Road Trip Along the Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast Highway is hard to beat when it comes to America’s best road trips. Driving Highway 1 means spending hours cruising along stunning bluffs overlooking the Pacific, as well as stopping at designated vista points for stunning ocean views. Along the way, there are plenty of restaurants (Korean barbecue! ), beaches (Santa Barbara! ), and attractions (the Henry Miller Memorial Library!).

There may be something for everyone. Animal lovers can visit the Elephant Seal Rookery at San Piedras Beach in San Simeon, where over 15,000 elephant seals migrate each year. You can watch them all flop around in the sand from the viewing platform. That is probably the best roadside attraction available.

For those who enjoy the nightlife, the route’s sleek bars serve inventive cocktails made with ingredients such as clarified lime and pandan. In case you’re sick of the speakeasy concept, one of L.A.’s hippest spots has a ’80s theme and private karaoke rooms.

#1 Visit the elephant seals in San Simeon

You can’t miss the Elephant Seal Rookery at San Piedras Beach in San Simeon if you continue south on Route 1. Every year, over 15,000 elephant seals migrate here. You can watch them all flop around in the sand from the viewing platform.

#2 Stop for photos at Big Sur’s Bixby Bridge

It will take you about three hours to get from San Francisco to Big Sur, and by then you will be ready to stretch your legs. As soon as you reach the Pacific Coast Highway section connecting Carmel-by-the-Sea to Big Sur, you’ll notice vista points where you can pull over and take photos. Make certain you don’t miss the one approaching Bixby Bridge. Sure, there will be other tourists getting out of their cars to take selfies, but with such a beautiful view, who can blame them? Join in and snap away — you’ll want to remember this landscape for the rest of your life.

#3 Santa Barbara

After a long day of driving, you’ll be ready for a good meal and some rest and relaxation. The Leta Hotel, located just outside of Santa Barbara, provides both, as well as cocktails and SoCal vibes. The pool is the focal point of the laid-back hotel, where bands perform live music in the evenings and guests gather around fire pits with margaritas and beers. For an eclectic feast, reserve a table at the restaurant and order fish tacos, bao buns, and cauliflower ceviche. After dinner, enjoy a nitecap at the bar or retire to your room, which features a plush bed, coastal furnishings, and a turntable.

Rooms and prices

#4 Eat at the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco

If you’re leaving San Francisco, it’s a good idea to start your day with a hearty breakfast. Welcome to the Ferry Building Marketplace on the Embarcadero, an 1898 transit hub with a handsome white clock tower that has become something of an icon. There are artisanal bakeries, cheese shops, cafes, and a mushroom shop inside. Grab a cup of coffee from the Oakland-born Blue Bottle and a pastry from the Acme Bread Company. Order an egg and cheese sandwich from Cowgirl Creamery Artisan Cheese Shop for something heartier.

Rooms and prices in San Francisco

#5 Serve Korean barbecue at Park’s BBQ

While you could easily stay within the LINE’s confines and dine at Openaire, you’d be remiss not to explore the rest of the neighborhood. Park’s BBQ, a no-frills restaurant in a strip mall, attracts both locals and celebrities for authentic Korean barbecue. Prepare to savor grilled shrimp or Waygu beef as well as a smorgasbord of sides like veggies and savory kimchi pancakes.

#6 The Getty Center

Stop by the Getty Center for a culture fix before heading into the heart of Los Angeles. J. Paul Getty, an oil tycoon and art collector, built the Getty Villa in Malibu to house his collection of European art, and his foundation continues to support the museum as well as the newer Getty Center designed by Richard Meier. Take the tram to the top of the hill and spend a few hours exploring the grounds — they have great views from their high vantage point — and the galleries within.

#7 Spend a night in Big Sur

The Post Ranch Inn is an excellent choice for an overnight stay in Big Sur. There’s also the Alila Resort Ventana Big Sur, which reopened in 2017 after a multimillion-dollar renovation, with new villas and glamping tents spread across 160 acres of redwood forest, a restaurant overlooking the ocean, and a pampering spa. You might not want to leave as you sip your morning coffee with views of the Pacific.

Rooms and prices in Big Sur

#8 Stunning vistas at lunch in Big Sur

It will be time to eat once you have snapped all the images you want. If you feel like treating yourself, Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn offers a $75 prix fixe lunch menu and the option to eat at a restaurant with one of the best vistas in the entire world. Stop at Nepenthe, which serves sandwiches and salads in a rustic lodge dating back to the 1940s, for more relaxed dining where you can relax and enjoy equally stunning views of the Pacific.

#9 Renaud’s Patisserie in Santa Barbara serves breakfast

In the morning, stop by Renaud’s Patisserie, close to the Leta, for delicious pastries or organic eggs prepared any way you like.

#10 In Big Sur, go to the Henry Miller Memorial Library

Big Sur has a long and illustrious literary history, and it’s easy to see why when you see the natural beauty of the cliffs overlooking the Pacific. The Beats found endless inspiration in the landscape and bohemian way of life, and Walt Whitman wrote about it. From 1944 to 1962, Henry Miller lived in Big Sur, and his experiences inspired his book “Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymous Bosch.” The Henry Miller Memorial Library is located on the grounds of Miller’s friend Emil White’s home, which was dedicated to Miller when he died.

#11 Solvang

The charmingly odd town of Solvang, nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley, was founded in the early twentieth century by Danish pioneers. Take a short detour off Route 1 to explore this village filled with Danish architecture, antique shops, restaurants, and other attractions. A bust of Hans Christian Andersen stands in the town square, as does a replica of Copenhagen’s famous Little Mermaid statue. For a quick snack, stop by Mortensen’s Danish bakery for strudel, butter cookies, and other treats.

Rooms and prices in Solvang

#12 Discover The Line Hotel in Los Angeles

The ultra-hip The Line LA, which opened in 2014, is not only a great base for exploring L.A.’s hip Koreatown neighborhood, but also a destination in and of itself. The renovated midcentury structure has a raw but polished aesthetic (think exposed concrete custom furnishings and original art), two Michelin-starred restaurants and a café by Josiah Citrin, an outdoor pool, and a ’80s-themed speakeasy by the Houston brothers (complete with private karaoke chambers). Make a point of requesting a room with a view of the Hollywood Hills—the beds face the windows, so you can wake up to a spectacular view.

Rooms and prices

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