The Ultimate 10 Day Roadtrip Down the Pacific Coast Highway
Every fall after school and sport schedules are released our family loves to go through our “bucket list” trip ideas and plan out our year. One of our biggest to-do items was to plan out a road trip driving from Seattle, Washington alllll the way down to San Diego, California taking the Pacific Coast Highway.
The Planning Process:
Initial planning included picking the dates, reading multiple blogs on the top towns to stop in and figuring out about how many hours per day we really wanted to drive. This school year we saw that the kids had a random Tuesday off before Spring Break, school for three days and then a full week off. Knowing that this drive would realistically need about ten days we made the executive decision to pull our kids from the three days of school and leave for our trip on that Tuesday morning. We booked our flights (thank you Southwest Airlines for the points perks since I fly companion with my husband and we were able to book our kids on points earned!) and rental car right away since we had the two main dates decided.
Pro Tip: If you don’t utilize any travel industry points/perks (flights, hotels, credit card perks) SIGN UP NOW!!! They accumulate quickly and end up paying off in the end.
I started planning the route of our trip along PCH in Google maps and after the entire thing (yes, all 1800 miles!) was planned out, I realized that there wasn’t a way for me to export or bring it into my GPS once we actually got on the road. Thankfully, I found this amazing website and app Roadtrippers that literally lets you input your route, cities you want to visit, points of interest, as well as your car’s make and model to budget for gas. If you have an RV or Camper there are also options for you to find the best places to sleep along the route and best roads to accommodate your vehicle. This helped me to visualize the distance and timing for each stop each day and what was actually doable for the four of us. This app was a life and time saver and we plan on using for future trips from here on out.
Once we had our list of cities to stop in each night as well as the favorited spots in each one, it was time to look through hotels. We also booked these through Southwest since you get bonus points through their booking site and even more IF you use your Southwest credit card to pay for them. BONUS!
Lastly, we booked tickets in advance for any of the parks, aquariums and other experiences we wanted to do along the way. Some places did not require reservations so we just purchased the night before when planning for the following day but some state parks required planning ahead of time. We downloaded the NPS (National Park Service) app for any closures or updates along the way. One amazing thing we learned was that if your child is in 4th grade, all persons in your car will have free entry to the parks. The only thing I did NOT plan that I sadly learned afterwards was that Muir Woods outside of San Fransisco requires a MANDATORY parked car reservation. I completely overlooked this fact since our entry was covered and did not think about any parking needed. It was sold out for the entire weekend we were in San Fran so we had to skip. We could have ubered but since there is absolutely no service up there it would have been impossible to get one for the way back so we will just have to plan ahead for the next time.
Packing List for Each Person:
The time finally came for us to pack up for our long-awaited and planned trip. I’m including a packing list since there literally weren’t any blogs or info out there about what to pack for a roadtrip when you are flying into your starting destination. I love a good roadtrip but not being able to prep food, have coolers ready or pack the car the days leading up to leaving was really difficult.
Let’s be real, it’s a roadtrip and you really won’t come into contact with other people except at roadside gas stations, hotel check-ins and any of the beachy spots you choose along the way. We didn’t go to any over-the-top nice restaurants for dinner except for a few and even then we wore nicer jeans and tops or a casual dress with a jacket/sweater. Temperatures also ranged from rainy and 40s to sunny and 70s so packing light and with multiple pieces to layer more than one time throughout the trip was key. We managed to pack each person into a rolling carry-on suitcase and their own backpack!
Our Packing List Included:
2 plane outfits (My absolute favorite travel outfit!)
12 pairs each of socks and underwear (you know there are always those what-if moments!)
3 pairs of wool socks for the rainy/hiking days (These worked great for the kids!)
10 comfy outfits (joggers/leggings/shirt/sweatshirt combos)
3-4 nicer outfits (depending on where you plan on going for meals)
1 bathing suit for hotel pools or if the beaches are warm enough
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of good waterproof boots (we chose these Uggs and Boggs)
1 pair of nicer shoes
1 pair of gym shoes
Crocs for the kids (okay, I despise these shoes BUT they were super easy for the kids to change in and out of on the rainy and beachy days so we didn’t have sand/mud/wet in the main part of the car)
Things to do during the longer driving sections (we packed cards, the kids’ homework, iPads loaded with movies, shows and music or audiobooks/podcasts. This card game was a winner!)
