Tell me, what did your family vacations look like when you were growing up?
Mine consisted of beaches, hiking, and Yosemite. I grew up in a utopia also known as California, where the weather is fine nearly all of the time, the coast stretches for 16 hours by car from the border of Mexico to the border of Oregon, constantly changing along the way, and the mountains came along to play too, just to round things out as the most perfect place to grow up. I have a bit of hometown pride, can you tell?
California has inspired countless poets, musicians, and writers. One of my favorites is Jack Kerouac, particularly in Dharma Bums, who spoke of California in the most enchanting run-on sentences I’ve ever read as he vagabonded across the state. Quotes from his books perfectly illustrate the quintessential California road trip:
*Note, it’s more popular to go from north to south on this route because you’ll be in the lane directly next to the coast and have better views. If you’re able, reverse this trip. If you live in SoCal like I do, then this direction is great, too.
First, a check list
- Get the best-priced rental car (I really like Expedia’s cancellation policy)
- Do you have an extra charger?
- 4-person tent
- A couple of twin air mattresses
- And thick sleeping bags
- Plus, a head lamp
Ready? Let’s go:
Los Angeles
Dean’s California–wild, sweaty, important, the land of lonely and exiled and eccentric lovers come to forgather like birds, and the land where everybody somehow looked like broken-down, handsome, decadent movie actors. –On the Road
Here’s a travesty – I had never done a road trip up California’s Pacific Coast Highway (AKA Highway 1, but locals call it PCH). I’ve lived along bits of it for most of my adulthood and as a young child, but never actually drove it up to San Francisco. Mom and I decided to change that this summer when I came back for a visit. The starting point was L.A. (though you could start in sunny San Diego which is about two hours south), with plans to make it to Santa Barbara, where I went to college, by mid-afternoon.
El Capitan Campgrounds, Santa Barbara
Happy. Just in my swim shorts, barefooted, wild-haired, in the red fire dark, singing, swigging wine, spitting, jumping, running—that’s the way to live. All alone and free in the soft sands of the beach by the sigh of the sea out there – Dharma Bums
I got goosebumps when I read this quote about the Santa Barbara coast while sitting half a world away on Tonsai beach in Thailand. I felt exactly what Jack was talking about as he referenced the place where I went to university, came into my own, and realized what I wanted out of life. It was never clearer to me than when I was sitting on those quiet beaches outside of Santa Barbara, looking up at the stars, listening to the gentle roll of the waves, and thanking the universe for creating such a beautiful place.
Jack was speaking of Gaviota State Beach, which is just a few campsites over from El Capitan, a favorite of mine located just north of Santa Barbara on PCH. The campgrounds are located directly on cliffs overlooking the ocean, and every single time I’ve looked out at the horizon, I’ve seen dolphins within minutes. That is not hyperbole. Every single time!
Once you leave El Capitan for the next day’s drive, there are tons of places worth stopping by on the way up to Big Sur, and they only get more spectacular as you make your way north. The Morro Bay rock is one, and as you make your way up through San Simeon you’ll see more and more lovely views which almost always have space for pulling off the road for a quick photo:
You can’t really go wrong with which beach you choose to stop for lunch at – though Pismo Beach is a popular spot if you need suggestions. We elected to stop a bit before that in San Louis Obispo (at Old San Luis BBQ Company which will make you fat but it will be worth it).
Big Sur
On soft Spring nights I’ll stand in the yard under the stars – Something good will come out of all things yet – And it will be golden and eternal just like that – There’s no need to say another word. – Big Sur
Though Jack’s work, Big Sur, spoke of his battle with alcohol addiction and finally succumbing to its grasp, his words in this quote remind me of the way I often feel when staring off into the distance. Things finally start to align when I’m given the time and space to think close to nature’s heart, far from big cities, crowds, and skyscrapers.
There’s something about staring at the California coastal horizon and imagining the possibilities that exist out there that result in the kind of clarity I can’t find elsewhere. I imagine he might have felt the same.
Big Sur is one of California’s most famous parks, and usually books up well in advance, yet I got lucky by finding Ventana Campground (location noted in the map at the bottom of the post), which is a tranquil, tents-only campground in the middle of a patch of Redwood trees.
If you’ve never seen them before, prepare to be wowed.
The Redwood tree only exists in California, Oregon, and China’s Hubei province. The first spot you’ll see them driving up the coast from Southern California is in Big Sur, and my, what a sight they are.
The world’s tallest known living tree, named the Hyperion in Northern California, is of the Redwood variety and stands at 115.61 m (379.3 ft). It’s incredible to imagine how resilient these trees are, as the average age of Redwoods is 500-700 years, with some living as much as 2000-2500 years!
