The Perfect Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. Santa Monica. Day 6 – Big Sur to San … Be aware that there are some areas where cell reception may be spotty or nonexistent – this could affect GPS navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze. Route 5: The ultimate road trip from San Francisco to Portland. There are so many great things to see and do along the Oregon coast, so pace yourself well. Driving along the California Pacific Coast Highway is perhaps one of the greatest road trips in the world. From Santa Cruz to San Francisco is about 78 miles if you remain committed to traveling along the coast. A road trip down California’s Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco is an absolute must at some point in your life. The idea of a road trip can invoke many feelings. June 26, 2013, 5:00 AM. Following our 3 night stay in Santa Monica we started the third leg of our honeymoon in America by driving 420 miles of the California coast along the Pacific Coast Highway (route 1) to San Francisco! You can also recognize it by its abbreviation (PCH), California Coast Road Trip, Pacific Coast Road Trip, Route 1, Highway 101 (through Washington and Oregon), or even just Highway 1 (in California). Credit: Don Johnston. San Francisco to Santa Cruz: A Mini Road Trip on Highway 1. However, you can still see a ton of amazing things, and you will be ending in the famous San Francisco, so that alone is exciting if you have never been. Route 66 doesn’t have anything on Cali’s coastal highway 1. Our road trip itineraries from San Francisco to Santa Cruz and from the Golden Gate Bridge to Bodega Bay are a great place to start. A road trip from San Francisco to San Diego is the perfect getaway for a long weekend. Jill Dutton. Santa Rosa, California 95403. The Santa Ynez Valley, just north of Santa Barbara, is one of most diverse grape-growing regions in the county, with five distinct American Viticultural Areas (AVA).Near the Pacific, fog and cool air rolls in at dusk, ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Big Sur is one of the biggest reasons that driving California Highway 1 is a bucket list experience. 10 Unbelievably Cool Spots Along Highway 1. And of course, you can always reverse this itinerary and use it for a Portland to San Francisco road trip instead. It is a little over 500 miles or 800 km from San Diego to San Francisco on the fastest route which is Interstate 5. Friends, family – basically everyone we’ve ever spoken to – has told us to do the drive. Reasons to take a Highway 1 road trip from San Francisco to Big Sur. drive for about 10 minutes. A winding path that hugs a brilliant, undeveloped coast, endless lookout points, and vistas for days – you will find all this and much more on the PCH. That being said, it is never dull as the locations and views are majestic at almost every turn. Pacific Coast Highway & Highway 101 Road Trip Guide. If you are driving from San Francisco or San Jose area, take the 101 south to Highway 156 through Castroville. The San Luis Obispo Region is roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and has everything from vintage beach towns to world-renowned wine regions.. The City by the Bay is a cultural melting pot, with Asian and Hispanic influence. 3:49 pm Monterey. 5. This was the most scenic and the highlight of our road trip because every corner was simply breathtaking. California Highway 1 (the PCH) runs 655.8 miles from its southern terminus at Dana Point, CA to its northern terminus at Leggett, CA. And you should absolutely not do it. When you're embarking on a road trip from San Francisco, Monterey County may be one of the best destinations available. Highway leading to Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, CA. From Los Angeles take the 101 north all the way to the 156. It takes a total of eight hours to drive directly between the two cities, but there’s a much more scenic option if you have the time: the Pacific Coast Highway. The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is a long road following the California coast and connecting the San Diego area in the South with San Francisco and the North. Driving time from San Francisco: 2 hours Distance from San Francisco: 140 miles. Whether you're heading south from San Francisco or north from Los Angeles, a classic and spectacular route awaits along the Pacific Coast’s Highway One, through beautiful Monterey County. The Pacific Coast Highway road trip stretches from San Francisco right down to San Diego. The diversity of the state’s terrain is chock-full of interesting sites and plenty of adventure along the way. HIGHWAY 1 ROAD TRIP WRAP UP. You just have to know where to pull over. Located about an hour and a half south of San Francisco on Highway 1, Santa Cruz is known for its great surf scene, quirky local culture, and acceptance of alternative lifestyles. SR 1 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, and through the Los Angeles metro area, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco metro area, and Leggett is part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. Approximately 600 miles driven. If you time it right, avoiding rush hour traffic around both cities, the 383-mile drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles takes less than six-and-a-half hours. Driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles on the Pacific Coast Highway is an iconic American experience. Expect to See: Tourist Destinations Worthy of the Hype. I gave myself a gold sticker for making it. Take a magical road trip on California's Highway 1. Stretching 442 miles / 711 kms and taking around 8 to 9 hours non-stop to drive, the San Francisco to Los Angeles drive down Route 1 … WHERE to Stop on YOUR Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Monterey County. San Francisco is our favorite city to start a 10 day California trip. As much as Highway 1 is a visual beauty, it is also a culinary tour for your taste buds. Day 3 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz. A road trip is one of the best ways to get an in-depth look at a piece of America, and the coastal State Route 1 in California provides one of the most scenic routes of them all. + And if you’ve got heaps more time, consider the very long but exceptionally beautiful drive from San Francisco to Seattle (or maybe save that trip for another time). The Best Road Trip from Seattle to San Francisco. But please, don’t hurry. The one thing I wouldn't miss In CA is driving the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt State Park. At the bottom of the state map, the pretty peninsular beach town of Coronado connected to the San Diego mainland via the white-sand beaches of the Silver