Driving the PCH

[Cinderelley]

A couple of friends and I are thinking about doing a girls' trip from San Francisco to Disneyland. All of us are in our 40s. Any ideas about what to see while driving that stretch of the PCH?

[CleveSJM]

Love that stretch.

Close to SF, Moss Beach Distillery, near Half Moon Bay, is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. On a cliff, over the Pacific, with it's own ghost story... Yum!

The Santa Cruz boardwalk is a fun stop. A quick drive up Route 9 into Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is awesome if you've never seen Redwoods.

I could spend a week in Monterey. The aquarium is fantastic. The wharf area for shopping and dining. 17 mile drive down around the golf courses with famous Pebble Beach and the lone cypress. You always see sea otters around here.

The views of Big Sur.

Elephant seals on the beaches by San Simeon.

Sideways wine around Buellton and Solvang.

Heck, Point Mugu and Malibu are awesome stops.

Everything is great along that stretch. You can go wrong just relaxing and enjoying the drive.

[TheDuckRocks]

Wow, I'm jealous! Such beautiful country so much to see and do. It would all depend on how much time you have. Wonderful places to stay. Outstanding restaurants. Great, fun shopping.

[Cinderelley]

Thanks for the info! We haven't set a timeframe yet. We weren't sure how much there was to do. Sounds like maybe a week long vacation is in order. :D

[BrerGnat]

I don't know about a week. You can see many of those things in a 2 day stretch. There is also a lot of nothingness along that route.

[BowTie7]

Also in the Santa Cruz area is The Mystery Spot. This is a great example of an old fashioned roadside attraction. It has been years since I visited, but it both entertaining and also a trip back in time. A fun little side trip.

[Cinderelley]

well, we'll be spending time in San Fran and in Disneyland also during that week.

[manutd1]

PCH (1) is by far...no other road compares...the best stretch in America. Done a few times while stationed out there in the Air Force. We drove from Mill Valley (just beyond the Golden gate bridge) and then all the way to Hermosa Beach in L.A. area. Loved it!:thumbsup:
Nothing else comes close.

[TheDuckRocks]

I don't know about a week. You can see many of those things in a 2 day stretch. There is also a lot of nothingness along that route.

I guess we all have different likes. For me from Half Moon Bay to just north of Santa Barbara is a whole lot of the most beautiful nothingness I've ever seen. The beautiful flowered cliffs overlooking the ocean and bays. The artichoke fields with their purple thistles. The fields of flowers for seed. The missions. The sea otters and sea lions. Julia Phieffer Burns State Park. Cambria. The view at lunch at Ventana. The redwoods. Point Lobos. Carmel and Monterey.

[BrerGnat]

I guess we all have different likes. For me from Half Moon Bay to just north of Santa Barbara is a whole lot of the most beautiful nothingness I've ever seen. The beautiful flowered cliffs overlooking the ocean and bays. The artichoke fields with their purple thistles. The fields of flowers for seed. The missions. The sea otters and sea lions. Julia Phieffer Burns State Park. Cambria. The view at lunch at Ventana. The redwoods. Point Lobos. Carmel and Monterey.

True. I'm not much into nature in general. I enjoy the pretty views while driving but I don't need to stop and take it in or anything.

[Cinderelley]

Would you say that May is a good time to go? We are thinking about going the end of May.

[BrerGnat]

Probably will be good in May. Normally, late May into June you get the marine layer, "June gloom" down south but with the way the weather has been so hot for so long, perhaps there will be no gloom this year. It basically envelops the coast in gray, low clouds. The ocean doesn't look so nice on those days. But it usually also results in pleasant weather for sightseeing.

[tinkwest]

We've had to take some unplanned detours, if I remember correctly it was up near San Simeon, due to rock slides. Have your maps ready just in case.

[Cinderelley]

We've had to take some unplanned detours, if I remember correctly it was up near San Simeon, due to rock slides. Have your maps ready just in case.

Unplanned detours are just adventures waiting to happen. :D

[TheDuckRocks]

Would you say that May is a good time to go? We are thinking about going the end of May.

May should be wonderful. The wild flowers should be blooming.

[Cinderelley]

That sounds beautiful! Thank you :)