Saturday, January 23, 2016

Road Trip: Pacific Coastal Highway 13 Interesting Stops

courtesy of www.inkdryercreative.com
You probably know about the struggles I faced when choosing a route to take: Route 66 or the Highway 1? So now, I finally had it settled: I am taking the Pacific Coastal Highway (a.k.a Highway 1) Road Trip. If you are planning the same route too, this is a rough guide for you:




Start: San Francisco

Before I reach San Francisco, I only have one thing and only one thing in mind: Why is every movie destroying San Francisco???
See: Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman Wharf, Lombard Street, Twin Peaks, Palace of Fine Arts, Painted Ladies, de Young Memorial Museum, The California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Japantown.


Interesting stops along the way:

1. Half Moon Bay
courtesy of www.destination360.com
Highlight: The Ritz-Carlton

2. Santa Cruz
Highlight: Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Mystery Spot

3. Monterey
Highlight: 17 miles drive, Carmel-by-the-sea.

4. Bixby Bridge
courtesy of go4pro.net

5. Big Sur
Highlight:  Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Whale-watching, Sunrise/ Sunset.
courtesy of deviantart.com 
Tips: Spend a night here and visit the McWay Falls first thing in the morning!

6. San Simeon
Highlight: Hearst Castle, Moonstone Beach, Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery.
courtesy of innatmorrobay.com

7. San Luis Obispo
Highlight: Bubblegum Alley, Bishop Peak, Madonna Inn, Pismo Beach.
Tips: Spend a night here and explore Pismo Beach ( the clam's capital).

8. Morro Bay
courtesy of andersoninnmorrobay.com
Tips: rent a yacht to enjoy sunset.

9. Solvang
Highlight: Windmill and Danish Pastries

9. Santa Barbara 
Highlight: Mission, Stearns Wharf
courtesy of missiontour.org
Tips: Spend a night here and go for paddleboarding the next day.

10. Carpinteria 
Highlight: Harbor Seal Preserve and Rookery

11. Malibu
Highlight: Malibu Lagoon State Beach
Tips: to catch a glimpse of a Hollywood star, visit Malibu Country Mart. 

End: Santa Monica

courtesy of livelaughtravel.com
Come here to take a staple photo of the End of route 66 sign. And before you call it a day, grab a Terimayo Japadog at Santa Monica Pier!


More Tips: 
1.You can also start further north and end at San Diego, or start from San Diego driving towards north. your call!
2. If you do not want to drive, taking an Amtrak train is probably your best choice. (and budget friendlier)
3. When you are on the road, it is very hard to estimate when will you reach a certain destination. So download Hotel Tonight, just in case you need a room last minute! Use the promo code MHAPPYFEET and get $25 free credit! Click here to download the app

So that's the plan! Let's see how it turns out!


Thank You for Reading! 
This post is based on my opinion or personal experience. 
Feel free to share your thoughts with me by commenting below!

3 comments:

Isabelle said...

Hello, why did you choose highway 1 over 66? I am interested in the stops in highway 1 but look like the highway 1 you share look very nice too. This is dilema for me... If you are doing a post about highway 66... I will happy to read

Isabelle said...

Highway 66*

Lone Facet said...

I am an event photographer, I love these event venues, and I will revisit this venue in a heartbeat. They have really great staff and pretty decent drinks. Their halls and rooms are absolutely gorgeous.