Strand. Route distance: 122 miles. https://explorenowornever.com/road-trips-from-san-francisco Note that you can start in either San Diego or Los Angeles in the south (I like San Diego…more on that later) or San Francisco in the north. Below are 13 amazing stops to enjoy on a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco along Highway 1. That Pacific Coast Highway route from San Francisco to Los Angeles gets all the attention, but it’s not the only West Coast drive that should be on your map. When to Take a California Road Trip Now, here’s our favorite route. Turn left onto East Washington St., which changes names a few times as it winds its way through lush farmlands to Highway 1 and the Sonoma County coast. Stretching on the central coast between San Simeon and Carmel By The Sea, Big Sur is a 2-lane winding road on a seaside cliff on Route 1 Pacific Coast Highway. The highway spans the entirety of California, but the most popular road trip along this route stretches from San Diego to San Francisco. The San Francisco to San Diego drive via the Pacific Coast Highway can easily be called “the road trip of a lifetime.”. As the locals say, keep Santa Cruz weird. Enjoy sumptuous spoonfuls of clam chowder from a sourdough bread bowl ; indulge in a bar of Dandelion Chocolate ; and say hello to Karl the Fog (who will undoubtedly stop by). Drive Time from San Francisco to Los Angeles: approximately 10 hours. Running coast-to-coast from San Francisco to Ocean City, Maryland, “The Loneliest Road in America” is a 3,200-mile odyssey from sea to shining sea. March 16, 2018 Updated: April 12, 2019 5:01 p.m. Facebook Twitter Email. How far is it from San Diego to San Francisco. This includes a road trip on the California Coast, a road trip from San Francisco to the Sierra Nevada, the Oregon Coast, the Washington Cascades, Olympic Peninsula, and much, much more. Highway 1 is a longer, more scenic route than the Highway 101-128 route. May.10.2020. You can either just stop and take pictures or go on a short hike. In need of a short but scenic adventure? Read More: The Essential Road Trip Packing Checklist. The entire route is … The drive doesn’t just connect California’s charismatic coastal cities, from San Diego past Santa Barbara all the way to San Francisco, but it also takes you past the stunning scenery of coastal mountains, crashing Paficic Ocean waves, and weathered bluffs. SAN FRANCISCO – My best friend Kelly and I were a little ambitious when we planned a week-long reunion along Highway 1. What makes San Francisco unique is its distinct vibe and just how powerful it is as a city. The coastal road trip San Francisco Portland is about 850 miles long and takes about 18 hours of driving time without stopping on Highway 1 and Highway 101. California writer Ella Buchan takes you on a Pacific Coast Highway road trip and to the best hotels along the way. Our booking process is as easy as 1,2,3! Whether you are starting from the south or the north, it's easy to extend your Highway 1 road trip. The Pacific Coast Highway—also known as PCH or, more commonly, Highway 1—runs north-south along most of the United States’ West Coast. See the redwoods. It's a special Road Trip that we'll never forget. + And if you’ve got heaps more time, consider the very long but exceptionally beautiful drive from San Francisco to Seattle (or maybe save that trip for another time). This is why I would recommend beginning in San Francisco and ending in Los Angeles rather than San Diego. While people simply love to drive through the golden coasts of California, along the Pacific Coast Highway, you might be surprised to learn that this is not the most popular route to make a road trip on the West Coast. Way too many photos taken. San Francisco – 1 Day. Take the Highway 116/Lakeville St. exit and head west. California's Highway 1 is located right on the coast and is one of the most popular road trip routes in the entire country. Highway 1: Monterey to San Francisco. A suspicious buffalo in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. would add time). Distance from San Francisco to Los Angeles: approximately 500 miles. Taking Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles is 479 miles and will require about ten hours if you are in a hurry. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip. The classic route is to drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles or vice versa. 1. Follow the westerly 33-mile route of River Rd and CA-116W to the Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1) and turn North to Jenner. San Francisco. A quick stopover at Half Moon Bay to grab a coffee but there wasn’t much going on at the beach. After the PCH 1 ends, you can either drive south along the coast to San Diego or all the way up to Olympic National Park and the Canadian border in the north. Santa Cruz to San Francisco via Highway 1 drive time: 75-120 mins. If you only have one week, this whole trip is going a be a lot more rushed than it would be if you have the original 10 days or 2 weeks to spend on your Pacific Coast Highway road trip. You’ll spend your first full day of your magical California road trip in San Francisco. This is a road trip where you’ll need no invitation to adjust to a slower pace, allowing you to take it all in as you wind your way south from Seattle to San Francisco. In this narrow strip of coastal hills and valleys, discover romantic towns, including Carmel-by-the-Sea, historic Monterey, and elegant Santa Barbara, nicknamed “the American Riviera.” The region’s classic drive along Highway One, linking San Francisco to Los Angeles, visits Big Sur, Hearst Castle, wine country, and kick-back surf towns. Be prepared for the open road by visiting our checklist of road trip essentials. Driving up California’s Highway 1 is high on many travelers’ bucket lists — with good reason. You can tackle it in sections, pick just part of it to see or make the journey into a week-long road trip. Last Modified: April 27, 2020. You will also have more time to explore the redwoods or more of Mendocino. The whole purpose of a road trip is to take it slow and the PCH will give you plenty of reasons to stop along the way. Here are a few places along the Pacific Coast highway that are worth seeing. The Guide to the Pacific Coast Highway 1. Only other people there were surfers and campers. This curvy coastal route can be slow and relaxing but at the same time hectic. stay at Mission Ranch Hotel. Take 101 and 128 – you’ll get back to the city in about 3 hours. I had been on this section of Route 1 before -- most recently just a week ago to Point Reyes; but the farthest I had been was Muir Beach. https://www.vogue.com/article/california-highway-1-road-trip-itinerary