{"id":50420,"date":"2016-11-18T14:47:31","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T20:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=50420"},"modified":"2017-09-28T22:48:40","modified_gmt":"2017-09-29T03:48:40","slug":"pacific-coast-highway-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/pacific-coast-highway-1\/","title":{"rendered":"From Santa Monica to San Francisco: Navigating the Pacific Coast Highway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to change your life right this very second? Do yourself a favor and rent a car\u2014preferably a Mustang convertible\u2014and take the ultimate California road trip from Los Angeles<\/a> to San Francisco<\/a> via Pacific Coast Highway (a.k.a. Highway 1). Along the way you’ll encounter enchanting\u00a0small towns, jaw-dropping\u00a0vistas, hair-raising switchback turns, sublime sunsets and a nighttime sky littered with a thousand stars.\u00a0Ready to have your mind blown? Scroll through the pics below.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The road trip less traveled on California’s HWY 395<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t

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Begin your journey at the\u00a0Santa Monica Pier<\/strong>\u00a0where a ride atop the world's first\u00a0solar-powered Ferris wheel<\/strong>\u00a0reveals the stunning beauty of this seaside city. The expansive views of the Pacific Ocean will immediately snap you into vacation mode. |\u00a0Photo courtesy of Jason Heidemann<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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Next, follow Courtney Love's advice and \"sail away\" to\u00a0Malibu<\/a>\u00a0where the Coastal Highway speeds past million dollar homes, Cal cool Pepperdine University and crazy beautiful expanses of sand, including\u00a0El Matador State Beach<\/strong>. The sunsets will probably make you cry. | Photo courtesy of\u00a0Zachary Whittenburg<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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Make an inland detour to\u00a0Ojai<\/a>, a sun-drenched village\u00a0where Angelenos go to disappear for the weekend. Visit the\u00a0Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts<\/strong>, nosh at\u00a0Agave Maria's Restaurant & Cantina<\/strong>\u00a0and stay at the\u00a0Ojai Rancho Inn<\/a>\u2014a hipster hangout with Western chic rooms, a large outdoor pool and an onsite bar where all the cool kids hang after dark. You'd be crazy not to start your next morning with a jog along the\u00a0Ojai Trail<\/strong>\u00a0and breakfast at\u00a0Bonnie Lu's<\/strong>. |\u00a0Photo courtesy of\u00a0Zachary Whittenburg<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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From Ojai, follow Hwy 150 as it twists, turns and bends its way through the wilderness and back to the coast. Perfectly coiffed and manicured\u00a0Santa Barbara<\/a>\u00a0is the last \"city\" you'll see for a while, so make the most of it with a stay at the\u00a0Wayfarer<\/a>, a jet set hostelry in the painfully trendy Funk Zone. Sink your teeth into a chewy pizza at\u00a0Lucky Penny<\/strong>, share mind-blowing Indonesian small plates at\u00a0Sama Sama<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0save room for a scoop at\u00a0McConnell's<\/strong>, the most iconic ice cream shop on the West Coast.\u00a0|\u00a0Photo courtesy of\u00a0Zachary Whittenburg<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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Skip the portion of PCH that circumnavigates\u00a0Vandenberg Air Force Base and instead follow HWY 101 to touristy, but charming,\u00a0Solvang<\/a>\u00a0for an ersatz taste of Scandinavia. Next hit up\u00a0Ostrichland USA<\/strong>, a simple detour where a $6 admission gets\u00a0visitors a little too close for comfort with swarms of the giant, gangly-necked birds. A more amusing 20 minutes you'll never have again.\u00a0|\u00a0Photo courtesy of Jason\u00a0Heidemann\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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End your day in windswept\u00a0Cambria<\/a>, a seaside hamlet whose oceanfront lodgings\u00a0guarantee eye-popping vistas. Stay at\u00a0Moonstone Landing<\/a>\u00a0and book\u00a0an oceanfront view with a balcony. Crack open some bubbly and drink in both champagne and a heart-pounding sunset. Sunrises are equally awesome, so rise and shine early and follow the\u00a0Moonstone Beach Boardwalk<\/strong>.\u00a0|\u00a0Photo courtesy of Moonstone Landing\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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At\u00a0Hearst Castle<\/strong>, the quirky excesses of publishing magnet William Hearst are on full display in the form of opulent swimming pools, lavish guest quarters and perfectly manicured grounds. Book a few tours and plan to spend half a day here; you won't be sorry.\u00a0|\u00a0Photo courtesy of\u00a0Zachary Whittenburg<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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Today's drive between San Simeon and\u00a0Big Sur<\/a>\u00a0is absolutely bananas. Take the top down and prepare for 70 miles of roller coaster-like twists and turns made even more thrilling\u00a0by crashing waves, a pounding surf and eagles soaring overhead. As you enter Big Sur,\u00a0pull your vehicle to the side of the road and make the short and easy hike to\u00a0McWay Falls<\/strong>\u2014one of two California waterfalls that flows directly\u00a0into the Pacific Ocean. Reward yourself afterward with cocktails and a view at\u00a0Cafe Nepenthe<\/strong>,\u00a0a gift to Rita Hayworth from then-husband Orson Welles.\u00a0|\u00a0Photo courtesy of\u00a0Zachary Whittenburg<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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In Big Sur, bed down at\u00a0Glen Oaks<\/a>, an old motor lodge that's been transformed into an upscale, but still (relatively) affordable lodging. Mix and mingle\u00a0around the campfire each night with fellow guests, hike the expansive property and don't miss free donuts and coffee the following morning. One of the most rare and enchanting experiences in all of California is to book the night baths at the\u00a0Esalen Institute<\/strong>, which allows a limited number of participants to bathe nightly from 1am-3am in their naturally fed hot springs while the waves crash around you.\u00a0|\u00a0Photo courtesy of\u00a0Zachary Whittenburg<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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Push onward the next morning to the\u00a0Monterey Peninsula<\/strong>\u00a0where numerous captivating adventures await, including a stroll through the cutesy overload village\u00a0Carmel-by-the-Sea<\/a>, a viewing at the free\u00a0Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary<\/strong>\u00a0in\u00a0Pacific Grove (October through March is beautiful beyond words) and a speedy jaunt through famed\u00a017-mile Drive<\/strong>. Don't miss the clam chowder at\u00a0Vivolo's House<\/strong>\u00a0near\u00a0Cannery Row<\/strong>. It may just be the tastiest dish on the entire peninsula.\u00a0|\u00a0Photo courtesy of\u00a0Zachary Whittenburg<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\t
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The end is near! Push onward to crunchy cool\u00a0Santa Cruz<\/a>\u00a0whose boardwalk boasts the largest wooden roller coaster on the West Coast. Spend a few hours idling around downtown and if you visit at dinner, don't miss upscale Afghani food at\u00a0Laili<\/strong>. The final miles of the journey\u00a0include idyllic Half Moon Bay, but the real prize is the endpoint\u2014San Francisco! Complete your journey either via a picnic in\u00a0Dolores Park<\/strong>\u00a0or a stroll along\u00a0Marshall Beach<\/strong>\u00a0and selfie in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.\u00a0No need to crack\u00a0a smile\u2014you'll already have one permanently planted on your face.<\/div>\n\n\n\t
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