Planning on solo road trip down the PCH in a couple weeks and gonna cover it in 2-3 days (no i am NOT spending the week driving down because the point of my 1 week vacation is to spend it in LA with my gf, im just taking a more scenic route to do it instead of zooming down the 5).

So basically im looking up stuff on the internet of stops i plan/might plan to make as i drive from Pacifica down to Venice.

- Big Sur
- San Luis - > Hearst Castle
- Pismo Beach
- Laguna beach
- Oxnard - Herzog Wine Cellars

Please suggest tourist stops or jsut good scenic spots for photos of the ocean, countryside or good photo spots for the subie.

Thanks.

Ed

 

Nice! I just wend camping in Big Sur (justy FTW) and it was pretty sweet. Awesome drive (even with 3 cylinders). Check out Solvang.. Rent a 4wheeler for an hour in Pismo.

 

You mean one of those ATVs? Sounds good, thanks.

Ed

 

Solvang is great lil town

monterey/carmel
santa barbara

i actually just took this same trip a few years ago...it was really nice and relaxing! youll enjoy it.

hearst castle is a lil far off the PCH tho....so expect some extra travel time.

 

Have fun waiting for all of the people going 37mph to let you pass.

Took me 2 hours to get from Santa Cruz to South San Francisco. Most people on Hwy. 1 think they're the only people on the road and don't bother to check they're mirros for the 10 cars backed up behind them. And they're aren't too many strait lines long enough to make sure you can pass them without becomming breakfast for the SUV coming the other way.

 

Hmm weird, last weekend we drove from SF to Big Sur and the only limitation to me going fast was my 1.2L 3cylinder screamer. 75mph is about 4500rpm which gets a bit old...

 

Thanks for the tips, im looking forward to me and the roads, and the scenery, hopefully not driving offa cliff.

Ed

 

I went from Pacifica to Santa Monica in two days back in May with a friend, stopping in Carmel overnight. We didn't stop to do any touristy stuff, but we did stop a lot by the side of the road to get some great road/shore shots. (and I was tempted to stop a lot more than we did!)

Good places I found to stop and take pictures: Pretty much any of the bridges, especially the taller ones. Morro Bay was a favorite, definitely get off the highway for a minute and check out that massive rock off the shore. Also there's a beach somewhere between Big Sur and Morro Bay where we found hundreds of elephant seals laying on the beach.

Here's a couple of galleries worth of photos I took from the trip:
http://wendigo.smugmug.com/gallery/1623996
http://wendigo.smugmug.com/gallery/1645007

 

If you end up in the monterey area and need anything hit us up

www.spoolinmontereybay.com

 

Hearst Castle is right off the highway in Cambria. It is awesome but a tour takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. If you can spare the time and like old stuff, you should go

 

Yes for 3 days i have nothing to do but waste time and sightsee, i dont plan on getting to LA by weds night if i leave by sunday night.

Ed

 

montana de oro near slo/morro bay has a nice pebble beach.

take los osos valley road off hwy1/santa rosa toward los osos. there are some twisties on the way to the beach.

 

Go up gibraltar road in Santa Barabra! www.carsonblume.com (but watch for bikes!)

 

The only Laguna Beach I know of is south of Venice (in Orange County). Is there another one?

-Mike-

 

Also, if it's been raining, be sure to check road conditions before you go. After rain sections (particularly between San Simeon and Big Sur) of the 1 are sometimes shut down due to mudslides.