Driving The Pacific Coast Highway

Shout out to all the So Cal peeps on the forum..... My Murci is with Jeff at Ndewport and I was going to fly down with the GF in December and drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. My question was...how far up is it worth going, and where is the best place to stay? Is just going to Santa Barbara and staying there good enough, or would you guys go up to Monterey, or San Fran? I have about 5 days but gotta get the car back to Newport. Thanks in advance.

The real deal is to start at Santa Monica and go till Monterey. You want to hit big sur. Santa Monica to Santa Barbara has the one nice stretch by Mugu rock, the rest is just okay. North of SB has the less populated good stuff.

The real deal is to start at Santa Monica and go till Monterey. You want to hit big sur. Santa Monica to Santa Barbara has the one nice stretch by Mugu rock, the rest is just okay. North of SB has the less populated good stuff.

 

Very valid, unless you want to go the opposite way and head south down into San Diego. Lots of fun to be had there.

I did San Francisco to LA in a hired Corvette convertible in 2011. One of the best drives I've done. I preferred the northern section Monterey to SB

Very valid, unless you want to go the opposite way and head south down into San Diego. Lots of fun to be had there.

 

Where would you get on? The one is a nightmare from Santa Monica to at least newport, maybe even further. Then is there a one South of there?

The Ritz at Half Moon Bay is excellent! Great with exotics as well. We had an entire section of the garage for our group.

Where would you get on? The one is a nightmare from Santa Monica to at least newport, maybe even further. Then is there a one South of there?

 

You can hop PCH from Huntington Beach all the way down to Ocean Side, then from there there is another coastal road (I forget the name). A really nice drive on a weekend day.

 

Halfmoon Bay is a great spot as well! If you're looking for adventure you can coast up to Skyline Drive and grab a snack at Alice's. Solsilito is also a gorgeous place to head to if you're going to NorCal.

You can hop PCH from Huntington Beach all the way down to Ocean Side, then from there there is another coastal road (I forget the name). A really nice drive on a weekend day.

 

Okay, cool. I'll have to check that part out. I've just done the 5 and/or the toll roads down to SD.

Shout out to all the So Cal peeps on the forum..... My Murci is with Jeff at Ndewport and I was going to fly down with the GF in December and drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. My question was...how far up is it worth going, and where is the best place to stay? Is just going to Santa Barbara and staying there good enough, or would you guys go up to Monterey, or San Fran? I have about 5 days but gotta get the car back to Newport. Thanks in advance.

 

You can drive to Monterey or SF in a day from So Cal. Depends how how much seat time you want vs hanging out.

 

If I was going to do it - LA to Cambria, next day to Carmel or Monterey, then to SF. Spend 2 nights in SF and bomb back down the i5 to NB. Lots of great restaurants on the way.

 

I wouldn't pick up PCH in Santa Monica as PCH south of Chautauqua is a mess with sewer pipe construction. I would take the 405 to Sunset to PCH.

 

PCH north of SF is great too, we have driven as far north as Albion.

 

Albion River Inn

I wouldn't pick up PCH in Santa Monica as PCH south of Chautauqua is a mess with sewer pipe construction. I would take the 405 to Sunset to PCH.

 

Solid advice. I forgot about that damn construction down near the US1/I-10 interchange. It's a mess.

 

Could also cut down Topanga too right? Hell, could even cut from 101 down Kanan or Malibu Canyon, as long as they get the stretch from Pepperdine to Oxnard in. A bonus to coming down Malibu Canyon is you get to see the auto gallery on the hill in Calabasas from the 101

and they usually have some nice eye candy on display.

 

You could even hit parts of Mullholland doing that stuff.

Solid advice. I forgot about that damn construction down near the US1/I-10 interchange. It's a mess.

 

Could also cut down Topanga too right? Hell, could even cut from 101 down Kanan or Malibu Canyon, as long as they get the stretch from Pepperdine to Oxnard in. A bonus to coming down Malibu Canyon is you get to see the auto gallery on the hill in Calabasas from the 101

and they usually have some nice eye candy on display.

