Pacific Coast Highway Trip

[highergr0und]

One of my dad's bucket list things is a PCH trip. I've gotten the green light to put a trip together. I plan on flying us into Seattle and flying out of San Diego, 9/21 to 9/26 provided covid isn't out of control.

I'm sure some wrx'rs have done this trip. Any advice? Places to eat, ideas for itinerary, etc would be appreciated. He's older and has bad legs so long walks are not great, and stairs are a bit problematic.

Also, he really wants to do the whole trip in a convertible sports car but that's not realistic due to his inability to get in and out of it over and over. I want to know which city / area would be best to rent a mustang or something for the experience for a day.

Thanks for any help!

[aenemated]

I've only done that drive from Big Sur back down to Los Angeles. My only advice if it's your first time ... make absolutely 100% certain you do THAT part of the drive in the daytime. There's some dicey bits along that stretch of road from Big Sur till you get a little north of SLO.

And it's absolutely gorgeous through there.

[scratchswinger]

The NorCal coast near the Oregon border is one of the special places on this earth. Trinidad and the Coastal Redwoods are breathtaking.

[bigred90gt]

My wife and I rented a convertible BMW 6 series when we went to San Fran, for the sole purpose of driving it down the PCH. Ended up being a great day, down the PCH, then on the way back up we drove it through a redwood forest. It was chilly, but we still had the top down. I recommend it if you can. I do not remember the name of the place we rented it at unfortunately.

[Hawkeye77]

Sounds like fun!

I drive a topless Jeep all summer so our PCH choice for our trip later this summer is a medium sized pickup! Like sitting up high for the views and it is darn cheap to rent!

 

[ohioglfr]

Absolutely right, the coast highway has lots of tight turns and it's easy to over-drive your headlights at night. Drive it during the day and enjoy the occasional pull-offs for great views. Carmel and 17 Mile Drive are nice diversions.

[glk]

Driven from Seattle to San Diego twice. Both ways. And another time with on a family vacation where we took a month and drove through the west - in loop from Chicago to Seattle to San Diego and back. Do not limit yourself to just the coast. Get to mt St. Helens. Crater lake. Multanomah falls. Definitely the redwoods. End it with the sunset cliffs and Point Loma. Me I’d take two weeks a week would just be too little time. To me a lot more to see inland from seattle then Cut to coast from grant’s pass over to crescent city. Lots of state and federal redwood parks - they joint manage. We camped in smith state park for three days. Can easily spend three days In San Francisco before heading down to Santa Cruz, Monterey etc. 17 mile is well worth it My wife expected more beach driving down the coast from Carmel - ha, was she surprised That time we were in our Chevy 1500 conversion van and being up high in the passenger seat she got a great view of lots of hairpin turns - not much in the way of restrooms so plan appropriately. - around crater lake was even more exciting in spots. By the time we got to Durango she asked the woman at the koa the flattest way out of Colorado - that was pretty funny. Been in all fifty and drove thru them all pretty much multiple times and thru the southwestern maybe a dozen times. Going out to San Diego (are youngest lives there) again in August if plans work out. Another great drive is from Vegas, Grand Canyon, Sedona, , monument valley, Mesa verde, Durango ( gotta take the train), to Santa Fe/ duke city - and figure out how to get to arches and canyon lands. Never gets old.