Topic Wiki

Cities are listed from north to south starting with Santa Cruz, ending with before San Louis Obispo. For San Jose and anywhere north, click here. For Santa Barbara and anywhere south click here.
Activities

Santa Cruz area

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Monterey area

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Cannery Row

Pebble Beach, CA (golfing)

17-Mile Drive Waste of time and money IMO. Views are lackluster at best- UshDadude

Pacific Grove, CA (Butterfly capital of the world)

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Carmel-By-The-Sea

Big Sur area

Bixby Bridge

Point Sur (Sea Otters)

San Simeon area

Hearst Castle

Cambria, CA

San Lois Obispo (SLO) area

Moro Bay State Park

Pismo Beach

Solvang, CA

Restaurants

None officially, with the following exception:

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Pismo Beach, CA is considered a Southern California store. This means all the food is kosher. There are no other Coffee Bean Stores between San Jose and Santa Barbara.

Shuls

Chabad by the Sea (Santa Cruz)

Chabad of Monterey

Chabad of Carmel Valley

Chabad of SLO
« Last edited by ushdadude on July 28, 2015, 05:11:47 PM »

Author Topic: California Coast PCH Master Thread  (Read 140507 times)

Offline chevron

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 2552
  • Total likes: 543
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #380 on: January 30, 2020, 01:58:43 PM »
Really depends where... LA to Oxnard is nice.. once you pass Oxnard there's not much to see till you get pass santa Barbera as mentioned you would be wanting to start at Morro Bay near San Luis Obispo.

The 101 hugs the coast from Ventura to gaviota and it's nice in places. Basically i personally would do la to Oxnard on PCH, stop in Oxnard if Tierra sur is open for lunch. Then hit the 101 to Morro Bay provided you left Oxnard by 1-1:30.

It's 2 and a half hours to Morro Bay per Google, you would veer off the 101 near Goleta and take the 154 till you hit the 101 again.

As a side note, the kimpton at Goleta is gorgeous! I used an ihg free night there in summer.

If you get to Morro Bay by 3:30-4 id drive the PCH till 6  The problem is that it's a 3 hour drive to Monterey from Morro.

Driving south to North for me is more comfortable as you are on the mountain hugging side.

I mean it's worthwhile if you don't mind getting into NorCal late.

Also you can skip the la pch stretch and Tierra sur and make it to Morro by say 1 you'll be fine.
 

Offline jose34

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Aug 2016
  • Posts: 2396
  • Total likes: 154
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #381 on: February 04, 2020, 02:28:59 PM »
Really depends where... LA to Oxnard is nice.. once you pass Oxnard there's not much to see till you get pass santa Barbera as mentioned you would be wanting to start at Morro Bay near San Luis Obispo.

The 101 hugs the coast from Ventura to gaviota and it's nice in places. Basically i personally would do la to Oxnard on PCH, stop in Oxnard if Tierra sur is open for lunch. Then hit the 101 to Morro Bay provided you left Oxnard by 1-1:30.

It's 2 and a half hours to Morro Bay per Google, you would veer off the 101 near Goleta and take the 154 till you hit the 101 again.

As a side note, the kimpton at Goleta is gorgeous! I used an ihg free night there in summer.

If you get to Morro Bay by 3:30-4 id drive the PCH till 6  The problem is that it's a 3 hour drive to Monterey from Morro.

Driving south to North for me is more comfortable as you are on the mountain hugging side.

I mean it's worthwhile if you don't mind getting into NorCal late.

Also you can skip the la pch stretch and Tierra sur and make it to Morro by say 1 you'll be fine.

Thanks. Really good.
It seems the same as far as timing whether I take the PCH or the other highway.

Also I am missing anything fly out out from SJC Airport?


Offline Yehoshua

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Aug 2011
  • Posts: 10172
  • Total likes: 213
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #382 on: February 06, 2020, 01:05:41 AM »
Thanks. Really good.
It seems the same as far as timing whether I take the PCH or the other highway.

Also I am missing anything fly out out from SJC Airport?
Well you'd miss San Francisco, but nothing in terms if a coastal drive. That's all city driving.

Offline chevron

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 2552
  • Total likes: 543
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #383 on: February 07, 2020, 04:52:43 AM »
Right you'd miss SF, although the truth of the matter is that you wouldn't really see San Francisco if you just drove to the airport.

