Driving California Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles is a basic American highway journey. Just think about serpentining down the coast, convertible roof down, solar shining, and Beach Boys blaring; simply soaking within the views of the rocky coast, the cliffs coated in a inexperienced that solely sea spray can produce, and watching the ever-changing blues of the ocean. Sounds idyllic, however not fairly what our journey was like.
Don’t get me improper, it was a dream. The views had been beautiful and the drive was exhilarating — at the least for a few of us. For my acrophobic husband, it was just a little terrifying. Even if he spent a lot of the experience leaning to the left away from the sting of the highway, he’ll nonetheless admit that the drive is one thing particular — a as soon as in a lifetime expertise (principally as a result of he by no means desires to do it once more.) We obtained to see some wonderful surroundings and standard California landmarks.
Where to Stop on a California Highway 1 Road Trip
We began our drive in San Francisco, spending a while in Monterey and Carmel earlier than heading south to Big Sur and Cambia. However, you may also make this part a part of a full California coast highway journey.
By driving north to south, you’re driving on the surface lane of the highway with unobstructed views of the coast. As we wound our method by means of the foggy curves, I questioned how we might know the place to cease alongside the best way. I quickly realized that I had nothing to fret about.
Scenic viewpoints are fairly straightforward to search out, as there are pullouts each few miles. Just hold a watch out for vehicles pulled to the aspect of the highway and chances are high, there’s something there to see. Just a few stops you don’t wish to miss on a California Highway 1 highway journey from Monterey to Cambia are:
1. Garrapata State Park
Our first cease after Carmel was at Garrapata State Park, one of many few locations the place you may truly make your method right down to the seaside for those who select.
2. Bixby Bridge
Sooner than we anticipated, we reached the well-known Bixby Bridge. Based on my husband’s description of this bridge from his final go to to Big Sur, we anticipated a one-lane rickety bridge that was at the least a mile lengthy. After that build-up, we discovered the reality a tad much less intimidating.
The Bixby Bridge is definitely not too totally different from another bridges we went over. It is a single-span bridge, simply 700 toes lengthy, however the turnouts earlier than and after the bridge supply terrific views right down to the seaside 260 toes beneath.
3. Big Sur
By the time you actually get into Big Sur, you notice that you just simply can’t cease at each scenic overlook — as a lot as it’s possible you’ll wish to. You can also must get some fuel, have some lunch, or use the restroom. There usually are not plenty of locations alongside the highway, and one of the best of them is Nepenthe.
Don’t fear in case your GPS  doesn’t work as a result of you may’t miss it. Just pull into the parking zone once you see it as a result of turning round isn’t very straightforward. If you haven’t packed a picnic lunch to take pleasure in at a scenic cease, you may have lunch of their restaurant with wonderful views down the coast. They even have a present store with stunning handicrafts, jewellery, and different distinctive finds — it’s not your common t-shirt store. Nepenthe is price testing, particularly since they don’t thoughts for those who use their good clear restrooms.
4. McWay Falls
After seeing photos of the view of McWay Falls in Pfeiffer State Park, I knew this was one cease I didn’t wish to miss. After passing indicators for Pfeiffer State Park with no seen entrance to McWay Falls, I started to get nervous that we had missed it and that we wouldn’t have time to return and discover it.
Just after I was about to surrender hope, we noticed tons of vehicles parked alongside the highway. We pulled into the parking zone throughout the road and made our method over to the footpath that offers one of the best view of the falls.
5. Elephant Seal Rookery
My favourite cease on our drive was the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas. While it was chilly and windy, and we couldn’t spend plenty of time watching these beasts, I used to be flabbergasted by what number of seals name this stretch of seaside their house.
The seashores are fenced off to guard the seals, particularly throughout pupping season, and after we first drove up I assumed it was a rocky seaside till I spotted these weren’t boulders however seals littering the seaside. While we stopped and skim the signal that defined how male elephant seals may attain 5,000 kilos, I nonetheless wasn’t totally ready for the way large these guys actually are.
6. Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle in San Simeon, a mansion constructed by newspaperman William Randolph Hearst, was our solely scheduled cease on our drive down the California coast. Upon arrival, we obtained our tickets and boarded a bus for the five-mile drive up the mountain to the fortress. While we didn’t see any wildlife on the rolling inexperienced hills, apparently there are nonetheless some zebra operating wild from again when Hearst maintained a small zoo on the property. In the top, this wasn’t a terrific cease for households with children, however I’m nonetheless glad we obtained to see it.
7. Moonstone Beach in Cambria
Our final official cease on the California coast was the Pelican Inn and Suites on Moonstone Beach in Cambria. We arrived simply in time to see the sundown over the seaside. Good factor as a result of the subsequent day the fog was so thick we may barely see the water after we went out for a morning stroll alongside the boardwalk bordering the rocky shore.
From Cambria, we then headed inland to Paso Robles, earlier than looping our method again as much as San Francisco.
Tips for Driving the California Coast
- If you’re driving North to South, be sure you gas up in Monterey or Carmel as a result of there are solely a few fuel stations in Big Sur and Lucia, they usually cost fairly a markup!
- Cell cellphone protection is horrible. If you’re relying in your cellphone on your GPS, be sure you load it up and get it began earlier than protection will get spotty.
- Pack a lunch as a result of there are solely a handful (or fewer) of locations to choose one thing up.
- Plan on the drive taking you double the period of time you suppose as a result of you’ll be stopping continuously for scenic views and picture opps.
- If you may, plan on taking a hike in Pfeiffer State Park.
- Don’t purchase a scheduled ticket to Hearst Castle except you’re visiting throughout a really busy time. You don’t wish to stress about getting there on time and never benefit from the experience. When you arrive at Hearst Castle, there are various various kinds of excursions leaving each 15-Half-hour.
- Be ready: pack water, wipes, snacks, Dramamine and leisure for teenagers.
- If you may have somebody that’s afraid of heights, contemplate driving Los Angeles to San Francisco to be on the within of the freeway and additional away from the sting. But actually — it isn’t like driving the Amalfi Coast or something!
Want to see much more? Watch our video to see what it’s wish to drive the CA coast:
