PCH Road Trip - Seattle to LA
We moved to LA about two months ago at this point. We first did a 2 day road trip with all of our things in a U-haul.. that was the non-scenic route. Our second road trip was a 4 day road trip along the coast where we enjoyed what the west coast has to offer. This trip was done during Covid-19 so a lot of the places we wanted to visit where either closed or it didn’t feel safe to visit just yet. No worries though.. there was still so much to see. I’ve starred (*) the places that we stopped at. Looking back, I highly recommend staying two nights in the Sonoma area - one night to be by the coast and the other night to spend in wine country.
Update: We did a second road trip and checked out some places we didn’t get to see the first time including Santa Cruz and Julia Pfeiffer State Park. While I haven’t explored the areas other stopping points include San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, and Los Olivos.
Day 1: Oregon Coast
Stop 1: Cannon Beach (mesmerizing! definitely worth a stop)
Stop 3: Cape Kiwanda
Stop 4: Thor’s Well
Stop 5: Devils Churn
FOOD:
Lunch: Crepes in Cannon Beach
Dinner: Local Ocean in Newport
Day 2: Northern California - Redwoods/ Sonoma Coast
Stop 1: Avenue of the Giants Redwoods
Stop 2: Drive Thru tree park - Leggett, CA
Stop 3: Fort Bragg - Glass Beach
Stop 5: Stay at Timber Cove Resort (pricey, but worth it for the amazing views!)
Day 3: Northern California - Sonoma Coast / SF/ Carmel by the Sea
Stop 1: Goat rock beach
Stop 2: Sonoma Coast Park
Stop 3: Duncan’s Landing
Stop 4: Point Reyes National Park - Cypress Tree Tunnel
Stop 5: Point Reyes: Cowgirl Creamery + Palace Market Buffalo Ice Cream
Muir beach overlook (probably my favorite stop)
Stop 6: Stinson Beach
Stop 7: Drive through 17 mile drive
Stop 8:Stay at Carmel by the Sea - Tickle Pink Inn (lovely little charming hotel with breathtaking views)
FOOD:
Breakfast: Timber Cove Resort (sonoma coast) or companion bake shop (santa cruz or aptos)
Lunch: Cowgirl Creamery sandwiches+ palace market ice cream (sonoma)
Dinner: Cultura Comida y Bebida or cantinetta Luca (carmel by the sea)
Day 4: Northern California - Big Sur to LA
Point Lobos Natural Reserve
Bixby Bridge (always worth to stop for a photo!)
Pfeiffer State Park ( check out the water overlook - quick walk down to check out the incredible view).
Morro Bay
Malibu Fig Ranch (if you don’t mind the traffic on the way back.. highly recommend stopping by and getting some delicious food).
FOOD:
Breakfast: Big Sur Bakery (so incredibly delicious. must stop!)
Lunch: Stop by Santa Barbara for some quick tacos or quick thai or Paso Robles for some yummy bites - before heading down to LA traffic.
Wine: Folded Hills Winery