There are really nice drives in the bay area, I take the 1 to skyline Blvd all the way to the top.

I also like the 280

Offline majeec

  • DansDeals Copper Elite
  • *
  • Join Date: May 2017
  • Posts: 12
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: Bronx
Pacific Coast Highway Trip
« Reply #384 on: November 03, 2020, 07:50:49 PM »
Hi. Looking to plan a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway for late December with 2 of my guy friends. Because of COVID, I was thinking of renting an RV and doing a 1 week trip from Seattle to San Diego. Anyone have any trip recommendations. More importantly, has anyone ever rented a 1 way RV camper and can offer some advice on how to go about this? Thanks!

Offline Kobe Bryant

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jan 2017
  • Posts: 3764
  • Total likes: 2280
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 17
    • View Profile
Re: Pacific Coast Highway Trip
« Reply #385 on: November 03, 2020, 08:33:18 PM »
Hi. Looking to plan a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway for late December with 2 of my guy friends. Because of COVID, I was thinking of renting an RV and doing a 1 week trip from Seattle to San Diego. Anyone have any trip recommendations. More importantly, has anyone ever rented a 1 way RV camper and can offer some advice on how to go about this? Thanks!
Wow, where to begin?

Offline BarryLincoln

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jan 2014
  • Posts: 1388
  • Total likes: 145
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
  • Location: New Jersey
  • Programs: SPG Platinum, National Executive, Hertz Five Star
Re: Pacific Coast Highway Trip
« Reply #386 on: November 03, 2020, 09:32:24 PM »
This is a good resource for one-way rentals... but would need to wait until December specials roll out...

https://www.elmonterv.com/rv-rental/cool-deal-detail/ONE-WAY-SPECIAL/

Offline Kobe Bryant

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jan 2017
  • Posts: 3764
  • Total likes: 2280
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 17
    • View Profile
Re: Pacific Coast Highway Trip
« Reply #387 on: November 04, 2020, 02:22:45 PM »

Offline majeec

  • DansDeals Copper Elite
  • *
  • Join Date: May 2017
  • Posts: 12
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: Bronx
Re: Pacific Coast Highway Trip
« Reply #388 on: November 04, 2020, 11:54:31 PM »

Online yungermanchik

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Nov 2018
  • Posts: 2668
  • Total likes: 2047
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
  • Location: Previous Signatures: If you chapped hana'ah from a post, like it; You think you know the answers and things are the way they seem.. it just ain't so -The Rebbe from Lublin-
Re: Pacific Coast Highway Trip
« Reply #389 on: November 05, 2020, 02:50:36 PM »
Hi. Looking to plan a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway for late December with 2 of my guy friends. Because of COVID, I was thinking of renting an RV and doing a 1 week trip from Seattle to San Diego. Anyone have any trip recommendations. More importantly, has anyone ever rented a 1 way RV camper and can offer some advice on how to go about this? Thanks!
See this Trip Report from part 6 to the end
Small people talk about other people.
Average people talk about things
BIG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IDEAS.

Offline Yehoshua

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Aug 2011
  • Posts: 10172
  • Total likes: 213
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: Pacific Coast Highway Trip
« Reply #390 on: November 05, 2020, 06:01:15 PM »
Hi. Looking to plan a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway for late December with 2 of my guy friends. Because of COVID, I was thinking of renting an RV and doing a 1 week trip from Seattle to San Diego. Anyone have any trip recommendations. More importantly, has anyone ever rented a 1 way RV camper and can offer some advice on how to go about this? Thanks!
I can't help you north of SF, just between SF and SD. Keep in mind that driving just from one end of CA to the other is LONG (ie, almost 1000 miles and over 20 hours of driving. With that in mind you need to decide:
  • What are the most interesting things you'd like to see along the coast
  • What places/sights are you ok with skipping
  • Where you can camp overnight in an RV (there are lots of places, but you need to plan them out)
  • If there are any parts of the coast you'd like to skip
  • If you have interest in seeing SF and LA along the way
  • Where you're going to get food (either prepared for reheating in your RV or raw ingredients to cook)
  • Whether you want to travel exclusively on CA-1 (PCH) or are ok with taking regular freeways (most likely I-5 or US-101) to get around parts you're not interested in
  • What you want to stop for (ie, just sights for pictures, hikes, excursions) and how long those will take

I'd say the average time to drive PCH LA to SF with a few stops for big sights (Morro Bay, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterrey, Windsor Mansion, etc) is 2-3 days at a minimum. If you wanted to stop longer at each place or stop at more places, you'll need more time.

