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I am planning a trip to California Mid March 2008.  Flying to LA/Burbank arriving noon time. Would like to travel to San Francisco via PCH. My question is: what to do first? Drive straight thru or can I visit and tour areas prior to SF? I am planning to be back in LA, 3 days later, can you help?Thank You, Jack

Hi Jack,

Regarding being back in LA 3 days later.  That really doesn't sound like enough time to make a round trip drive to San Fran!  I hope I am misunderstanding the time line.

About 6 years ago I had driven the PCH starting in LA.  I stopped in Monterey, south of San Francisco, for the night.  I had made minimal stops along the way. 

The drive from LA to San Francisco is a minimum of 5 1/2 hours.  That's on the Interstate and without traffic!  You can expect it to take a good bit longer with traffic and on the slower PCH. 

It does sounds like  fun trip!  This is a very scenic drive.  I've done it multiple times and never tire of it!  I certainly hope that you give yourself more time...so you can enjoy San Francisco as well.  There's a lot to see and do there!  I'd like to hear more about what you would are thinking about seeing along the way.  Knowing where you want to stop may help me to give a better suggestions. 

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Jack wrote:  "Michelle, thanx for your input. I have no idea what to do, I am trying to make my drive to SF scenic and interesting. I would like to know where to stay over before I reach SF. You mentioned Monterey, can I tour there or is it only a place to stay over? Is there a place to go other than Monterey for the nite? I plan to drive back to LA on the Interstate so I don’t mind the extra time on the PCH going."

Jack, driving the Pacific Coast Highway will most certainly be scenic and interesting.  It is considered by some to be the most scenic drive in the U.S. 

Monterey is a nice place to stop over.  It is a fairly large town, so accommodations should be easy to find.  There are some very good restaurants in Monterey.  Taking a stroll along the Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey can be a nice way to pass some time...outside of the car.  Monterey isn't too far south of San Francisco.  So if you take the PCH going north, ending the day in Monterey could work well.  You can get a late start the next day and enjoy what the town has to offer, knowing you're not too far from your destination. 

Just south of Monterey is Carmel-by-the-Sea.  This is a small town that once claimed Clint Eastwood as it's mayor.  Carmel is a community for the wealthy.  But it is also a bit of a tourist attraction.  It is home to the famous Pebble Beach golf course.

There are some other towns along the way, which I am sure are also good places to stop.  Cambria and Los Osos look like they are about midway on the drive.  Though I have not toured any of those towns and cannot give any suggestions.

The area of Big Sur, south of Carmel is considered to be the most scenic stretch of the highway.  So you want to make sure you reach that point before dark.  And keep in mind, you are heading north along the California coast.  There is always the possibility that fog can suddenly appear.  (You know San Francisco is famous for it!)  The last time I made the drive, the fog obscured the view of the ocean.  It was still a nice drive.  But it would certainly be a shame if you don't have the best experience for your first time making this trip.  If you can be flexible, you may want to watch the weather and adjust when you do the drive accordingly.  You're traveling in March which has a higher likelyhood of fog. 

For more information about Monterey, visit our page at www.usatourist.com/english/destinations/california/monterey/monterey-main.html

And for Big Sur, read www.usatourist.com/english/destinations/california/bigsur/bigsur-main.html

Have a great trip!