Taking your advice, flying into Seattle (from KC), and heading south. 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. Want to know more? Best rates and airports to use. We definitely want to visit the redwood forest, which is the main reason we want to go so far north. Stop 2: Santa Cruz and its boardwalk. Hurricane Ridge. I havent been to Monterey but its high on my list! 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). 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. Congrats on finishing your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. Thank you so much for passing on your wisdom and experience. Making a Pacific Coast Highway road trip is a popular bucket list experiencefor good reason! Sounds like a great trip, Rudy! These are just ten of the many places off Highway 1 that you'll want to experience. What do you think of Coos Bay/North Bend or better places for overnight, seemed a good split between Seattle and San Francisco? Download Pacific Coast Highway stock photos. OPEN SUN, 1PM TO 4PM. This I enjoyed it so much that I wrote a whole article about the experiences I recommend in Santa Barbara! The PCH heads inland near Lompoc but is the main road you can take to Santa Barbara. Even an email answer is fine!! Have a great trip! I hope you can make this trip someday (hopefully soon!). What time of year would be best to do this. You absolutely nailed it. I love to do a Pacific Coast Highway drive at some point in my life. In Washington, Oregon, and at the northern end of California, the Pacific Coast route follows US Highway 101. The redwoods are a definite. Kim. Thanks for reading, Thomas. I also agree that Point Reyes (and the lighthouse) is spectacular and my top place to go when in North Ca. 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. Sorry, I dont have any special suggestions for kids! NEW CONSTRUCTION. So, don't just rely on Google Maps, instead download an offline map in advance, so there's no chance of getting lost. Pacific Coast Highway Map, Direction & Start/End Points. The sweetest shade of blue. Explore the beach then hit the trails to find waterfalls, massive redwoods, and an abandoned limekiln. Ronald, I dont know for sure as I dont recommend people drive in an RV. I was wondering if you would recommend any wine tasting spots along the way? By the end, youll be ready to plan your own Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary. WOW! Those are my top recommendations! I think once we hit Los Angeles we will just take the I10 home to Phoenix. 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. Ive never been to CA and I know the prices are high. We both have a lot of vacation all the time, so 10 days or more would be fine. September and October are definitely best for visiting NorCal, so I recommend that time of year too! I had the chance to spend a weekend in Huntington Beach a few years ago and loved the vibe in this surf town. Cant say enough how appreciative we are. We would be flying from GA, so I guess I go fling to Seattle, and the book one home for San Diego? Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along U.S. 101 to Crescent City always stick to the coast! This sounds like a great trip the PCH + inland Oregon! Glad to help, Ashley! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south on U.S. Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast to Newport. Travelling from Auckland to Napier, you'll experience lakes, wildlife, vineyards and a tranquil lagoon. Looking forward to follow your tips. I have a question in regards to your amazing experiences and my hopes to travel the PCH with my older kids. One of the ultimate road trip destinations has to be the Pacific Coast Highway, or Highway One, which spans 600 miles of the California coastline from San Diego in the south to San Francisco in the north. Are people moving about freely or are things locked down with the covid? San Diego was the starting point of my Pacific Coast Highway road trip; for you, it may be the end. 9. I have one question where is the best place to fly into? Thank you, and your blog is fantastic! I had a question regarding travel to California present time as in next week(August 14, 2021). Your website is very helpful. Were on day 2 of our 8-day PCH Tour.and its great to have your help! These Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops really seem like true country California. So nice to hear from you, Silvia! You live in SF! I share travel resources and stories based on my personal experience and knowledge. Is this time of year realistic for an enjoyable adventure, or should we maybe plan to go somewhere else? Thanks for reading, Laurie! In this forest, youll find amazing old growth trees and is incredibly verdant. I am planning a road-trip with my husband along the Pacific coast. Regarding I recommend an automatic car with a low center of gravity but skip the convertible! You could do this road-trip in as little as five days, but I recommend taking at least seven or maybe 10 if you have the time! Thank you for the article. I was considering driving from San Jose with overnight stops at Mt Shasta or Lassen NP, Crater Lake, Portland, and Seattle (maybe a few nights in the cities). I have no idea what the case will be for forest fires next year, unfortunately! Great read! Ending at a beach front hotel in Diego for 2-3 days to visit that college, unwind and settle a little bit before leaving. 