Since you want to drive from SEA to SAN, which includes a lot more than just the 20 hours of CA coastal driving, you may be cutting off more than you can chew trying to cram it into a week.

At the same time, consider the weather: the Pac NW can be rainy and snowy in late Dec, NoCal will definitely be rainy, and SoCal could go either way (sunny or rainy, but probably sunny). Some activities may not be nearly as doable in the rain since most of them are outside. Like how much fun would it be to go to the fantastic beaches on the OR coast in the pouring rain?

Offline shiframeir

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jan 2012
  • Posts: 1761
  • Total likes: 145
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 7
    • View Profile
  • Programs: spg gold. nothing else. sigh.
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread (Big Sur)
« Reply #391 on: February 22, 2021, 01:03:38 AM »
I just booked a little Big Sur trip with the mrs. monday morning 7am to red eye flight home friday am.  hope to do a short tr when done.

Transportation: flying AA business on the 321 lie flat for 20K per ticket from jfk to SFO
renting a convertible through costco/enterprise for the 3 nights, flying back thursday night late on Jetblue Mint (used amex points with busplat), COULD HAVE GOTTEN SUITES but wife wants to sit next to me, wierd.

Hotel: Ventana Big Sur (https://www.ventanabigsur.com/) using Hyatt points (some transferred from friend, took about a day, rest from UR transfers).
Booked 2 nights in the Vista Hot Tub Suite for 60K each night, 1 night in regular Big Sur suite for 48K (vista was unavailable).
Hotel is all inclusive, on initial calls they said they would use my pans/pots if i want but it didnt sound like a great matziv as they dont want me in the kitchen (turning on flames etc). Seems chabad of Monterrey delivers meals (attached is supposed to be the menu) i will be talking to guest relations tomorrow re cost.

any other ideas/suggestions? done PCH before and hiked a bit in the big sur park. looking more for relaxation/wellness.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2021, 01:43:33 AM by shiframeir »

Offline Yaalili

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 12764
  • Total likes: 473
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 157
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Crown Heights, NY


Offline Yehoshua

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Aug 2011
  • Posts: 10172
  • Total likes: 213
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #394 on: February 22, 2021, 09:45:27 AM »
Explains this.


Part of PCH washed away a few weeks ago and they're in no big rush to fix it.

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk


Offline Kobe Bryant

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jan 2017
  • Posts: 3764
  • Total likes: 2280
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 17
    • View Profile
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #395 on: February 22, 2021, 09:46:40 AM »

Offline Yehoshua

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Aug 2011
  • Posts: 10172
  • Total likes: 213
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #396 on: February 22, 2021, 08:01:41 PM »

Yup, it's a hard road to maintain. Too bad the alternative isn't quick...

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk


Offline MoYS

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Gold Elite
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2012
  • Posts: 805
  • Total likes: 85
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #397 on: April 11, 2021, 01:37:13 PM »
I was looking at the ventana big sur, last week it had points availability for my dates, last night it didnt, today it does. Is that a glitch or did rooms really become available? Also on a related note, how close-in can i rely that there will be points availability?

Offline Yaalili

  • Dansdeals Lifetime 10K Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jul 2009
  • Posts: 12764
  • Total likes: 473
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 157
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Crown Heights, NY

Offline shiframeir

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jan 2012
  • Posts: 1761
  • Total likes: 145
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 7
    • View Profile
  • Programs: spg gold. nothing else. sigh.
Re: California Coast PCH Master Thread
« Reply #399 on: May 23, 2021, 01:35:42 AM »
I was looking at the ventana big sur, last week it had points availability for my dates, last night it didnt, today it does. Is that a glitch or did rooms really become available? Also on a related note, how close-in can i rely that there will be points availability?
fyi my trip report on Ventana is here/on tripadvisor. https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=124787.msg2448262#msg2448262 seemed like close in there were no rooms available in early may when i went.