West Coast folks - best parts of Pacific Coast Highway?

[Karma]

Doing a road trip in the next few months - flying into LAX and driving to Seattle. Google isn't helping me nail down the best/most scenic sections of Route 1, so thought I'd ask here. Going to take highways where it doesn't make sense to hug the coast.

Thanks!

[mauslick]

IMO San Luis Obisopo to Santa Cruz Calif. not been on that route n. of SF IT may be nicer but subject to fog.....well it's all subject to fog come to think of if......

[Lwize]

IMO San Luis Obisopo to Santa Cruz Calif. not been on that route n. of SF IT may be nicer but subject to fog.....well it's all subject to fog come to think of if......

The Oregon coast is supposed to be the most scenic.

I never saw it, however, when I drove the coastal highway in August 2008.

Fog.

[oldster1]

From San Francisco go across the Golden Gate Bridge and then head for the coast, Highway 1.

A beautiful drive all the way up the coast, past Mendocino, past Fort Brag and then on to Highway 101.
Quite a long drive, will take at least 6 hours to get to Eureka,Ca. You can continue up to Oregon and cut over to Grants Pass and take Highway 5 if you want. Do Not miss Redwood National Park.

Any questions, just ask.

[mauslick]

I drive that pictured stretch of coast in the photo above all the time........closer to oxnard, ' the big sand slide'.........my family is in santa barbara so when I arrive at LAX instead of the freeway adrenelin I use lincoln blvd (hwy 1) and go through santa monica on through malibu.......
I would say that part is probably not the most beautiful part of the coast hiway but better then jumping on the 405 with jet lag

[zideman]

Its all really except for some parts of OC and Lower LA. Just head north like you plan and Santa monica pier up to ventura and Santa barbara are super pretty. Malibu is nice but Traffic can suck but since you're there to take it in it could be fun. Then once you get out of SB all the coastline there, and upward are some great bridges cliffs and coves all the way up through pismo beach. Pismo and the 1 are right on the water. Some great restaurants and hotels for lodging. Big Sur area is frigging gorgeous and so is Monterrey Bay and that upper portion of the bay towards Santa Cruz. There's killer sand dunes and from each end of the bay, on a clear day, you can see the other end and the whole bay wrap north or south. Tons of greenery and huge trees up that way too. SF and the golden gate and the whole forest north of the GG bridge aka the Marin Headlands is gorgeous coastline as well. Best of luck and take time to take it in.

[slirt]

From LAX to the Bay Area is all good, SLO to Monterey (incl Big Sur) especially; Golden Gate to the Columbia River STUNNING, with far-northern CA & southern OR being least populated & most scenic (Eureka CA to Newport OR is the section i strongly recommend).

Hwys 1 and 101 cross & merge & diverge several times over this route. How much time you got? If you did it all, California would be at least 4 FULL days, and Oregon another 2; Washingtonton coast really not that scenic until it dead-ends you on the Olympic peninsula, so best to just head inland around the Sound to get to Seattle.

But really it's hard to go wrong, so have fun! It is so not the East Coast

[ttvick]

The part between LA and Oregon

[GreenandChrome]

The bad thing with 101 vs. the interstate (I5) is the distance between the two. There really won't be many, if any, opportunities to bounce back and forth once you're in Oregon.

That said, take 101 north to Oregon. Here's where you have options.

Are you planning to do this drive in one day? Or plan on stopping for the night?

If stopping, then try to make it to Depoe Bay/Newport. Then from Depoe Bay, head north on 101 to Tillamook (cheeeeeeeeeese) and stop for the plant "tour". Then go through Astoria (Goonies!), cross the Columbia River, and take a right and go until you hit I-5 around Longview, WA. Then head north to Seattle. It'll take about 7 hours. There's nothing to see on Washington's coast, unless you want to go to the very tip of the state. And if you're going up I-5, take the detour to the Mt. St. Helens Johnston Observatory. To think I climbed that mutha.

If you don't want to go all the way up to Tillamook, cross over to McMinnville and visit the airplane museum (the Spruce Goose is there). Then head to Portland, I-5, and north to Seattle. About 5/6 hours, w/o stopping.

Sightseeing points
Cannon Beach, OR- The famous Haystack Rock
Tillamook, OR- mentioned
Newport, OR- Aquarium
Heceta Head, OR
Sealion caves
Florence, OR - Sand dunes
McMinnville, OR - Air & space museum, pretty cool. In Seattle you could hit the Museum of Flight for comparison.

California folks can/have give you better ideas. I'd definitely hit the Golden Gate, Big Sur, and the Redwoods north of San Fran and in N. Cali.

[BetterByDesign]

Everything seems nicer when you are leaving LA.