California Pacific Coast Highway 1 Road Trip Guide

The idea of a road trip can invoke many feelings.

Many of you may jump at the chance for a road trip purely for the adventure. But there may be some of you who think a road trip means getting from point A to point B in the fastest time possible, making quick stops for gas, grabbing some horrendous gas station food, then putting pedal to the metal in order to get where you are going quickly. There's zero fun along the way and it feels like torture.

I get you. I became the Queen of driving across the 1,000 miles of brown desert wastelands between Arizona and Texas and it was brutal.

Last summer we did something that had been on my bucket list since I was a teenager. I have been dreaming for as long as I can remember of taking a drive along the California Pacific Coast Highway. My dreams included stunning blue coastlines, massive redwoods, and charming coastal towns. After several months of meticulous planning, we made the California Pacific Coast Highway 1 Road Trip happen. It exceeded every single expectation and was some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen!

{All of these photos were taken by me and come from my own personal library. They are copyrighted so pretty please don't use. Thank you!}

I collected a file folder of information and worked on our itinerary for 3 months. Since I have had so many friends and family request it, I am sharing the California Pacific Coast Highway 1 Road Trip Guide with all of you. We learned so much along the way and when I look at our pictures and relive our experiences, I am dying to do it all again!

Most travel guides will tell you the best places to stop for sightseeing, but I want to share the best places to EAT along the way too because FOOD is important, people. Very important on road trips!  You don't want your people to eat greasy fast food in an enclosed vehicle....and you will just have to trust me on this one!

You will find a sample itinerary, suggested stops in towns along the way, food recommendations, and even tips on traveling with kids. I have four of them and we have taken more road trips than I can count and these tips are integral to road trip success!

Here is a sample itinerary. You can customize it to your ideal preferences but this gives you an outline. If you love nature, hiking, and exploring the outdoors, you will want to spend a lot of time in Big Sur. If you would rather sit and relax in a charming coastal town, make your stay longer in Carmel-by-the-Sea.  If you are looking for culture and city life, extend your stay in San Francisco.  This can be tailor-made to your preferences.

Day 1: Start in Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, or Los Angeles. Visit Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Sleep in either Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo.

Day 2: Visit SLO, Solvang, Morro Bay, Cambria, Hearst Castle in San Simeon

Day 3: Big Sur

Day 4: Explore Big Sur and sleep in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Day 5: Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey

Day 6: Santa Cruz and San Francisco

Day 7: San Francisco

Day 8: Leave San Francisco and head home

Day 9: Optional Bonus Day: Spend a day at Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, or relax in Laguna Beach

California Pacific Coast Highway 1 Road Trip Guide of places to EAT, SLEEP, and STOP:

Laguna Beach/Newport Beach/Manhattan Beach/Los Angeles:

• Balboa Island - walk or bike around island and eat famous Balboa Bar
• Boogieboard near Newport Beach Pier
• Eat at Lemonade and Manhattan Beach Creamery in Manhattan Beach
• On the way home, spend a day at Laguna Beach near Main St or visit Knott's Berry Farm

Santa Barbara:

• Santa Barbara Courthouse for beautiful architecture
• Ride cruiser bikes to Butterfly Beach

• Gaviota Coast
• State Street Shopping
• McConnell's Ice Cream
• Stearns Wharf

Solvang:

• Eat at Olsen's Bakery, Paula's Pancake House, or Mortensen's Bakery
• Shop in Danish shops on Main Street
• Play at Sunny Field Park

San Luis Obispo:

• Visit the Famous Madonna Inn (eat a slice of cake at restaurant and gawk at this outrageous hotel)
• Bubble Gum Wall
• Sit creekside in restaurants off Main Street
• Eat at Apple Farm Mill House

Cambria/Morro Bay/San Simeon:

• Tour Hearst Castle
• Eat at Sebastian's Store
• Morro Bay Rock
• Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery
• Piedras Blancas Light Station

• Serene Beaches
• Montana de Oro State Park - picnic at Spooner's Cove and hike to Valencia Peak

Big Sur:

