Driving the Pacific coast highway, cALIFORNIA
The picturesque Pacific Coast Highway is a must see on any Californian road trip. This highway exceeded my expectations in every imaginable way. The twisty roads, fluffy pampas grass, and golden sunsets from the cliffs made this drive worth every bit of the extra 3 hours of driving.
This dream drive was made possible by an invitation to stay in San Francisco as I traveled from San Diego to Montana. The trip itself took almost 12 hours, I left the San Diego area very early in the morning and arrived in Mill Valley after dinnertime.
During my trip, I had the opportunity to meet up with an old friend that I hadn’t seen for 8 years. We met up in Santa Monica and had breakfast at Blueys Cafe (great coffee and reasonable breakfast prices--at least for California). This was a great stop that broke up the almost 6 hour drive from San Diego to St Luis Obispo where the PCH truly begins.
Important before you go:
Before you leave St Luis Obispo, check your gas! There aren’t any gas stations until you reach the Big Sur area. It is nice that there’s one available, but I would highly suggest filling up before. The price at those gas stations is almost two dollars higher due to their prime location and the ability to gain from your loss. If you do find yourself in this position, depending on your car’s gas mileage, you should only need a couple gallons to get you to Monterrey where you can fill up at a normal price.
Things to do
The most important part of the trip is the section between San Luis Obispo to Monterrey. This is where the road transforms from a four lane highway to the two lane, need-to-pay-attention, somewhat sketchy path that will blow your mind.
There are many stops along the way that you may be interested in checking out. One of the more interesting spots was the Elephant Seal lookout where you can frequently observe the animals from a safe distance. This pull off is often crowded, but if you are interested in seeing the seals, its worth the wait for a spot!
Another great way to spend the day on the Pacific Coast Highway is by pulling off for a hike. Although I did not have the time to do one, I would highly suggest it due to the incredible views that can be reached on some of the hikes. Here’s a few I found on AllTrails that look interesting!
Hikes
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/ridge-bluff-arch-and-dolphin-trail
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/cruickshank-trail-to-upper-cruickshank-camp
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/estero-bluffs-trail
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/soda-springs-creek
Big Sur
Driving through Big Sur was not exactly what I had expected, but turned out to be such an interesting area! This part of the PCH is actually a forested area with very large and majestic trees.
This is an area where people can hike, camp, and enjoy some eclectic eateries and drinkeries that can be found along the highway as you pass through. Enjoy a glass of wine or some fresh seafood with an incredible view of the never-ending Pacific Ocean, maybe even get lucky and spot a whale!
From Big Sur, you’re still about 45 minutes/30 miles from Monterrey, so enjoy the views and make sure you are capable of driving on that twisty road after your stop.
The perfect end to your PCH road trip
The only acceptable end to a PCH road trip is to watch the sunset from one of the dramatic and beautiful cliffs off the road. As I was driving, I noticed people up to an hour before sunset setting up chairs and blankets in their favorite spots. If you have something ultra romantic planned, or need to get that perfect photo, maybe plan on finding that spot sooner rather then later. You honestly cannot go wrong with where you stop, my personal favorite spot was by the Big Creek Bridge.