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? 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. Would love to do the northern parts of PCH though I loved Portland and Seattle, but would like to see more of the coastal regions! I hope you can see it for yourself someday too. It sounds like youll have a great trip no matter what! I can really tell that you love traveling, Valerie . 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. Thanks! Related posts: Stop 1: San Francisco. We are just wondering if you have an estimate on how much it would be to travel the PCH! We always wanted to do an RV trip, but maybe the PCH is not the one to do that on?? To access the map on Roadtrippers, you just need to click the map! Pacific Highway Route information Existed 1913-1926 [a] Major junctions South end San Diego, CA North end Vancouver, BC Location Country United States States California, Oregon, Washington, (also Vancouver in British Columbia) Highway system Auto trails Pacific Highway is the name of several north-south highways in the Pacific Coast region of the Western United States, either by . San Jose is a creative and thriving high-tech culture epicenter. I was a truck driver for 29 years and could not drive that road. Stretching from Washington to California, the Pacific Coast is picturesque, with cliffs, sea stacks, gorgeous urban spaces, and the raging ocean. Overwhelmed by the vastness of it all. Have a great drive! Hey Valerie great name yourself! In fact, we serve over 15 000 different locations worldwide. 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. 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. When driving the PCH south from Portland, how much of a detour would it be to see Crater Lake on the way? Glad to help, Nancy, and thanks for reading! So doing our 101 bucket list too, but want a 2-3 days near Ocean Beach, CA. The little set of communities on the Long Beach peninsula is at the lower-left corner of the state and is home to cozy accommodations and surprisingly delicious restaurants. To answer your questions: 1. 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. I appreciate your asking for clarification! 1. We are planning a trip in Sept 0f 2022, starting in Portland, ending in San Diego. Or. 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. (Hours and dates for the attractions on the SF CityPass have been affected by the pandemic, so be sure to check those when you purchase!). Wondering about forest fires and how they affect the trip. My overnight stop in Santa Barbara changed my mind. Once you are on Pacific Coast Highway, it is a straight-shot to virtually any beach destination on your road trip list, including San Luis . Would there be a place where the rental could be left in those regions? This is such a great article. Blow your budget and stay the night at Fairmont San Francisco, one of the nicest hotels in town. Im not sure how to prioritize the rest of our time. Pacific Coast Highway 1 (PCH) - California. I drove one and I hardly ever got to enjoy it! So I am very, very thankful to have found THIS resource!! Pacific Coast Highway Directions: Continue south along CA-1. Just wondering about restrictions? Thank you for all this information. Thinking approximately 250 miles a day. Do you think we could do it in 7 days?? Also known as California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway is the longest state route in California at just over 656 miles. Please keep doing what youre doing. We were planning on a 7day road trip with our 8, 6 and 20 month olds in June. Just starting to think about a 1st time road trip from Az to Washington and back among the PCH!!?? Sorry about the delay, Scott. Hey there! 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. The skies are guaranteed to be blue, the weather begs for a convertible, and the passing sands are alive with . Also, I love your pictures! (I used Roadtrippers Plus to create this route;you can get $5 off Plus byclicking this linkand using code BTR5QTP.). This blog has been incredibly helpful. Ive been to Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valley but curious if there are any great places you are aware of. Is this going to be a big disappointment? If youre planning a full 10-day west coast road trip, make sure you follow my guide and do at least one overnight on the Olympic Peninsula. Also being from Colorado, we would love to camp oceanside, do you have any recommendations on campsites? Thanks for reading, Teena! I would rather guess on the high side than the low side so Im prepared. Not sure it matters when you set out from Seattle; itll be great no matter when you go! San Francisco has tons of cool neighborhoods, so its hard to choose which vacation rentals to recommend Check out this, Plan an overnight in Santa Barbara so you can soak in the charm. We want to make the best out of drive there. Thank you. So heading east eventually to round out the trip. Stop 3: Monterey and its aquarium. You can stretch your legs with a short walk before getting back on the road. Have a great drive! If you go as big as a Suburban or Tahoe, youll be way to big and clunky to enjoy the road! While driving southbound, youll approach Marshall first. Dreamstime is the world`s largest stock photography community. