Pacific Coast Highway
All-American Road
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It is safe to say I have a thing for coastal drives. Between my Island Tour of Oahu, driving the Road To Hana, or the Piliani Highway and now the Pacific Coast Highway: oceanside is the place to be. The drives are so amazing because who doesn't sit in awe of the amazing coasts we have?! The drive its self is so beautiful and there is actually so much to do on the way! We will be back because we didn't get to see and do all we wanted!
So what is the PCH?
The Pacific Coast Highway is a famous road in California that connects LA to San Fransisco.
how did we rent a car?
We drove all over California which not many 20 year olds can say! But if you do your research a lot of company's will rent to minors, you just have to pay a daily fee. We rented from, and will continue to rent from, Fox-Rent-A-Car! They have locations all over the US and have very reasonable rates which is perfect if you are low budget travelers like us! They have great cars and it was so simple to reserve, rent, and return!
where do you stop?
There are a ton of places to pull off on the side of the road and view the coast and take pictures. We did the drive from San Fransisco to Los Angeles. My dad has done this drive and gave me a list of all the best things to do on the way! The Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Seventeen-Mile Drive, Big Sur, San Louis Obispo, and more! The main things on my list were seeing Mcway Falls in Big Sur, but my service went out so we had no idea where the waterfall was ugh! We also wanted to drive the Seventeen-mile drive, but when we got there we found out it cost's $10 and MUST be in cash, which of course we didn't have on us. Lastly the Monterey Beach Aquarium! I love aquariums but we were on a time and budget constraints, so next time those are my priorities!
Here is what we DID see! ↓
1. lots of pull offs
The one thing we could not stop talking about was how massive California is!! I have been to California at lest 10 times but usually have just stayed in one location. This trip we drove from Oakland to New Port Beach and everywhere in between! And thats no where near all of California, which is mind blowing. Makes our little island feel even smaller! California Dreaming and Living was so easy for us to see, California is a lifestyle and the differences in the areas are crazy!
2. whale watchers cafe
My best advice for this drive is to pack lots of snacks and drinks! We luckily stopped at the Whale Watchers Cafe and had coffee and burgers and the restaurant is true to its name because we really saw whales! At lest three of them so that was pretty cool in our books. After this Cafe, we didn't see a a real food stop until San Louis Obispo which was almost 70 miles from here! So eat before you start or pack well!
It is SO cool to see the differences in the coasts we have drove because Oahu is so populated and full of beaches so to see MASSIVE mountains and hills with these steep cliffs was so energizing.
3. elephant seals
One of my favorite stops on this road was seeing these Elephant Seals! It was so spontaneous because we were driving and I saw a sign say "Elephant Seals 2.5 mi." and then all of the sudden I looked out my window and saw them! So we pulled over to go see and then looked up and saw a sign that said "NO PULLING OVER" and I was like oh shoot! But sure enough we drove those 2.5 miles and there is a huge visiting and viewing ground! Lots of parking and viewing areas! They are such an entertaining animal and they really have elephant trunk faces! You can see more in my California video below!
California and Hawaiian waters are defiantly different, which is so crazy because it is the same ocean! But those waters were way to cold for me, and the water is not super clear like Hawaii which freaks me out because you never know whats lurking! If I had a wet suit and was scuba certified I would defiantly go explore but until then PCH is where you'll find me!
Shots of the PCH highway can be seen in my California video!