 

You could even hit parts of Mullholland doing that stuff.

 

Topanga Canyon would work too, however you will get stuck behind a Prius which when they finally notice you in their rear view mirror will slow down to 30 mph which will kill any fun to be had and it's miles up the 101 and that's always a crap shoot. So if you want to do the 101 and get a drive in before you hit PCH, I would do Las Virgenas off the 101 to Mulholland take a right to Encinal to PCH. Encinal is an awesome road where you can really wind out your car. Good sight lines, no traffic, smooth surface till the last part where it gets bumpy.

 

Las Virgenas is an exit past the Auto Gallery, so you could stop there too.

Okay, cool. I'll have to check that part out. I've just done the 5 and/or the toll roads down to SD.

 

Yeah discovered I could do that when one day after hanging out in Huntington I decided to cruise down the coast.

 

Don't take Topanga, there's too many slow divers on there. Take LAs Vigines. A lot nicer drive and traffic moves at a steady pace.

Dudes, we are way too "Californians" right now hahaha

 

http://www.hulu.com/watch/350669

 

The drive up there is awesome but as Kinnsella suggested a multi day trip would probably be more enjoyable. My favorite road by far but that drive gets a bit long in between SB and Carmel for sure.

Big sur stay at post ranch inn.

Dudes, we are way too "Californians" right now hahaha

 

http://www.hulu.com/watch/350669

 

The drive up there is awesome but as Kinnsella suggested a multi day trip would probably be more enjoyable. My favorite road by far but that drive gets a bit long in between SB and Carmel for sure.

 

lol

nailed it

 

Big sur stay at post ranch inn.

 

If you end up in SF, drive highway 1 from Mill Valley up to Point Reyes. Recently re-paved, amazing views, and an incredible road. My personal favorite, although anything coastal between SF and LA is great.

Big sur stay at post ranch inn.

The drive north from Santa Barbara to Big Sur is a must. I agree, the Post Ranch Inn would be a great choice to stay overnight--the Ventana Inn is another good option.

the PCH up around Monterey/Big Sur is unbelievable. I make a point to travel it every year when in Monterey for car week. Two years ago we had a new GT3, that drive was INCREDIBLE. Check out Bixby bridge if you get up that way. the view is the best I have ever seen. here are a few shots I got while out this past August

 

Dudes, we are way too "Californians" right now hahaha

 

http://www.hulu.com/watch/350669

 

The drive up there is awesome but as Kinnsella suggested a multi day trip would probably be more enjoyable. My favorite road by far but that drive gets a bit long in between SB and Carmel for sure.

 

LMAO

Dudes, we are way too "Californians" right now hahaha

 

http://www.hulu.com/watch/350669

 

The drive up there is awesome but as Kinnsella suggested a multi day trip would probably be more enjoyable. My favorite road by far but that drive gets a bit long in between SB and Carmel for sure.

 

 

Just watched that. Lol!

Awesome!! Thanks guys I really appreciate it. Great to know the right roads and places to stay that are super car friendly ( secure parking etc) Love Cali, hope to move there soon

Long over due for a LP Lambo run, would be good to set one up while you are in town.

Would be great! At the moment it's just myself and a buddy who also sent his 06 Roadster to Newport...trying to firm up the dates, but looking like the 27th to 31st..not sure how that jives with everyones holidays.... both places mentioned look awesome.... you figure Newport to Monterey is too long for one day?

We did the drive this year from Kanan Road all the way to San Fran. Stayed in Monterey that night and then went back for a little more picture taking the next day. I got caught in the dark on 1 going through Big Sur. Fine for me, not for my wife. Also missed a lot of views. We went back to catch most of the stuff we missed. I would like to do that whole trip in the bright daylight though. We stopped on the way and got some of these shots....