One of the most common questions I get is, “How do you travel so much with a full time job?”
Traveling internationally was much easier when I was still in school, as a full time job allows for very limited flexibility when taking time off. Luckily, I live in California, one of the most beautiful states with road tripping opportunities galore!
If you love road trips and gorgeous coastlines, a drive up (or down) the Pacific Coast Highway is something you absolutely can’t miss! Take a long weekend and devote time to explore this marvelous route.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary: How To Do the PCH In A Weekend
Friday
Leave LA early in the morning for a 3 hour drive to Pismo Beach
Driving out from LA can be a nightmare, and the PCH often turns into a chokehold of cars stuck in traffic. Avoid this easily by leaving on time!
Arrive for lunch at Pismo Beach
This is a quaint little seaside town where you can stop for lunch (check out Splash Cafe for its award winning clam chowder and famous seafood!) Plan to leave within 1.5 hours for a short 30 minute drive north to Morro Bay.
Morro Bay
Arrive at Morro Bay! Drop off your luggage at an Airbnb that will be your basecamp, and spend the day exploring. To optimize your time and make the most out of the remainder of the day, I recommend driving through Montana de Oro State Park and stopping to discover the gorgeous Spooner’s Cove. This is such a hidden gem, and the perfect spot for watching the sunset.
For dinner, pick one of the many cute restaurants in downtown Morro Bay. If you don’t want to do Spooner’s Cove, the waterfront restaurants are also fantastic places to watch the sunset behind Morro Rock.
Want to spend more time at Morro Bay? Read my weekend getaway guide here!
Saturday
Wake up early morning and begin your drive north! Today, pick between two options, with the goal of completing the route in a day and returning to Morro Bay for the night.
If you want to do everything, you’ll have to add an extra day, and plan to stay overnight somewhere along Big Sur or Carmel!
Route 1 – Big Sur
- McWay Falls – viewpoint
- Henry Miller Library – pitstop
- Post Ranch Inn – lunch stop
- Pfeiffer Beach – beach exploration
- Pfeiffer State Park – hiking trails
- Bixby Creek Bridge – viewpoint
Route 2 – Carmel
- McWay Falls – viewpoint
- Bixby Bridge – viewpoint
- Carmel – small town exploration, lunch
- Point Lobos Natural Reserve – hiking, whaling station, outdoors
We initially planned on doing Route 1, but due to a recent forest fire, Big Sur’s parks were entirely closed (you can see the smoke in the photos!) and forcing us even further north to Carmel. Little did we know this was totally a blessing in disguise!
Though Carmel was pretty overpriced and crowded with tourists, Point Lobos next door was a wonderful surprise. We spent the majority of the day hiking seaside trails and visiting the remnants of a whaling station. Take your time to marvel at the gorgeous trees and rock formations, and see if you can spot some sea lions and otters!
At the end of the day, make your way back to Morro Bay.
Sunday
Wake up early to explore the Elfin Forest in Los Osos/Morro Bay. This is an extremely unique forest, and utterly magical! Pick up one of their guide pamphlets at the entrance, and take a stroll on the boardwalk around the loop to see some pygmy oak trees and get lost in the woods!
After that, grab a quick bite for lunch in downtown Morro Bay, and then begin to make your way back to Los Angeles.