• Julia Pfieffer State Park and Beach
• McWay Falls - sparkling blue waters

• Hike Ewoldsen Trail
• Limekiln State Park - hike redwoods waterfall

• Point Lobos - hike and discover tide pools
• Andrew Molera State park

• Big Sur Village
• Bixby Bridge - famous in car commercials

Carmel-by-the-Sea/Monterey:

• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• 17 Mile Drive Scenic Tour

• Pebble Beach Golf Course

• Carmel Beach Village - charming shops and restaurants (my favorite town)

• Point Lobos State Reserve - hiking trails and tide pools
• Bike rentals

• Cannery Row and Wharf Marketplace

Santa Cruz:

• Spend some time at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Ride rides and relax on the sandy beach
• Take scenic West Cliff Drive

• Stop at local Farmer's Markets

• Visit tide pools + see wildflowers at Pescadero State Beach

San Francisco:

• Ride bikes over Golden Gate Bridge

• Golden Gate State Park - museums, Stow Lake, park, carousel, bike rentals

• Ride a cable car
• Picnic at Chrissy Field
• Visit the Ferry Marketplace - it's a foodie's paradise

• Shop in Union Square

• Fisherman's Wharf
• Picnic on grassy area at Palace of Fine Arts
• Sourdough bread bowl at Pier 39

• Ghirardelli Square
• Ride a car on the famous crooked Lombard Street

• Ferry to Angel Island
• Visit Chinatown

• Alcatraz - get tickets early
• Muir Woods

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY 1 ROAD TRIP GUIDE:

Laguna Beach/Newport Beach/Manhattan Beach/Los Angeles:

• Balboa Island - walk or bike around island and eat famous Balboa Bar
• Boogieboard near Newport Beach Pier
• Eat at Lemonade and Manhattan Beach Creamery in Manhattan Beach
• On the way home, spend a day at Laguna Beach near Main St or visit Knott's Berry Farm

Santa Barbara:

• Santa Barbara Courthouse for beautiful architecture
• Ride cruiser bikes to Butterfly Beach
• Gaviota Coast
• State Street Shopping
• McConnell's Ice Cream
• Stearns Wharf

Solvang:

• Eat at Olsen's Bakery, Paula's Pancake House, or Mortensen's Bakery
• Shop in Danish shops on Main Street
• Play at Sunny Field Park

San Luis Obispo:

• Visit the Famous Madonna Inn (eat a slice of cake at restaurant and gawk at this outrageous hotel)
• Bubble Gum Wall
• Sit creekside in restaurants off Main Street
• Eat at Apple Farm Mill House

Cambria/Morro Bay/San Simeon:

• Tour Hearst Castle
• Eat at Sebastian's Store
• Morro Bay Rock
• Montana de Oro State Park - picnic at Spooner's Cove and hike to Valencia Peak

Big Sur:

• Julia Pfieffer State Park and Beach
• Hike Ewoldsen Trail
• McWay Falls - sparkling blue waters
• Limekiln State Park - hike redwoods waterfall
• Point Lobos - hike and discover tide pools
• Andrew Molera State park
• Big Sur Village
• Bixby Bridge - famous in car commercials

Carmel-by-the-Sea/Monterey:

• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• 17 Mile Drive Scenic Tour
• Pebble Beach Golf Course
• Carmel Beach Village - charming shops and restaurants (my personal favorite town)
• Wharf Marketplace
• Point Lobos State Reserve - hiking trails and tide pools
• Bike rentals
• Cannery Row and Wharf Marketplace

Santa Cruz:

• Spend some time at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Ride rides and relax on the sandy beach
• Take scenic West Cliff Drive
• Stop at local Farmer's Markets
• Visit tide pools + see wildflowers at Pescadero State Beach

San Francisco:

• Ride bikes over Golden Gate Bridge
• Golden Gate State Park - museums, Stow Lake, park, carousel, bike rentals
• Shop in Union Square
• Fisherman's Wharf
• Eat at Ferry Building Marketplace - a foodie's paradise
• Picnic on grassy area at Palace of Fine Arts
• Sourdough bread bowl at Pier 39
• Ride a cable car
• Picnic at Chrissy Field
• Ghirardelli Square
• Lombard Street
• Ferry to Angel Island
• Alcatraz - get tickets early
• Visit Chinatown

***HOTEL TIPS: Shop around for the best deals on hotels. I used Hotwire for most of my hotel purchases but there is some risk involved as the purchases are non-refundable.  If you are a AAA member, you can usually receive discounts at most hotels when booking.

