A road trip on the famous Pacific Coast Highway (also called Highway 1) is on the bucket list of everyone who loves to travel. It has always been a dream of mine to rent a convertible and drive along the Californian coast. In 2018 my dream came true when my friend Tori said “yes” to that road trip. She picked me up and we went on a three-day-trip from Los Angeles to Monterey.
The Pacific Coast Highway is 1,875 miles (over 3,000 kilometers) long and therefore the longest but also the most beautiful state route on the American west coast. It reaches from California in the south, over Oregon to Washington in the north. If you start in San Diego the route takes you past cities such as Oceanside, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach as well as Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu which are part of the Los Angeles County. When you drive past LA you can stop at cities like Santa Barbara, Carmel or Monterey before arriving in San Francisco.
The Californian part of the PCH is the most popular one and there are a lot of beautiful cities to visit along the way. Tori and I have chosen to visit Santa Barbara, Solvang, Carmel and Monterey. We also drove along the famous 17-Mile-Drive, which is part of the PCH. You can read more about it in the following blog posts.
We went on the road trip in October so luckily there was not that much traffic. Therefore we took the opportunity to pose for some photos on the PCH 😉
Between San Simeon and Carmel is the most famous stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway – it’s BIG SUR.
This part of the highway is breathtakingly beautiful. The ocean is radiant turquoise blue and the sun’s rays sparkle on it. The stony cliffs show the beauty of mother nature.
It’s just one of those places where you wanna sit for a while and simply enjoy the moment. That’s exactly what we did!
Big Sur is probably the most famous poster child for a road trip in California. Can you see why? The photos are not edited so you can see the true beauty 🙂
One sight that is always mentioned in connection with Big Sur is the Bixby Bridge. The bridge was built in 1932, is 79 meters high and is one of the highest bridges of its kind in the world. Some of you might recognize the Bixby Bridge because you have probably seen it in commercials, films and TV series.
Another popular photo motif are the McWay Falls. This waterfall falls from a cliff onto a beach from a height of about 20 meters. It is located in the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park which is a part of the coastline of Big Sur. It is a must-see when you go on a road trip on the PCH. It’s so beautiful!
Before we headed to our next stop Tori and I decided to get lunch at Nepenthe. To reach the restaurant you have to climb a few stairs, but you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of Big Sur.
Make sure to follow Tori on Instagram 🙂
The view as well as the food was amazing. You can find more info about the restaurant here.
Seeing Big Sur with my own eyes was incredible! It is one of the most beautiful coastlines I have ever seen. The cliffs and the color of the ocean are stunning and I really hope that I will be able to go back there one day.
This blog post is just one of a few that I wanna post about our road trip so stay tuned for more adventures from Santa Barbara, Solvang etc.
For updates about my daily life and travels make sure to follow me on Instagram.
xx
Alissa
