Here is my opinion on the best stops along the Pacific Coast Highway.
The Pacific Coast Highway is a stretch of road that runs from San Francisco to San Diego. It is just 656-miles (1,055-km). It is known as one of the scenic drives in the world! After doing the route myself, in August 2014, as part of our 3-week road trip across America, I can see why. It is one of the most memorable drives I’ve ever done!
You can drive the full Pacific Coast Highway in 10-hours. However, I would allow longer as you will want to stop off at the amazing places along the route. It is best to drive in the direction north to south, to get the maximum amounts of views, while driving as the car will on the right-hand side, looking over at the cliff edges and ocean. It is so picturesque, you do not want to miss out on anything!
Here are some of the fantastic places you will see, as you travel along the Pacific Coast Highway, in order, traveling from north to south, over 2-days. Sadly, we didn’t get the chance to stop at every place due to our flight to San Francisco being delayed.
San Francisco
The Pacific Coast Highway starts in San Francisco. One of my favourite American cities. I would highly recommend stopping here for a couple of days to explore the amazing city, before heading onto the highway.
To read more on San Francisco, here is a link to my blog post on the city: https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/san-francisco/
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is worth a stop at. Even if you just get out the car to take a moody looking picture of the cliff edge, before you carry on traveling south. It is pretty impressive to see! However, if you do have more time, one of the popular activities to do is to ride a horse along the beach and sample some craft beer at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. As we were short of time, we stopped just for photos!
Ano Nuevo State Park
Want to see some Elephant Seals? Then Ano Nuevo State Park is a place to be. When we visited in August, there were loads of them, chilling on the beach. It was incredible to see! They are there all year round. If you want to see some pups, it is best to visit between December and March.
Please note: no pets are allowed into the park or allowed to be left in your car.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is a city known for the iconic, over 100-year-old beach boardwalk. It is also thas the best remaining beachside amusement park in California. Sadly, as we were short of time, we did not get the chance to visit.
Monterey Bay
Sadly, we didn’t have time to stop at Monterey Bay. However, if you do have more time, the Monterey Bay Aquarium to a highly recommended visit. It is rated as one of the best Aquariums to visit in the world!
Big Sur
The Big Sur is a rugged, impressive stretch of California’s coast, located between Carmel and San Simeon. This was one of the most impressive stretches of the coastal road and you will see why for yourself.
To get to Big Sur, you will get to drive over the Bixby Bridge. It is one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world and also one of the most photographed bridges on the West Coast on America. It’s incredible! The bridge is 217-metres (714-feet) long and 85-metres (280-feet) high. It is truly impressive to see and you will have so much fun driving over it!
Once you’ve crossed the Bixby Bridge, look out for Pfeiffer State Beach, in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. This was one of my biggest highlights in Big Sur. It is a must-see! The colour of the water reminded me of the colour of water you expect to see in the Caribbean and not in the Pacific Ocean! It was so beautiful! While you are there, don’t forget to look out for the impressive McWay Falls, hidden in the bay. A 24-metre (80-foot) waterfall.
Morro Bay
Morro Bay is where we decided to stop the night and a perfect place it was to break up the journey. We saw one of the best sunsets I have ever seen! The colours where incredible and is certainly something I will not forget for some time!
Morro Bay is a perfect place to see the otters. You can watch them float peacefully on their backs in the harbour and eat crabs for their meals. It was a truly memorable experience and something you should not miss!
Another great attraction to see in Morro Bay is Morro Rock. The incredible rock is a 177-metre (581-foot) volcanic plug. A causeway connects Morro Rock with the shore, which makes it a tied island. The rock is protected as the Morro Rock State Preserve.
Solvang
Solvang is a must-visit! It is a city you would not expect to see in America. Solvang is a Danish city that is full of windmills, Danish style houses, and Danish food. The place was founded by Danish pioneers in 1911. It as though you have travelled to Denmark on your American road trip! It was amazing and if you love Danish pastries, don’t forget to try one while you’re there!
Los Angles
Los Angles is one massive city! You will need at least 2 days to explore the city. We went onto exploring the city after finishing the coastal drive in San Diego. In Los Angles, there is Santa Monica to see, Hollywood to visit, Venice Beach to see, Beverley Hills to drive around, Hollywood sign to walk up to, and so much more. What uses up most of the time in LA, is all the driving around from place to place. The roads are so busy! This sadly often means you are stuck in traffic a lot of the time and don’t get anywhere fast! So don’t try and be in a hurry in LA! If you have trips booked at a certain time, do make sure you allow extra time to get there. Especially if you are off to the airport. You don’t want to miss that flight home!
San Diego
We sadly only had one day in San Diego. We used the full day to visit the zoo. San Diego Zoo is one of the best zoo’s I have ever visited. It was incredible! They have such a wide range of animals to see, including 2 of my favourite: Koalas and Giant Pandas. It is a zoo I highly recommend a visit to! You will love it!
For more information about the zoo, their opening times, ticket prices, and animals, please visit their website: https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/
