The itinerary for the ultimate PCH Road trip from San Diego to Lake Tahoe:
In August 2020, to celebrate a very momentous milestone in my life (graduating Nurse Practitioner school), my boyfriend and I flew into San Diego, rented a mini van, and embarked on a 10 day road trip through California- specifically, up The Pacific Coast Highway, also known was “The PCH” or “Highway 1”. We completed The Ultimate PCH Road trip: San Diego to Lake Tahoe. This is undoubtedly a trip that every American needs to make at least once in their lifetime. The cities along the way: San Diego, Newport Beach, Malibu, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco, are some of the most lively and beautiful in the country. Any one of these cities is a destination unto its own and we could have easily spent an entire week in each.
Thus, we chose to enjoy only a small portion of each city and focus our time and energy on the drive, the California coast, and the agave blue waters. We never missed a sunset. Time and time again, the warm salty breeze lured us towards the ocean – an esoteric dirt path barely visible from the road, a rocky scramble culminating in a larger than life boulder overlooking the ocean, a boardwalk next to slumbering elephant seals, an oceanside lunch of sandwiches topped with local avocado – the unexpected stops we made along the PCH were the cherries on top of a very delightful trip.
Most people drive the PCH from North to South beginning in San Francisco and ending in San Diego or Los Angeles because this makes pulling off on the Western/Coastal side of the road easier at viewpoints. We chose to start in San Diego so that after San Francisco, we could cut across to Yosemite National Park for a few days and then finish our trip in Lake Tahoe before flying out of Reno. Ultimately, this worked perfectly with our plans and we were able to make all of the stops we wanted to.
#1 San Diego
Our first stop, San Diego, warmed us up to the divine coastal views the rest of the trip had in store. From the airport, we picked up the van and made sure all of the back seats would fold down with enough room for our Klymit Sleeping Pads to fit. We always rent from Alamo because they carry Dodge Caravans that have fully foldable back seats- this gives us the space for our gear and to spread out and sleep in the back if need be. After this, our first stop was Stone Brewing to unwind after the flight. So many delicious beers! Seating was outside on their huge patio.
After checking into our hotel, we grabbed local brews from Karl Strauss and headed to Sunset Cliffs just in time for the cliffs’ namesake activity. We arrived with plenty of time to grab a good spot overlooking the ocean.
Next, we grabbed dinner and drinks at Ballast Point Brewing. We sat outside and watched as airplanes soared over our heads to land at the nearby airport. The street was bustling with people and the evening weather was perfect. We then drove across the Coronado Bridge to visit the famous Hotel del Coronado which was gorgeously illuminated at night. We didn’t go inside but enjoyed walking the pathway between the hotel and the ocean. If you feel like a spending a little more money, I recommend getting a room at this historic hotel. We then headed back to our hotel – now seemingly extremely mundane in comparison – for some much needed sleep.
The following day in San Diego, we grabbed a hearty breakfast at Harry’s Coffee Shop, La Jolla’s oldest diner, before heading to La Jolla Beach to snorkel with tiger sharks (peak time for Tiger Sharks in La Jolla is August). There are several companies in La Jolla that offer snorkeling tours and/or Sea Cave Tours. We chose the 60 minute Tiger Shark snorkeling Tour with Everyday California which was about $50 per person with an additional cost for rental of the wetsuit (which is necessary).
If I were to go back, I would opt for the sea cave tour on kayak instead of the snorkeling. The water is VERY cold at La Jolla, even with the rented wet suit. Also, the water is quite murky and although I was able to see a bright orange Garibaldi, the state fish of California, I did not catch a glimpse of any tiger sharks or much else for that matter. Afterwards, we walked out onto the top of the La Jolla Sea Caves and watched the seals dive and flip through the water at the base of the cliffs. From here, we hit the road to our next destination: Newport Beach.
#2 Newport Beach
On the way to Newport Beach, we passed through Laguna Beach. This was quite an experience especially for me who religiously watched MTV’s Laguna Beach in high school. Beamers, Range Rovers, Maseratis, and Porches were the norm on the road. We stopped at the gorgeous Crystal Cove Beach to enjoy a moment of calm at one of the town’s most beautiful beaches. Upon arrival to Newport, we grabbed Mexican food and giant margaritas at Cabo Cantina before enjoying one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life at Balboa Pier. I’m lucky enough to have an amazing friend that lives in Newport Beach and we stayed at her home in Newport near the boardwalk.