Headphones
Laptop for work
Camera/Drone (careful as most National Parks don’t allow drones)
Umbrellas
Emergency First Aid Kit
Motion Sickness Bands/Patches (Just in case during the bendy turns or boat rides)
Coats that are easy to pack
Disposable ponchos if coats aren’t waterproof
Wet/Dry Bags
Reusable Water Bottles
Bug Spray
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Hand Wipes
Scarves/Hats/Gloves for the cooler locations
Gum
Tide on the Go stick
Pop-up hampers (soooo easy to throw dirty clothes in and not need to bring everything in each night!)
Packable Travel blanket/pillow
Chargers and cords - batteries drain quickly!
Extra bandaids, especially blister ones!
Any medications
All documents printed out (service WILL NOT be available most of the time so make sure maps, routes, important info is easy to access)
The Drive:
Here's our suggested 10-day road trip itinerary down the Pacific Coast Highway from Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California
*NOTE: Some sections of highway are washed out still from the 2023 landslides so we had to re-route between Monterey and Santa Barbara. Check California’s traffic operations page to stay up to date. Just a few days after we drove through Big Sur, part of the highway collapsed after a rainstorm. We were lucky!
Day 1: Seattle, Washington
Start your road trip in Seattle, Washington. We flew in in the afternoon and picked up our rental car from Avis. Thankfully we had a GMC Yukon which was a big, durable car for the long haul down the coast. We checked in at Silver Cloud Hotel, Seattle Stadium and headed out to explore. On our list was the Space Needle, Chihuly glass museum, we rode the monorail, walked through the downtown area smelling cherry blossoms that had just opened and walked through Pike Place Market. We went back to the hotel to change and get ready for dinner at Pink Door which has great food and was a fun entertainment experience! Make sure to book ASAP and aim for a Tuesday evening if you can.
Drive: 0 hours, 0 miles
Day 2: Seattle, WA to Astoria, OR
Check out and get ready to start the long drive! We stopped for a quick bathroom break and checked out Port Angeles. It’s super cute and you can take a ferry over to Victoria, Canada if you have more time. We also planned on visiting the Hoh Rainforest but it was closed on the weekday we went in March. We opted for Marymere Falls instead which was a beautiful and easy hike through a mossy forrest that ended with a beautiful waterfall! We had a bit of a drive to get to Ruby Beach for some of the most beautiful rock formations along the coast. After that was another stretch of driving to get to Hotel Elliott in Astoria, Oregon, location where Goonies took place!
Drive: 8 hours, 32 mins, 415 miles
Day 3: Astoria, OR to Klamath, CA
Before you leave Astoria, make sure to stop at A-Town Coffee before the bridge. They have the best biscuits and gravy and some of the best coffee I had the whole trip. We headed out for Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach and it was one of the coolest beaches! Yes, it was cold and rainy but it was still an awesome site to see. We were hungry and the Tillamook Creamery was the perfect spot to stop along the way. They offer free tours of their factory and the kids loved the free cheeses they got to try! Their restaurant had some yummy things so make sure to either grab some food to eat there or buy and save for later (they sell small coolers and ice packs!). We headed off to Devils Punchbowl where the sun finally peeked out. The tide was low so we didn’t get the full effect but it was still a really awesome place to stop and check out. Make sure to stop and get dinner after this as there really isn’t much you will pass on the way. We were still full from the late lunch at Tillamook so thankfully our hotel, Holiday Inn Express Redwood National Park, had an on-site restaurant. It was a limited menu, but it was fine.
