From giant redwoods to flamboyant motors, everything about America is super-sized. But it’s only when you start your journey on one of America’s famous road trips, such as California’s Pacific Highway – or US Route 101 – that you really get to understand the true scale of things. Here’s how to plan the ultimate American road trip…
The Pacific Coast Highway (US Route 101) is an iconic American route that takes in the length of the west coast, running alongside the Pacific Ocean from Washington in the north to San Diego close to the Mexican border. It’s an awe-inspiring 1,650-mile, mostly two-lane road, that takes in everything from temperate rainforest to desert, interjected with historical, cultural and environmental sites along the way.
How many days do you need to do the California Pacific Coast Highway?
It would be too much to drive this iconic road trip all in one go, and certainly too much to write about in one blog! So, to tie in with the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours this month, we’ve put together a road trip that takes you through Central and Southern California on a 400-mile drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
You could drive the whole distance in 10 hours by car but what would be the fun in that (especially with America’s strict speed restrictions)? So, take your time, relax in your Mustang convertible or whatever other American classic car you’ve hired for the ride, and get ready to see the sights…
Drive California’s Pacific Coast Highway in 7 Days
Stage 1: San Francisco
As the starting point of the trip, this is where you will collect your car, whether that’s a classic American muscle car, a cadillac or even your own car flown in from the UK (take a look at our blog on Windrush’s Car Concierge services for more on this). Take some time before setting out on your American road trip to do the tourist things like driving over Golden Gate Bridge and exploring Golden Gate Park – 1,000 acres of grounds that include two world-class museums, a Japanese tea garden, a windmill and even a herd of buffalo!
For a taste of the Beat generation, soak up literary history at the iconic City Lights Bookstore, opened in 1953 as America’s first all paperback bookstore. Then take a pitstop at Vesuvio Café, located in Kerouac Alley, fittingly named after the founding father of the great American road trip, Jack Kerouac, author of acclaimed novel, ‘On the Road’.
Stage 2 > Santa Cruz: 86 miles, 2 hours
Passing straight through Santa Cruz county, California’s Pacific Highway takes you on one of the most famous scenic drives in California. Hugging the coastline in a series of dips and bends, slaloming past coastal towns, dodging pelicans and skirting sheer cliff faces, this drive can feel more like a race track than a public road at times. It’s pure American drama at its finest.
Hop out of the car at Devil’s Slide, a mile-long walking route that was formed when the original road collapsed. Today it gives visitors one of the best excuses to slow down and soak up that drama. It’s also a great excuse for a pit stop at Moss Beach Distillery, named as one of the Top 100 Best Scenic View Restaurants in America by OpenTable.
If surfing is your thing, then Santa Cruz won’t disappoint. Home to the USA’s first surf trip (when three vacationing Hawaiaan princes surfed here in 1885) and the world’s first wetsuit, made by Jack O’Neill in 1953, it’s a mecca for those wanting to ride waves rather than roads. It’s also a town that’s well geared up for road trippers. Don’t miss the famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk, an amusement park with its iconic wooden-frame rollercoaster on the beachfront. And finally, there’s the colourful Capitola Beach, shown above.
Stage 3 > Monterey: 42 miles, 51 minutes
For motoring fans, this stage of the journey is where you’ll want to take your time. Monterey’s scenic 17-Mile Drive is a visually stunning stretch of roadway (it’s a gated toll road that) that hugs the Pacific coastline from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach. This is where you’ll find the world famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance every August, a celebration of the world’s most notable classic cars. Take a look at our blog on the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance 2024 to find out how to plan your trip.
For a different style of motor racing, take a minor detour to the Laguna Seca race track, often regarded as one of America’s most thrilling circuits. Short but fast, it winds its way around the hillsides on the Monterey Peninsula and features leap-of-faith elevations as well as the infamous Corkscrew, a plunging downhill turn that is arguably one of the most recognised corners in motorsport.
Food options in Monterey are plentiful but popular tourist destinations include Clint Eastwood’s former establishment, the Hog’s Breath Inn and the original Bubba Gump Shrimp seafood restaurant inspired by the film ‘Forrest Gump’.