The next day we walked the picturesque Oceanfront Boardwalk to Dory Deli where we had a delicious breakfast before soaking up the sun at Newport beach and then hitting the road once again towards Malibu.
#3 Malibu and Santa Barbara
The next portion of the drive took us past Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier outside of Los Angeles. If we had more time on our trip and felt like battling with LA traffic and crowds, we certainly would have spent some time in LA and at the pier, but we chose to forego it this time. We drove through the hillsides of Malibu and tried to visit Point Dume. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find anywhere to park to get to the trail head. Most of the area near the trail is residential and ” No Parking” signs abound. Instead, we stopped at the famous Malibu sign, snagged some fun self timer photos, and carried on to Santa Barbara.
In Santa Barbara, we grabbed dinner at Brass Bear Brewing and then walked out onto the pier for ice cream. We chose not to stay in Santa Barbara because we had plans to hike at Montana de Oro State Park the next day which is near Santa Maria. We had reservations to camp at Morro Bay State park, but these were cancelled at the last minute due to COVID restrictions, so we stayed at the Historic Santa Maria Inn. The Inn transported us back in time with its Victorian furniture, mahogany walls, and old timey charm. The hotel has a wine cellar, an Olde English bar, and a martini bar as well as a beautiful pool and hot tub- plus, it’s super affordable! In the morning, we drove one hour to Montana de Oro State Park after a quick stop at Pismo Beach.
#4 San Luis Obispo
We stopped at Pismo Beach was mainly to see if Oceano Dunes was open. Oceano Dunes is one of the few places in the US where you can rent an ATV and ride over sand dunes on the beach. Sadly, it was closed due to COVID restrictions. We walked along the beach and then hopped back in the van towards Montana de Oro State Park.
There are a plethora of hiking trails at Montana de Oro, but we sort of created our own. We started on the Sand Dunes Bluff Trail before wandering off the path a bit and scrambling down to a rocky seashore the likes of which I have never seen before. The surface of the Earth was carved in such peculiar, jagged layers. Here we stood and watched the waves that likely carved this terrain crash and break around us. After this, we drove past Morro Bay (where we were originally supposed to camp) and caught a glimpse of Morro Rock which stands 576 feet tall in the ocean. It is one of nine volcanic peaks that extends from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay known as the Nine Sisters. We then continued on towards Big Sur.
# 5 Big Sur
The drive from Morro Bay to Big Sur is the most beautiful part of Highway 1. If you only have time for one portion, THIS IS IT. Just make sure if you are car sick that you ride in the front seat because the road is very winding. You will likely not drive faster than 35mph the whole time. Also, make sure your tank is full before you get started. There is only one gas station in Big Sur and its quite expensive. We didn’t pass any gas stations for miles.
On our way to Big Sur, we stopped at Elephant Seal Vistapoint, which is exactly what it sounds like – an area from which to see blubbery, sleeping elephant seals on the beach below. The beach is blocked from foot traffic so you are only permitted to view the seals from afar. From here, we basically “winged it”. When we saw a trail or view point from the car, we pulled over and explored it. One of the first such stops I’m going to call “Big Rock View” because, actually, it has no name. It is not on the map. It’s about 7.6 miles north on Highway 1 from the “Ragged Point” view point. If you slow down and look for a trail along the side of the road and happen to find it, lucky you! The views are amazing- if you aren’t afraid of heights.
We made another similar stop at Cape San Martin. Again, we followed a sandy path and found ourselves on a cliff side overlooking crystal blue waters.
The next stops we made are the well known “top attractions” in Big Sur, aka “the touristy spots”. We stopped at McWay falls which was over-saturated with people. Beautiful, yes, but the base of the waterfall is no longer accessible. The trail is closed. Although the viewing area is a distance from the actual falls, I recommend stopping to see McWay Falls from the road for at least a moment. The falls are beautiful and known as one of the most enchanting places in the country.
Initially, when I saw Bixby Creek Bridge, I felt extremely underwhelmed. I had heard so much about the bridge, listened to songs inspired by it, and dreamed of its enchantment. When we arrived, there were hundreds of people on the bridge, a mass of cars parked around it, and selfies happening in every direction.
