I know that driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco is one of the best routes in California and perhaps the most beautiful road in the state of California for all tourists.
Pacific Highway No.
1, which runs along the west coast of the United States, is called the Pacific Coast Highway and is rich in a variety of attractions.
Its approximately 500 miles of scenic towns and natural beauties are found along its entire length.
I had no doubt that I would pass this road during my trip to the USA.
Therefore, I advise everyone to definitely enjoy the Californian nature and drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco by car.
What exactly do you need to know about California’s highway?
Let me tell you about some peculiarities about traveling in California by car along highways.
What is The Best Coastal Drive in California?
For me, the Pacific Coast Highway is the best coastal drive in California.
Despite the fact that this is a regional road, it received the status of an “All-American” due to its great popularity among tourists.
Another name for this road is the Cabrillo Highway, named after the first European, Joo Cabrillo, who in the 16th century sailed on a ship along the coast of California and explored it.
The Pacific Coast Highway starts at Dane Point in Orange County and ends in the town of Legget in northern California.
But tourists usually choose the path from LA to SF, the length of which is 490 miles.
On the way, from the car window, you can see the most beautiful views of the ocean, high capes, and observation platforms.
By the way, the Pacific Coast Highway is not only a road through California but also has many picturesque bays along the coast, amazing nature, and beautiful cities.
Also, since the Pacific Ocean surrounds the entire American continent, the PCH actually starts at the southern tip of Baja California in Mexico and ends at the northern tip of the Olympic Peninsula (where Olympic National Park is located) at Cape Fluttery in Washington state.
So Road #1 in California is just part of the Pacific Coast Highway.
And that is why it is called by that name too.
And also, Highway 1 is one of the most popular in America among tourists traveling around the United States by car.
More glory went only to the world-famous Highway 66, connecting the two coasts of the United States.
So California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, the Cabrillo Highway, the Pacific Highway, and even just Highway 1 are all names for the same highway that tourists drive cars on from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back.
Well, we have successfully figured out the definition of what the Pacific Coast Highway is, and now let’s talk about traveling in California by car along Highway 1.
Is it Better to Drive Up or Down the California Coast?
Only down from San Francisco to Los Angeles!
The main dilemma was the choice of direction of movement—how to go after all: from San Francisco down towards Los Angeles or vice versa from Las Angeles to the north of the state?
Fortunately, the logic turned on in time, and the decision was made absolutely right: only from San Francisco to Los Angeles and nothing else!
For those who doubt like me, I explain: traffic in the USA, like ours, is right-handed, which means that when traveling up the highway, you will drive from the side of the rocks, and the entire view of the ocean will be blocked by oncoming cars.
And there is practically nowhere to stay here, so you can’t really enjoy the beauty.
If you move from the Northern Fleet, then you will just get to the right side of the road.
So, if you need to stop, you can even get up for a while on the highway itself; there are few cars, and you won’t interfere with traffic.
How Many Days Does it Take to Drive Along the Coast of California?
Without long stops from San Francisco to Los Angeles, you can rush in 6-7 hours, that is, leave in the morning and be there in the evening.
But such an express option will not really allow you to see anything.
Therefore, I strongly recommend taking your time and spending at least 2 days on the California Highway, with an overnight stay in one of the many cute little towns along the way.
Fortunately, the USA is an ideal country for traveling by car, and a hotel here can be found in any, even the smallest, settlement.
Where Do I Stop on the California Highway?
Throughout the scenic route, there are many stops that are recognized as the most interesting and mandatory.
To be honest, not all of them delight me, and that’s why I love Highway No.
1 the most, because there is much more beauty here, and mostly it is where there are no marks on the map.
Of course, when I was driving along the coast of the ocean for the first time, I did not know what I would like and what I would not.
Therefore, several mandatory stops were originally planned.
The rest was examined according to the scheme: I saw something I stopped.
So, quite by accident, a huge number of amazing places were discovered that do not have specific names and are not marked on the map of attractions.
Here is the list of what I liked:
Pigeon Point Light Station
1
So, in the direction from San Francisco to the south along the ocean, about an hour’s journey, Pigeon Point Light Station is located.
The lighthouse was built in 1871 and is still the tallest lighthouse on the US West Coast.
The area around is quite small; part of it, by the way, is occupied by a hostel.
Surely it is interesting to live here, to fall asleep to the soothing sound of the waves breaking on the high shore, and to wake up to the bright rays of the sun and the cries of restless seagulls.
You don’t need much time to visit the lighthouse.
Literally, 10 minutes to walk around and take a couple of photos will be enough.
And now, having driven a little from the lighthouse, an unexpected and unmarked place appears on the way, fantastic with its beautiful wildness and an incredible number of seagulls.
I don’t know if they are always found here, but somehow we were incredibly lucky to see several thousand birds at once.
Natural Bridge State Beach
1
This place is a small park.
Therefore, entry for cars is he10, or rather, not even the entrance itself, but parking.
You can also stand on the street for free if you can find a place, but then you have to go further to the desired point.
And the Monarch Trail is a must here—a walking path through a eucalyptus grove.
The essence and main attractive component of this place is that monarch butterflies live here.
Migrating for the winter from Canada to hot Mexico, they stop here for rest.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
1
There are many cozy and pretty towns along the entire length of Highway No.
1, and you should definitely take a walk through at least a couple of them.
One of my favorites is Carmel-by-the-Sea, and it’s also incredibly clean and peaceful.
All houses are very well-groomed and beautiful, as if from a greeting card.
As elsewhere in the US, there is almost no one on the streets; only a few older couples can meet.
Although, judging by the calm prevailing here, wealthy pensioners make up the main population of Carmel.
Point Lobos
1
The next stop is the Point Lobos National Wildlife Refuge, a breathtakingly beautiful place where sharp, dark rocks meet raging ocean waves.
In addition to the incredible and indescribably beautiful landscapes, on the way you can also meet representatives of the local fauna, such as sociable, well-fed squirrels and a family of fur seals.
Bixby Bridge
1
The Bixby Bridge is famous for the fact that at one time it greatly simplified the life of the population of the Big Sur region, which is simply cut off from the rest of the world in winter.
It is one of the tallest concrete bridges in the world and one of the most photographed in all of California.
I cannot say that the bridge makes an indelible impression.
Cayucos
1
The town of Cayucos is not much different from similar coastal settlements.
Endless beaches, quiet and cozy streets, cafes, shops, friendly people, and happy dogs The main local delicacy is the cookies produced here by the Brown Butter Cookie Company.
It is clear that the bakery also has a shop (with not very cheap prices), so the main advantage of this place is that you can taste all the cookies.
I personally like this approach very much.
Here are my favorite California Highway attractions for now.
Of course, there are many more places to stop here, but I haven’t visited all of them myself yet, so as soon as I do, I will immediately add them to the description.
Although this is more than enough to start understanding that Highway No.
1 is not just a boring highway connecting two large cities,it is a piece of nature’s masterpiece!
