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Take the Perfect Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

Escape on an exciting trip down the Pacific Coast Highway!

If you’re looking for a trip that everyone should do at least once in their lives, think about taking a trip down the Pacific Coast Highway! Steeped in tradition and folklore, generations of avid travelers have enjoyed winding down the coast on this idyllic drive. In fact, sometimes it is not even the destination that is important, but the drive itself.

I remember driving down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego.  Our trip was originally supposed to take only a few days.  The landscape was so breathtaking, we decided to make it a week. We stopped in Carmel where Clint Eastwood was mayor at the time. We visited cannery row and saw the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.  Spending the night in Pismo Beach was delightful and we spent hours basking in the sun on their powder, white sand beach.

Once we were in southern California, we enjoyed San Clemente and watched the surfers that this town is so famous for. And finally, as we arrived in San Diego, any problems that we might have had miraculously disappeared! We were refreshed, revitalized, and had renewed energy!

You might be asking yourself why this is so. Well, this drive gives you time to unwind, decompress, and think.  It also takes you out of your normal element to enjoy fresh, new scenery. Indeed, many have spoken about the mental healing effects that this drive has had on them, and how relationships are revitalized and spirits are healed.

So, what are you waiting for? Here are some great places to stop along the way! First off, we recommend taking at least a few days for this road trip.  After all, this is about savoring the moments, not rushing to get somewhere. The journey itself is important, not just the destination.  A week is ideal if you can.  If not, at least 3 or 4 days is optimum to fully get the experience of coasting down PCH.

Anytime of the year is ideal. However, fall is a terrific time to do this drive. The weather is not hot or humid. There is a crispness to the air. We did this trip in September and everyday was perfect. It didn’t rain, wasn’t too cold, and there wasn’t a lot of traffic that you can experience in the summer.

Some of the places that you should definitely visit if you are going from San Francisco to San Diego are The Queen Mary in Long Beach, The Santa Monica Pier, Point Dume State Beach, The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Pismo Beach, Hearst Castle (this is one day by itself), Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and the Monterrey Bay Aquarium!

Think of ideal Instagram spots too while making this journey! Imagine standing in a massive redwood forest, riding the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier, sitting next to the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle or surfing by Trestles in San Clemente! Your Instagram feed will simply love your trip up PCH!

And don’t worry if you can’t hit all of these spots. This road trip is about enjoying the experience. If you go to just a few or all, as long as you are having a great time enjoying the scenery and the company, that is all that really matters, right?

So, what are you waiting for? The road trip of a lifetime awaits YOU on the Pacific Coast Highway!

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