It wasn’t until we found a spot on the cliff side across from the bridge that I began to relax and appreciate the views. We setup folding chairs, grabbed paper cups and the bottle of Sangiovese we purchased in Santa Barbara, and watched sunset over the water next to Bixby Bridge. Much to my surprise, this was THE MOST AMAZING moment of the trip. If you plan to visit Bixby Bridge, go at sunset and sit across from the bridge. Bring wine. Bring snacks. Bring binoculars (I spotted a few whales far out in the distance). You will not be disappointed.
We hoped to stay at Monterey Tides Hotel, but it was at capacity, so we continued on the road and actually stayed in San Jose. If we go back to Big Sur, I plan to book a campsite at Julia Pfeiffer State Park. The campground, nestled in the heart of Big Sur, was completely sold out weeks in advance of our trip.
#6 Santa Cruz
From San Jose, we back tracked a bit to resume our journey on Highway 1. We stopped in Santa Cruz and walked around Ingalls Street where there is an outdoor seating area between several breweries and wine tasting rooms. We didn’t stay long because it happened to be nearly 100 degrees outside! In fact, we had plans to camp at Big Basin Redwoods State Park that night, but chose not to camp because of the intense heat. Instead, we bypassed the park and drove through to our next destination: San Francisco. On our way, we stopped to see Davenport Beach and then pulled over just up the road to buy fresh avocados and cherries and make lunch next to the ocean.
#7 San Francisco
I recommend The Coventry Motor Inn in San Francisco for a good budget hotel. The hotel is simple, offers free parking in a covered deck, and is within walking distance to restaurants and bars. Since we didn’t camp at Redwoods Park due to the heat, we had 2 nights in San Francisco which ended up being perfect. There is so much to do and see in this bustling city. We spent our first evening watching sunset from Hippie Tree which provides a beautiful view of the east side of the Golden Gate bridge.
We started the next day bright and early at Battery Spencer where we watched the sun rise over the west side of the Golden Gate Bridge. We then showered up, walked down historic Lombard street and grabbed breakfast at Darren’s Cafe (the best Vietnamese iced coffee I have ever had!)
Then we walked through Fisherman’s Wharf, watched the sea lions playing on the docks, and peered across the water at Alcatraz Island before renting electric scooters and riding all the way back to Golden Gate Park. We then hiked down to Marshall Beach and enjoyed yet another magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Our evening consisted of beers at San Francisco Brewery, sunset at Crissy Field, dinner at Wago sushi, and then ice cream at Over the Moon Creamery. We both felt really glad to have a full day in San Francisco but were ready to get on to the next portion of the trip… YOSEMITE.
#8 Yosemite National Park
Our next 3 days were spent camping and exploring at Yosemite National Park. We camped at Yosemite Pines RV Resort which is about 30 minutes outside of the entrance of the park but is equipped with restrooms and showers for use.
During our three days in Yosemite, we completed the gorgeous 15 mile hike to the top of Half Dome, walked to the breathtaking Taft Point overlook, meandered past a brown bear and up to Sentinel Dome – one of the best sunset spots in the park, spent time admiring El Capitan, picnicked in the valley, and made friends with a few ducks while cooling off in the river. Click here to read my post all about hiking Half Dome and what you need to know to be prepared for it : Hiking Half Dome – All the Way Alanna.
#9 Lake Tahoe
We left Yosemite via the Tioga Pass, a breathtaking drive on a winding road at 9,943 feet of elevation. (Of note- this road is only open June through Mid November due to icy conditions during other months.) We then drove through the Eastern Sierras (another gorgeous terrain) to Lake Tahoe where we showered off in the crystal clear water near Secret Cove Beach and spent the day.
Some stops to make on the way to Tahoe:
From Lake Tahoe, we grabbed a cheap hotel in Reno, Nevada where we passed out for the night before our next morning’s flight back home.
I could sum this post up with an analysis of all the tips and tricks for driving the PCH or all the things we learned from our journey- and there were MANY things that we learned – however, I think the lesson here is simple: Book. Your. Flight. When driving the PCH, plans are not necessary. Grab a car, pack a cooler, fill your gas tank, and go! You can’t go wrong and there is so much to see.
Enjoy!
-Alanna