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated: Day 1: San Francisco (Arrive late in the evening) Day 2: San Francisco Day 3: Santa Cruz Day 4: Carmel-By-The-Sea Day 5: Big Sur Day 6: San Luis Obispo Day 7: Santa Barbara Day 8: Los Angeles Day 9: San Diego (leave early in the morning). Enjoying the Unexpectedly Cool Pitchwood Ale House, All words and images 2013-2023 The Kolibro Group LLC. After all, I liked it so much when I first visited in 2012 that I moved there in 2013! The worst that happens is you might end up in a slightly less nice place than you had planned. There and back that is? Have a great trip!! 2. If youve ever seen The Goonies, you know exactly what I mean. Pacific Coast Highway Directions: At this point in Northern California, the PCH is still U.S. 101. When it comes to vacation rental options. Day 3: Bodega Bay to Point Arena (62 miles) The highway continues north, skimming the Pacific Ocean for the entire length of today's journey, with several diversions along the way. When you picture the Pacific Coast Highway, its Big Sur that comes to mind. 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. Thinking of maybe making this where we would b me somewhere different for 4th of July. We booked a flight to San Jose to explore the citys economic hub and cultural traditions. If youre considering a drive down (or up) the western coast of the U.S., look no further. My husband, myself and our four kids always take adventurous vacations every summer. Thanks so much from a couple of Canucks! Am planning to do a 10 day PCH drive in August. I lived for 15 years in Alaska, as well as four years each in California and Washington. Your help is appreciated. Eileen, thanks for your comment, and for reading! It includes so many things each person in my family wants to see and do! Thanks, Larissa! Great question So Crater Lake is pretty far inland. 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. Do you highly recommend the LONG route OR is thru Mendocino only enough? I mapped it here so you can see the option to add in Crater Lake and what youll miss: https://goo.gl/maps/2A4GYTKnBcADVdRw5. Aretta, thanks for your comment! I hope you have a great trip whenever you can make it! Portland? Were driving south-to-north. Planning for 5-6 days of Seattle to San Diego. Nope, headed northbound is not a bad way to go its actually the way I went on my first drive! I appreciate you taking the time to answer everyones questions. P.S. 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 have looked up the different uses of the word and grammatically correct samples, and I believe you needed to use it in past-tense. The Outdoor Blueprint team pieces together an incredible guide featuring all the best coastal stops from Vancouver, B.C. Thank you. They all offer budget rentals, run regular deals and specials, and have one-way rental options. Let me know if you need any extra tips whenever you start planning! You did a fantastic job with this giude, everything is straight to the point but provided in a fun and educational way. Thank you. I live in Florida and have never been to the pacific coast. Thanks for reading and asking, Hunter! I didnt want to make all my reservations, but just go with it for one time in my life. Moon Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip: California, Oregon & Washington (Travel Guide) by Ian Anderson | Dec 20, 2022. Will we be able to enjoy the drive in March? Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, segments of the U.S. Route 101: U.S. Route 101 in Oregon U.S. Route 101 in Washington Public transportation [ edit] We can only do a quick trip. 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 ? 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. Thank you! Hi Valerie, I am doing the PCH drive southbound from Seattle and as far as we can go for 5 days. Cherie, thanks for your comment. This was a 6 day trip. I dont have it I just want to make sure businesses are open? It is a time consuming drive but the most worthwhile time you will ever spend traveling. Planning a trip on PCH last week of July 2020. Our partners offer one-way rentals from multiple locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. 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. 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 can't stop looking at that ocean. We will probably book Airbnb if cost effective. Waves, waves, and more waves. Thanks for your comment, Anthony! From there we are planning on 4 days drive/stop on high 1 (PCH) up to Santa Monica/Malibu then flight out LAX. Do you have any tips? Again, thank you so much!! 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!). Be sure to plan your trip on a day the lighthouse is open for tours, so you can climb the steps down to the lighthouse and lookout beneath the clouds across the sea. 1. What type of car would you rent for 4 of us? I do you can sign up using the email forms in this post to receive a short version! Youre all set to start filling in the gaps! A one-week Pacific Coast Highway road trip itinerary will allow you to see the highlights without feeling rushed. The traditional definition of the Pacific Coast Highway is to drive California Highway 1 from San Diego to Leggett (or vice versa); you can extend by adding on U.S. Highway 101 through Northern California and Oregon and Washington coasts. The weather should be okay but be prepared for coastal fog and chill (as you would experience pretty much all year long!).