You’ve probably heard about a drive that takes you along the West Coast of the United States. Many people may obnoxiously tell you to make that drive. I am no exception. Just because California is in my heart and in my blood, does not mean I am overselling this drive. It truly is a unique and extremely beautiful drive. I am a person who could be by the ocean 24/7. I do believe that this drive can be appreciated even by those who don’t prefer to be by the ocean. The scenery changes from north to south in California. There are even parts that feel more like a forest too. I have a fear of mountain driving because I have acrophobia pretty bad. This drive is not a fast drive though and even though you’re driving on the side of the mountain for a portion of it, it does not trigger my acrophobia. I highly recommend rolling the windows down, cranking some “Freebird” or your ideal road trip music, and coasting, while enjoying your surroundings.

Our drive down Pacific Coast Highway - aka: PCH, happened to be a cold and foggy morning. It was in July a few years back Eventually the fog burned off and it became a sunny drive but it started gray and cold. I was nervous at first that it wouldn’t be safe with the low visibility over the bridges, and along the mountainside. It was safe though and keeping eyes primarily on the road is important in all weather.

Many people love to tell you to start south and drive north. If you can at all help it, I highly recommend starting north and driving south. I recommend this because you will have all views without being blocked by the other side of the road if you are driving south. Since we drive on the right side of the road in the US, you can always have cars between you and the ocean if you are driving north. If you are driving north, the driver will be the one closest to the ocean so that is a perk, but it doesn’t have the same wow-factor when you are always on the other side of traffic. So, personally I recommend north to south.

Summer is really the best time to make this drive. In winter months, heavy rain can create problems on the road. It can also get pretty foggy along this drive any time of year, especially in the mornings. Summer will certainly bring plenty of people with the same idea to the route though, as well as bicyclists. It will be very important to focus on the road first and foremost to avoid any collisions with the bicyclists, wildlife, and other gawkers.

It is hard to get the route for PCH to pull up on your map if you are trying to get a timeframe. You have to map to cities along the route and piecemeal it a bit to get a rough estimate on the time. It takes approximately 10-12 hours from San Jose to Long Beach with stops. Unless you’re doing this drive on the weekend, you will more than likely hit LA rush hour traffic at some point on your drive. There will certainly be plenty of pull out places to pull your vehicle aside and take pictures. Around the Big Sur area, please note that cell coverage gets a little spotty and some carriers lose coverage all together in that area. Stick with it through there because it will return if you keep driving through it.

I have made parts of this drive many times in my life but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I committed to making the trek from San Jose/Santa Cruz all the way down to San Diego. I definitely plan to start in Seattle and down through Oregon and where Pacific Coast Highway/Highway 1 is actually the 101, and try to make it all the way down to San Diego from there. I do recommend stopping for the night along the California journey, maybe even two nights depending on how far you’re going, and those nights should be in different cities. It is a drive that is best enjoyed rested and not pushing to meet a deadline to get somewhere.

Along the California journey you’ll have Pebble Beach Golf Course and hotels. I actually recommend stopping in at the Golf Course for breakfast if you can manage. The food is delicious and it is fun to enjoy the scenery in the earlier hours of the day before it gets very busy. There are also a lot of photo opportunities around the coast in this spot. As you continue down the coast you will have notable stopping places like Bixby Creek Bridge in Monterey County. Please note that there is a pull out to take plenty of good pictures of this bridge. If you are going south on PCH, you will see the pull out as you come up to it and you won’t want to miss it, so be prepared to pull off the road and into the little parking area. You will also drive by Piedras Blancas Elephant Seals Beach in San Simeon and is an easy pull out with parking. As you make your way down the coast even further, you will drive by Venice Beach, Malibu, Santa Monica, and all the places that are famous for various movie appearances, as well as celebrity homes. While I won’t discourage any of them, there are certainly plenty of cities as you head south with lots of activities. Long Beach has the Queen Mary docked and ready to tour, or stay a night or more in. Long Beach also has the Long Beach Aquarium, and so much more. As you continue on your drive, you will also pass by Huntington Beach. Most of my life Huntington Beach has been one of my favorite beaches from back when Ruby’s Diner was on the pier and before, to present. It is a busy beach but is a fun town. If you have your dogs with you, there is a dog beach not far from Huntington Beach that is also a lot of fun to hang out on. The dogs love the water and I have brought one of my dogs to this beach and she had an absolute blast. Be advised, it is not cheap to park at Huntington Beach. As you continue on your route south, you will also pass by Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and down to Oceanside and Carlsbad. Oceanside and Carlsbad are also big places from my childhood and I absolutely love this area along the coast. The beaches aren’t necessarily as big, and they aren’t quite as crowded since you aren’t as close to Los Angeles. As you drive through some of these beach towns, you’ll notice that the speed limits are pretty low. There is quite a bit of traffic through them but it’s still a beautiful drive as you continue on your way. As you get into San Diego, you will have to jump on the 5 to get into San Diego because PCH/1 is 101 again in the more southern parts of California. Most of the In N Outs along PCH are good ones- because the one you choose to eat at does make a difference. Not all of them have parking either, so try to look ahead if you’re planning a stop to In N Out.

Definitely put this on your bucket list if you haven’t already. Drive safely and enjoy it for what it is. Get comfortable too because it will be a long time in the car.

DO: Plan plenty of time for any distance you actually plan to travel along this route, map from city to city along the coast when using maps to make sure you stay on the right road, stop often and take it all in, enjoy the food along the way, clean up trash if you see any along the way, respect other drivers, follow the driving laws for California, plan to stop if you’re making the whole drive, roll your windows down once in a while to enjoy the ocean air, take pictures along the way, bring lots of water, make sure you stop for gas before and after Big Sur as there aren’t really any stops around that area, endure the traffic in the beach cities, watch out for bicyclists and pedestrian tourists, use coral reef safe sunscreen

DON’T: Litter, get road rage, speed, take corners too fast but not too slow either, hog photography areas, get in people’s photographs unwelcomed, trespass, feed the wildlife unless approved to do so, disrupt wildlife to get pictures

Packing List: Portable Chargers, coral safe sunscreen, drivers license, insurance, water, snacks, camera and equipment, jackets any time of year but note it can be really cold in fall, winter, and spring with the pacific coast air, emergency phone numbers

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