Their fire-retardant bark and the way it splinters into tiny pieces when it hits the ground have helped them survive fires and logging, though they still are victim to both. Thankfully, conservation efforts in California have protected some of the areas where they grow.
McWay Falls has a beautiful history. It’s right outside of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (park on the right side of the road if coming from the north in order to avoid paying park entrance fees if all you want to do is quickly see the falls).
The land where the park now sits was owned by an heiress Helen Chamblet Hooper, who married Lathrop Brown, a one term Congressman. McWay Falls is named after McWay Canyon, which was named for the first homesteader Christopher McWay who settled there in 1887.
Upon leaving Big Sur to head north keep your eyes open for the famous Bixby Bridge, which will be easy to spot as it’s a favorite amongst tourists for a quick photo.
Keep an eye on maps, as just south of Carmel-By-The-Sea, you’ll see a bunch of old trees lining the road and a few more cars pulled over. Stop to see if you can spot some whales from the shore. Much like the density of dolphins around El Capitan, spending some time scanning the water for clouds of mist from a blowhole may pay off. Mom and I saw two without binoculars.
If you’ve got time, the 17 Mile Drive between Carmel and Monterrey is a famous and beautiful one (but will set you back $15).
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Kristin says
Loved all those spots as a kid! Mainly loved Solvang for the bakeries.
Ryan says
Ah the PCH! Loved driving up it to Santa Monica when I did a few years back, and I’ve taken the train down the coast a few times, but damn I need an RV! Plus, I’ve never stopped north of Santa Monica so I need to do that. Big Sur, WOW. Looks amazing, and I want to finally see the Redwoods.
Kristin says
AND SANTA BARBARA! There’s so much worth seeing north of SM man!
Cherie Westover says
We drove the PCH from San Francisco to LA for my 65th birthday in November. .it’s been in my bucket list for years! I have to say it was the best trip I’ve ever taken! The beauty is almost too much to describe! I’d go back in a heartbeat!
Kristin says
What a nice way to celebrate a birthday!
Ashley says
Ok, I HAVE to do this road trip! As a native Californian and a Santa Barbara grad as well, I’ve driven sections but not the whole thing. Plus now I am inspired to reread all my favorite Kerouac novels as well. This will be a must when Alex and I return to California!
Kristin says
You have to read Dharma Bums while you do it if you haven’t already! He writes so much about California in that one.
Ron says
Great photos from California. Kudos on that hometown pride! We are from SoCal and we love going to Santa Barbara. I love those coastal cities/towns like San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara and the list goes on. In two weeks, we are going to drive from Orange County to San Jose and San Francisco via PCH. Your photos make us so excited to take the trip. I wish we could go up to further towns, past San Francisco.
Great post!
Kristin says
So glad you’re feeling inspired! LOVE Santa Barbara so much. Enjoy it.
Sarah says
Great blog – I can’t wait to do this. I’ll be road-tripping in August! 🙂 Thanks for all the tips. Sarah, from: http://thetwoscoops.com/
Anonymous says
Hi Kristin,
My wife and I found your itinerary for the PCH very helpful for planning our trip from LA-> SF. First, we wanted to thank you. Your pictures of McWay Falls and Bixby Bridge convinced us that we had to do the trip! If your readers have time to spare while they are doing this trip and are looking for a slight variation, another possibility would be to spend a day or two in Santa Barbara before heading to all the adventures in Big Sur. We spent two days in Santa Barbara (SB) in March and did the Urban Wine Trail in SB which allows you to walk from different brick-and-mortar stores that own vineyards in the neighboring Santa Ynez wine region. You can sample wine without having to drive which is always a plus 😉 We also loved the food in SB, especially the Mexican food like at Mony’s Taqueria. If your readers are doing the PCH during a warmer period they could also use SB as a homebase to explore the Channel Islands to see some great marine life (something we hope to do in the future but didn’t get to because of cold weather).
We one day hope to travel as much as you Kristin. That is the dream! Your blog is so great.
Wishing you and your readers a Happy New Year!
-A
Kristin says
Glad you liked it! I went to university at UCSB so I definitely agree that spending some time in Santa Barbara is a great call. I should just do a guide specifically on that sometime soon – my heart is still there!
Missy says
I love this post! I’m currently planning a road trip along the coast. One question for you, did you find it difficult to drive the RV along highway 1? I’m contemplating either renting an RV, or a convertible 🙂 Thanks for the great post!