Drive Time: 8 hours, 42 minutes, 389 miles
Day 4: Klamath, CA to Fort Bragg, CA
Our hotel was literally on the outskirts of the Redwoods so we didn’t have far to drive before we started to see some of the most magnificent trees I’ve ever seen. Again, the weather was rainy but the trees helped to kind of block some of it so we could see and enjoy the scenic drive. We opted for the Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway and saw The Big Tree as well as a prairie with some wild elk on the side of the road. We also took the Avenue of the Giants route but unfortunately the last half of it was washed out from a landslide from only a few weeks prior. We headed back on the 101 and into some sunlight toward Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. The kids loved exploring the tide pools and finding different colors of glass. We stayed in another Holiday Inn Express (Fort Bragg) because hey, free breakfast! Note: Make sure to check your live maps ahead of time! A few days after we got home we saw the first half of the redwoods route had been washed away as well. The whole area is unpredictable with the rainy season so plan ahead.
Drive Time: 5 hours, 52 minutes, 240 miles
Day 5: Fort Bragg, CA to San Francisco, CA
From here we went to San Fransisco. Make sure if you’re doing Muir Woods you have your parking reservation! Since I completely missed the ball on that we decided to just drive straight into San Fransisco to get our two days stay started. Our room wasn’t ready at the Beacon Grand, A Union Square Hotel when we arrived at 1pm so we left our luggage with the valet, they parked the car and we headed out to our Big Bus Tour of the city. (Check Groupon as it may be cheaper there.) This was the perfect way with the kids to see everything on our list with the least amount of walking. We hopped off at the Chinatown stop and got some amazing food for lunch. We walked back to our hotel and rested and showered. There is a yummy restaurant in the hotel along with a beautiful lobby bar so we were lazy and ordered in room service.
Drive Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes, 170 miles
Day 6: San Francisco, CA
We continued exploring SF by grabbing a quick breakfast at the Biscoff Coffee Corner in the Wharf and then hopped on the ferry to visit Alcatraz. No food or drink allowed on the boat ride so make sure to finish everything beforehand. Remember to purchase tickets ahead of time! The official ticket site also has a discounted price for a family pack for 2 adults and 2 kids if that applies to you. Alcatraz was one of the kids’ favorite spots on the trip- It’s definitely worth it to go and do! And you’ll get some amazing views of the bay. We ate lunch afterwards at the Boudin Bakery in the Wharf and hopped on the Big Bus Tour again since we had a two day hop-on-hop-off ticket. We saw the other half of the tour and then went back to the hotel to nap and shower. We ate a delicious dinner with the most stunning view of the Bay Bridge at Waterbar. It also happened to be one of my top meals of the trip. Make sure to time it around sunset!
Day 7: San Francisco, CA to Monterey, CA
We left SF with every intention on coming back, we loved it! On day 7 we drove to The Mystery Spot which was another top item on the kids’ list. It was weird and cool and unique and confusing all at once. Tickets were $10 and you’ll need to book in advance again as well just in case they sell out since they are on a strict timeline. I don’t want to ruin anything so I’ll leave it at that. After that we headed out to find a spot for lunch and of course had to stop at our favorite In N Out burger! Ask for your fries or burger “animal style”. We then drove to the lookout point for Bixby Bridge. This was pretty scary to park the car since the small lot went uphill a bit and there wasn’t a guardrail to keep you from going over the cliff. The lot was small for our larger car and it was a bit crowded. Go slowly and take your time. It was a very pretty bridge but it freaked my daughter and myself out to drive over plus just south of there was where the landslide was from over a year ago so we decided to forgo Pfeiffer Park and McWay Falls and head back to Monterey and do the aquarium. Being a lover of marine life and all things to do with them, this was one of the best aquariums I’ve ever visited. It was gorgeous as it’s built as part of the ocean and interactive for the kids, especially after being in the car for a bit. We spent over two hours here and easily could have stayed longer. We headed to the hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Monterey, and rested before heading to dinner at Rosine’s which we found out was featured on our favorite food show! Please don’t pass up the minestrone soup!
