving from Dallas to Seattle. Hi, and thanks for this terrific resource. Especially watching the sun set over Morro Rock in the distance! Thanks for your comment, Pam, but Im a little confused its a 10-day itinerary, so its a 9-night trip. Great post. Have a wonderful trip! We always wanted to do an RV trip, but maybe the PCH is not the one to do that on?? Thanks for your comment, Patty! Making the drive in 2 days. staying at decent places 3-4 star properties. (If you decide to fly to SF, heres a recent post I wrote: https://www.valisemag.com/california-coast-road-trip/). Thanks for your amazing feedback, and Im so glad to help! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Follow CA-1 south out of L.A. to avoid the citys notorious traffic as you make your way along the coast. $23.99 $ 23. Crescent City is the first city youll enter when driving southbound into California along the Pacific Coast Highway (or last if youre headed northbound). Have you heard any issues with the Covid and being able to rent places on the way down? I stopped here to eat a to-go lunch I had purchased earlier in the drive, with my toes in the sand. If I wanted to follow your trip but stop off a day at Yosemite what might the drive look like? Bixby Bridge in Big Sur Choosing the top Pacific Coast Highway attractions isn't easy, as there are so many we love! Suggestions? I was planning 10-12 days? I hope this helps. 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 ? I am planning to take this trip with my family of 5 as you have lined out for the 10 days this coming June. anything you can suggest extra the girls would be wowed by would be great. Hello Valerie & Valise, I love this trip information on, it is so amazingly helpful. It was actually quite a lot colder than I expected so I usually ended up too cold with the top down. Thanks for reading, Brian. This sounds like a great trip the PCH + inland Oregon! We are thinking Crescent City to Santa Barbara? 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. I am flying into Portland to meet my niece and we will rent a car and drive down the coast to LA to meet another nephew. Seaside is a picturesque coastal town, a western interpretation of the East Coast summer destinations along the Atlantic. With colorful historic seaside homes and great hiking trails and other outdoor activities, Mendocino is good for at least an overnight stop dont be surprised if you want to spend even longer here once you arrive! We were 70s teenagers all around! 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!). I hope this helps! I hope you can make this trip someday (hopefully soon!). Thanks for reading, Angel! ?? State Route 1. To ensure accommodations, I was thinking to book all of the hotels in advance. Again, thank you so much!! Great questions, Julie. 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). Thanks again! Many thanks, alex, Alex, unfortunately, this might not be the trip for you. We will probably book Airbnb if cost effective. Whats the best time of year to do this? Amazing, Melanii! Thanks for reading, Thomas. Sorry; I dont have any suggestions for that! Ive done Yosemite and Sequoia, so no need for inland stops. Thanks, Larissa! The sweetest shade of blue. Im planning a trip for end of this year most probably the California part only. Highway 1 Self-Driving Audio Tour (Pacific Coast Highway) 11 Adventure Tours from $24.99 per adult Monterey, Carmel and 17-Mile Drive - Full Day Tour from San Francisco 310 Bus Tours from $105.00 per adult Yosemite National Park and Giant Sequoias Day Trip from San Francisco 584 Full-day Tours from $199.00 per adult (price varies by group size)
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