Kristin says
It’s not easy to drive anywhere until you get the hang of it. Then once you do, it’s just about taking it slow and making sure you take the turns very easy.
jim Bose says
wow so cool I live in Vermont and I am getting a little older and really want to come to California to LA so I can travel the PCH. Your photos and places you have been to are breath taking, Thanks for sharing. Now I am planning my first ever west coast trip.
Kristin says
Awesome! Have a great time Jim.
Sam says
Thank you for this lovely detailed post! We just moved to Sacramento last October and we take a big vacation every year and this year we’re going to be driving down the coast and back. I didn’t really think about camping but it’ll probably be much cheaper and easier with dogs. i’ll be bookmarking for future reference!
Kristin says
Much cheaper, but make sure you book ahead!
Clare says
Hey Kristen i am planning a family trip for 4 on a budget. , & was hoping to get your advice.
We flight into LA on the 8th June and out again on the 16th, we would like to do this road trip to -SF.
but we need motel /hotel rooms since we have to travel light, Do you have any recommendations?
Kristin says
I think Airbnb might be a good option for you price-wise if you don’t plan to camp.
Sheree Newman says
Hi~
We are planning a trip this summer SF-LA but hear the PCH is in bad shape in Big Sur. Is this true? wondering if we should postpone until next summer?
Ryan says
So, I know I’ve seen this post before, and commented, but I recently got a taste of some of the places you went. Just did a road trip to some National Parks, but went down the coast from San Fran to Santa Cruz…and before that did a ton of the National Parks in Cali, Nevada, and Arizona. Mainly, I read Dharma Bums last year, and On the Road again on this trip. The quotes you listed are the ones I loved too, and how I felt exploring it. Will be tagging this in my article if you don’t mind =)
Phil says
Hi Kristin, 8/13/’17
My wife and I are from San Jose and have traveled many portions of the PCH over our years together. We started with an old pickup staying in Big Sur for $8 a nite but have graduated to being RV’ers and have a mid size Itasca Winnebago tricked out for comfort. My wife just said let’s do a coastal trip soon. So I jumped on the net and saw your info. So after reading your notes I am inspired to drive HWY 5 to San Diego and start our coastal tour from that point. I do know that HWY 1 is closed for repairs just south of Big Sur so that’s needs to be addressed in our itinerary. Thanks for all your great points of interest we plan to include on our trip.
Kristin says
This is true. We miss you Big Sur!
Saul says
Awesome itinerary, you hit many of the most beautiful places along the coast! Next time you should head a bit inland and check out what Costa Mesa has to offer!
Kristin says
You mean Costa Misery? Lol I used to live pretty close it’s not my favorite place
Garren Pryor says
3/14/2018 Hi! My husband and I are planning our first road trip for my birthday this year. I found this very helpful. I missed how many days this trip was. I will read again. Do you mind sharing? Thank you!
Kristin says
I’d give it at least a week and a half but that would be quite rushed.
Kris says
Hey thanks for documenting your California road trip. We are planning to do a road trip like this from SF to Santa Barbara. My wife and I are bringing our 2 year old and her parents and so far have Santa Cruz, Monterey, the Bixby Bridge, Solvang, and Santa Barbara on the list of places to visit. And after reading this, I think some of your suggestions will fill out the rest of our trip. McWay Falls, Morro Bay and random beach stops along highway 1 should be great sites for us to check out.
Thanks for this Kristin!
Kristin says
Have fun!
Judy says
Thank you for the road trip info. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I want to drive the coast, camp along the way, and also ride my bike for day trips. Any other recommendations you can provide would be helpful.
Enjoy! Judy
Josh says
Hello! I wanted to thank you for providing such an amazing itinerary for traveling and camping along the PCH! Couple questions. I’m from Seattle, so we’d be doing the trip north to south, so would it just be as easy as basically flipping your itinerary to where you ended as our starting point?
Also, because of COVID we’d really like to avoid staying in hotels and the idea of camping in a tent or tear drop camper, is something we’re seriously considering. My concern though is, we’d head out in about 1.5 weeks, do we have to reserve ahead a time for camping sites even if they are tent only?
Again, thank you immensely for this itinerary and explanation of what to do along the way!
Kristin says
Hi Josh,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes you can just reverse the route 🙂
I would be a bit concerned about finding camping at this point. It’s not impossible, but it’s what a lot people are turning to this summer and many of the campsites are only operating at half capacity, or are closed for the season. Look into it now! You can also probably find a few first-come, first-served campsites – this is common on some state parks. Just make sure you get there as close to check out (usually 11 or noon) as possible.
All that said a lot of kiddos are back in school starting this week so that should help a lot!