Drive Time: 5 hours, 8 minutes, 210 miles
Day 8: Monterey to Santa Barbara, California
We headed down the coast to see where the elephant seals come to mate and raise their pups. Different times of year will allow you to see different seals at their stages of mating and growing. We didn’t see any of the males so only the moms and juvenile pups were along the beach. Just up the road is the infamous Hearst Castle. This is an absolute must do if you get your tickets in time! There are different tours you can do so we did the starter tour of the main house and outdoor area. It was stunning. We can’t wait to go back and check out the other areas of the house. After we checked out Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo we finished our drive into Santa Barbara. Our hotel for the night, The Steward, was so beautiful, we felt bad not getting enough time to really check it out and enjoy! It may have been our favorite hotel and we have it on the list to come back to in the future.
Drive Time: 6 hours, 3 minutes, 318 miles
Day 9: Santa Barbara, CA to Los Angeles, CA
For breakfast, we ventured out to Finch and Fork in downtown Santa Barbara. You have to try the avocado toast with a side of potatoes! YUM! From beautiful Santa Barbara we headed down to the city of Angels to be tourists in a place we frequently visit. Southern California is home to our annual family vacation but our kids have never seen the “touristy spots” in downtown LA so we decided to make this a stop to see some different things. We loved how the Big Bus Tour went in San Fran so we decided to purchase the one day option for this city as well. I have to say, this one was not as enjoyable as the first. There was a lot of quiet time on the audio portion of the tour and the traffic was so horrendous we didn’t even get half way through the red route (city). We were able to take the blue route (beach) to Santa Monica for the kids to experience it but I wish we had stayed on the city one to get up and see the Hollywood sign and the observatory. Since my inlaws are about 30 miles south of the city we decided to meet for dinner and then stayed overnight by them so we didn’t need a hotel. I would highly recommend if you’re able to and would love to have a resort experience, spend a night or two (or more!) at the Terranea Resort. It’s beautiful as it sits on the cliffs of Palos Verdes and has plenty of restaurant options as well as a lobby bar with different entertainment. There are trails along the property for you and the family to check out that leads you to the Point Vicente Lighthouse. The Terranea land used to be Marineland and is the backdrop to many tv shows and movies (we’ve spotted a few celebs in the past before too!)
Drive Time: 2 hours, 34 minutes, 134 miles
Day 10: Los Angeles, CA to San Diego, CA
Here we go!!! Final stretch of the drive! Off to beautiful, sunny San Diego! We left early so we could get through traffic and into the zoo before things got too chaotic. We were stuck deciding between the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Safari Park. With our limited time and wanting to have a somewhat early night to pack up we opted for the zoo since it’s just such an iconic part of the city and the Safari Park was a bit further away. It was so much fun and we’re happy we were able to finally get to visit. Right inside the entrance is the Bus Tour. Grab a quick snack/drink and go get in line since it’ll probably be a bit of a wait. Make sure to sit on the top and on the right side of the bus since that has a better view of everything on the tour. We were able to see what we wanted to walk back to so we grabbed lunch after the bus, planned our walking route and took our time. Make sure to download the zoo app so you can see what all is in the area as well as menus for each restaurant/snack shop. We went to check in to our last hotel, The Monsaraz San Diego, shower and went to dinner in the Gaslamp District.
Drive Time: 2 hours, 7 minutes, 124 miles
Day 11: Fly Home… Womp, Womp…
We absolutely did not want this trip to end but we missed home and sleeping in our own beds. We grabbed breakfast at the hotel (sit outside in the courtyard, it’s so pretty!) and headed to the airport to return the rental car.
This was literally a trip of a lifetime and something that yes, took a lot of planning ahead but then kept you on your toes while being flexible at the same time. Most of the roads are not for the faint of heart or for anyone who drives too fast. Take in the views, laugh and tell jokes, have fun. Have the kids watch YouTube videos to get excited about the different cities, take all of the photos and just breathe. Things will come up or be closed so just be willing to scratch it off of the list. The above itinerary is just a sample of what we did. It allows you to experience the highlights of the Pacific Coast Highway, from the lush landscapes of the Pacific Northwest to the iconic cities and coastal beauty of California. Adjustments can be made based on personal preferences and interests. There are links to locations we went to, some may be affiliate links, especially for the packing list.
Let me know if you have any questions or you end up doing this trip! I’d love to hear your feedback!