Stage 4 > Big Sur: 28.7miles, 45 minutes
Buckle up for even more dramatic driving along the Big Sur coast as the Pacific Highway gears up for its big reveal. Rugged mountains blanketed with dreamy redwood forests on one side, steep cliffs where the sea meets the sky on the other. Parts of the route here have been closed for emergency repair, so be sure to check on the highways travel alert map before setting out on this stretch of the journey.
Even with a diversion, it’s well worth the effort to reach this iconic destination. As a reward, check into the multi award-winning ecotourism outpost, Post Ranch Inn and the Sierra Mar restaurant, regularly featured as one of the world’s top hotels (quite literally!). Designed to be virtually invisible from land and sea, it’s the closest you’ll get to a bird’s eye view.
If rustic is more your thing, a popular stop is Nepenthe, where you can enjoy the Famous Ambrosia burger while perched 1000 feet above the Pacific. If you can peel yourself away from this mesmerising scenery, make time to stop off at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park where you can get a glimpse of a sparkling waterfall as it drops crisply down into a nearly circular turquoise-blue cove.
Stage 5 > Cambria: 74 miles, 1.5 hours
Be prepared to detour inland along this stretch of the Pacific Highway due to road closures which could double your journey time. This gives a good opportunity to explore the region’s acclaimed but little-known vineyards. After the drama of Big Sur, the town of San Luis Obispo, with its celebrated food and wine scene and mellow vibe, is a welcome change of pace. Ranked as one of the happiest places in America, it is a charming place to stay (check out the quirky Madonna Inn) and is just a short drive from famous winery Paso Robles.
Once back on the coast road, slow down to take in the fauna of the area. Stop at the Piedras Blancas Friends of the Elephant Seal rookery, and keep an eye out for whales and dolphins accompanying you on your journey. As for the flora, make a beeline to Linn’s Restaurant in Cambria for a taste of their world-famous fruity pies as well as wholesome meals created from the farm’s homegrown produce.
Stage 6 > Santa Barbara: 139 miles, 2 hours 23 minutes
Known as the American Riviera, this glamorous beachside town has a distinctly Mediterranean vibe. It’s also home to Hollywood royalty – stars including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Rob Lowe own homes in the glitzy district of Montecito.
Santa Barbara makes a good base from which to start your trip into Southern California. It has a huge variety of places to eat and drink, thanks in part to the Funk Zone. Once a manufacturing hub and industrial area where artists, surfboard shapers and pioneering urban winemakers originally set up shop, the area is now home to some of the city’s best restaurants, wine tasting rooms, breweries, boutiques, creative collectives, galleries and hotels.
You could enjoy a taste of Santa Barbara’s more glamorous history with a stay at San Ysidro Ranch. The historical guestlist includes Groucho Marx and Winston Churchill; it’s where Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier exchanged their wedding vows and John and Jackie Kennedy spent their honeymoon.
Stage 7 > Los Angeles: 94.8 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes
The final leg of your American road trip takes you south on the eight-lane freeway that continues to hug the contours of the coast. Take a detour en route to the movie-star playground of Malibu and its gated mansions or head in a different direction completely (metaphorically speaking) to the hippie commune of Topanga Canyon, and one of the last great wild spaces of LA.
Once in the City of Angels, it would be rude not to take in some of the quintessential LA drives. Mulholland Drive is a classic LA cruise, starting within sight of the Hollywood sign and winding its way along the crest of the Hollywood Hills, with great views on both sides, day and night.
Another classic LA cruise is Sunset Boulevard, skirting the scruffy fringes of downtown LA all the way out to the coast. This 27-mile route gives a glimpse of LA from all angles, taking in Echo Park, the lively Sunset Strip and the mansions of Bel Air. Spend the night at legendary celebrity haunt, Chateau Marmont, dubbed ‘the Castle on the Hill’, and revel in your week on the road!
Click here for the full California Pacific Coast Highway route!
Plan a classic road trip with Windrush Car Storage
At Windrush Car Storage, our aim is to help you enjoy your motor. If that means planning a dream road trip, then talk to our team. Whether that’s utilising our vehicle relocation service, helping to make arrangements or giving you some more road trip inspiration, we’ll make sure your car is ready to go when you are.
