I have driven up the coast of California twice now; once from LA to Monterey back in 2012 and most recently from San Diego to San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the best scenic drives in the United States. California’s scenic Highway 1 starts in Dana Point, located in between San Diego and LA, and ends north of San Francisco. Below I will outline the best places to stop on your trip up scenic Highway 1.
Solvang
Head to the Danish Capitol of America, where you will feel like you have travelled all the way to Denmark. Visit the llama farm on the way in, load up on Danish pastries, stroll around the town window shopping and indulge in a wine tasting. Solvang is located north of LA in wine country. We had a lovely stay at the Wine Valley Inn, which is dog-friendly. They also have a wine tasting happy hour everyday in the lobby.
Hearst Castle
I have not been able to visit Hearst Castle yet, but I have heard nothing but great things. My first trip we were in a rush to get to our campsite before dark and my second trip we had our dog with us. Plan ahead for your visit to explore the grounds and interior of this mansion built in 1919.
Elephant Seal Beach
This was one of my favorite memories from driving up the coast of California my first time. Pull right off of Highway 1 and hit the boardwalk to view the lazy and noisy resident elephant seals. Hunted almost to extinction years ago, they are now protected and making a comeback. Check out this site to see what the elephant seals are up to the month you plan on visiting.
McWay Falls
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is home to the famed McWay Falls. Pull right off of Highway 1 and hit the 1/4 mile trail to see the falls. You can park in the park for $10 or park on the side of the road for free and walk in. The short trail will take you through a tunnel to a view point where you can see the falls.
Big Sur
Camp and hike amongst the trees in Big Sur to get your dose of nature. Be sure to book your campsite or hotel in advance because they will book up, especially in peak season. Check this site out to plan your visit.
Bixby Creek Bridge
Drive over this iconic bridge and take a right onto a dirt road to get a view looking to the ocean. Then cross Highway 1 to view the bridge and the beach below looking inland. The Bixby Creek Bridge is a beautiful bridge with stunning ocean views.
Monterey
Stop by the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and view my favorite jellyfish exhibit. Make sure to head to Alvarado Street Brewing for some great beer & food. We started with the clam chowder, which has been my favorite clam chowder to date. I got the Soba Noodle Bowl and my husband got the Vietnamese Lamb Burger, both were drool worthy. I ordered the Strawberry Daiquiri Island beer and it was so good I ordered it twice. We stayed at Portola Hotel & Spa, which is dog-friendly and conveniently located.
Año Nuevo State Park
Continuing up the coast of California north of Monterey, this State Park stretches the coast line with many pullovers with trails to beaches. We stopped at Gazos Beach and took a quick stroll on the beach. The great part about going up the coast in winter time is having the beaches all to yourself!
San Francisco
Picnic in the park with views of the painted ladies, curve your way down Lombard street, eat all the dumplings and mini donuts and drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. There is so much to do in San Francisco it is insane, we’re already planning our next trip back. We got lucky with no fog and had a beautiful view of the bridge from Crissy Field. We stayed at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, which was dog-friendly. At the top of one of their towers there is a bar called Cityscape with amazing views of the city. I highly suggest going up for a drink at sunset! And if you love dumplings go to Dumpling Time for an array of dumplings, such as a giant soup dumpling and lamb dumplings.
Muir Woods
Get up close and personal with the giant redwoods. We did not stop here since we had our dog with us, but it is first on this list next time we are up in that area. Reserve your parking ahead of time here.
Point Reyes National Seashore
We went on a rainy, windy day and it was quite the adventure. Our first stop was the Cypress Tree Tunnel. Next we headed to South Point Reyes Beach, one of the beaches where dogs are allowed on leash. Since no one was on the beach we decided it was ok to let our dog off leash. After that we headed to the lighthouse where it was quite windy. I ended up staying in the car with the dog since the wind was shaking the car and might scare him. My husband and his friend jogged out to the lighthouse and back and said the winds were so wild they actually got a little scared. For lunch we went to Saltwater Oyster Depot and it is a must! The staff is very friendly and the food was fresh, simple and tasty as could be.
My first time we went in May and the sun was shining, the flowers were blooming and it was beautiful. Most recently we went in November over Thanksgiving and it rained on and off most of our trip. The advantage to going in November was that the beaches were empty! Our next trip, we want to drive down the coast. This would make it easier to pullover on a whim.
If you liked this blog post about driving up the coast of California, check out my other post about another very scenic drive in the US, The Florida Keys in a Nutshell. Don’t forget to book your trip with your favorite travel planner, yours truly.
