6 stops on Pacific Highway One you need to make

For those of you who haven’t heard of Pacific Highway One, it’s the highway that runs up the entire cost of the State of California. Running from San Diego to San Francisco there are many beautiful stops along the way up or down the coast; depending on where you want to start.

The highway runs for 500 miles and is an easy drive that encourages you to make stops along the way. While I did the trip in 12 days, it could easily be done in 7-10. It’s one of those iconic road trips that everyone needs to do once!

There are so many different places you can stop at but we’ve listed below our favourite spots along the way.

| San Diego |

This seaside city has a bit of small-town charm to it. The Gaslamp Quarter was my favourite part of the city, and where we stayed during our two days there. The buildings are Victorian-era styled and home to some of the best restaurants, bars and shops in the city.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat with a laugh I would recommend Dick’s. The servers are intentionally rude and the service is intentionally terrible but somehow it works.

Seaport Village also makes for a great place to wander for entertainment during the day. There are henna artists, balloon creators and various other local artisans. There are also some amazing beaches (obviously) in and around the San Diego area that are worth checking out.

We made our way to Ocean Beach during our stay and loved it, it was the perfect spot to nurse a hangover. For the foodies out there you cannot miss Phil’s BBQ Restaurant. You won’t find better ribs anywhere else. Located just outside the city it’s worth the venture, trust me!

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| Laguna Beach |

This may be a North American thing but growing up I was obsessed with Laguna Beach and The Hills. These TV shows sparked my guilty pleasure love for reality TV.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Laguna Beach followed a group of high schoolers through their daily drama. Now that I’m writing this I’m not sure why I admit it but that show is what made Laguna Beach a must stop for me along our trip.

The main strip is easily walkable in a few hours, filled with boutique shops and health-conscious restaurants. If you have the chance, drive through the streets to see the residential homes, they are wonderfully unique and in some cases incredibly extravagant.

Also, make sure to stop in at the infamous Laguna Surf Shop. I didn’t buy anything when I was there but it was still pretty cool to walk around and see all the stuff they had.

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| Venice Beach |

Venice Beach is by far my favourite beach I’ve ever been to. It’s not necessarily the most beautiful but it has so much to offer. Walking along the boardwalk is definitely an experience you can’t miss. There are small shops lined up all along selling anything from hats and shirts to medical marijuana.

Some of the other notable things to see on Venice beach include a large outdoor gym, an outdoor skate park, various concrete slabs purposely put up so people can decorate with graffiti, and the infamous Sunday drum circles.

Unfortunately, we arrived close to sundown so I only got a quick glimpse of the canals, I really wish I had more time there because they look incredible.

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| Los Angeles |

This is a pretty obvious one, you can’t visit California without visiting Los Angeles. It’s an absolute must. We spent a little more than two days here. The Griffith Observatory is the most memorable thing I saw when staying in the city. Of course, you also can’t miss a stars tour.

I’m still not convinced these are actually real but it’s fun all the same, the theatrics of it. I also really enjoyed walking along Hollywood Boulevard and the stars walk of fame to see some memorable names.

While I wasn’t overly impressed with L.A., I would still encourage people to make it one of their 6 stops along Highway Pacific One. https://www.booking.com/searchresults.en.html?city=20014181&aid=905470&no_rooms=1&group_adults=1

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| Big Sur |

The drive on Pacific Highway One gets a bit hairy as you approach Big Sur. The road gets really windy and on one side you have the mountains, on the other side is a very large cliff that brings you right down to the ocean.

Our first attempt into Big Sur was late at night and was very hard to drive. There are no street lights and because civilization is often sparse, you don’t even get the normal lighting from residences.

Driving in the day you have to concentrate really hard on the street lines and follow those, making sure to be careful and watch very intently for oncoming traffic. Seeing Big Sur in the light of day, however, is something very different. The views are breathtaking at every twist and turn.

There’s a beach of sea lions that you can stop and admire, beaches that you can run down to and hills and valleys you can climb. There is literally adventure on every corner.

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| San Francisco |

Your last stop in San Fransisco is well-deserved. This hilly city has so many interesting things to see. The Three Sisters is another one of those “wow I can’t believe I’m seeing this” moments. Having grown up watching Full House, it’s not hard to think that way.

The Piers along the waterfront are really fun to walk along in nice weather. Every other pier seems to have something different to offer; there are lots of restaurants, bakeries, shops, museums you name it. Pier 39 is probably the most famous pier with a Disney-like atmosphere and look to it. There are some themed games, candy shops and of course the Sea Lions!

No trip to San Fransisco would be complete either without a view of the Golden Gate bridge. I still never really understood why the obviously orange bridge was said to be ‘golden’ but it’s just as awe-inspiring in real life as it looks in pictures.

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