The hotels that we stayed in that I would recommend are the following: Marriott Courtyard Inn San Luis Obispo, Best Western Plus Carmel Bay View Inn, and the Warwick San Francisco.

If you are traveling with kids, the hotels can be pretty tiny in San Fran, so plan accordingly (that meant packing a few sleeping bags for the kids). See below for tips for traveling with kids.

BEST FOOD ON CALIFORNIA PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY 1 ROAD TRIP:

Adolfo's Mexican in Laguna Beach - small ma and pop authentic mexican food restaurant. Try the shredded beef enchiladas.

Sidecar Doughnuts in Newport Beach - gourmet doughnuts with unique ingredients. Go for the huckleberry.

Manhattan Beach Creamery and Lemonade in Manhattan Beach - get the chocolate dipped salted caramel ice cream sandwich. Thank me later. Get the fresh squeezed lemonades + comfort food at Lemonade.

Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles - a popular market with order at the counter restaurants + fresh produce selections

Los Agaves Mexican Restaurant in Santa Barbara - go for the molcajetes, relleno, and enchiladas

McConnell's Ice Cream in Santa Barbara - taste every single flavor because this handcrafted, world famous ice cream is worth every calorie. Go for the sundaes or chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches and then get a pint to go to eat on the beach.

Olsen's Bakery, Paula's Pancake House, and Mortensen's Bakery in Solvang - authentic Danish pastries in charming, idyllic town that makes you feel as if you are in Denmark.

Linn's Bakery in Cambria - go for the olallieberry pie and cream cake.

Sebastian's Store in San Simeon - known for their beef so focus on the burgers and onion rings.

Dametra Cafe or Yafa Mediterranean in Carmel-by-the-Sea - fresh food with live music that makes you never want to ever leave

Wharf Marketplace in Monterey - grab some sandwiches, fresh fruit, and cookies and have a picnic near the water

Local Farmer's Markets near Watsonville - freshly picked fruits + vegetable stands line the highway

Donnelly Fine Chocolates in Santa Cruz - chocolate dipped ice cream bars with vanilla bean salted caramel and almonds is off the charts.

Tartine Bakery & Cafe in San Francisco - order everything off the menu

 

Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco - a foodie's paradise. Eat ice cream at Humphry Slocombe, grilled cheese sandwich at Cowgirl Sidekick, world famous hot dog at Prather Meat Co.

Ike's Place in San Francisco - hundreds of unique sandwich concoctions

Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco - handcrafted ice cream using only the highest quality ingredients

Golden Gate Bakery in San Francisco - famous for the egg custard tarts and long lines

TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH KIDS:

(taking 4 children on hundreds of road trips somehow gives me cred)

• Bring a jacket. The weather can be warm and sunny or cold and cloudy so be prepared with a warm jacket in the car. Pack a separate bag with all of the jackets so if it gets cold, you don't have to rummage through each suitcase.
• Pack sleeping bags. Since it's a road trip, you will be in and out of hotels and sometimes that means only King bed accommodations. A few sleeping bags saved us many times!
• Make a vacation music playlist or CD. It can be done ahead of time and get your kids involved in choosing the music.
• Pack a Road Trip essential car kit. Fill a large ziploc bag with wet wipes, hand sanitizer, napkins, and bandaids.
• Pack a separate beach bag with their swimsuits handy.  It's so much easier than trying to find a swimsuit in a packed suitcase. Keep sunscreen, beach blanket and towels, and swimsuits in one bag.
• Create a healthy snack pack for each child. Eating on the road isn't too healthy so it's nice to have some fresh and healthy options. Grapes, baby carrots, clementines, trail mix, low sugar granola bars, and bottled water are perfect options.
• Be prepared to take A LOT of photos. Charge your camera battery and clear out the SD card if using a digital camera because there are beautiful photo opportunities everywhere.

I want to hear from you! Who has taken the California Pacific Coast Highway 1 Road Trip before? What tips would you give? If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will get back to you. I would love to help you plan your BEST itinerary for your perfect California Road Trip.

Happy Traveling!