Now onto the third and final day of our trip along the Pacific Coast Highway: Santa Barbara to San Diego!!
10.30am – Leave El Capitan Canyon (You should leave at 9.30am)
We left late every morning. Don’t do that. Leave on time or leave early!!!
Ok, we really couldn’t leave on time, whatever day it was!
We were aiming for 10am but still left half an hour late. It was Alicia’s birthday though, so we treated ourselves to a relaxing breakfast at the Canyon Market!
We had a great night’s sleep. It was lovely to wake up in the middle of nowhere but still be able to charge our phones and have a shower without leaving our lodge.
The lodge is quite basic but it has everything you need, including an alarm clock, microwave and those little toiletries that you usually get in a hotel.
You couldĀ probably leave at 10am and make it to San Diego in good time but we’d suggest leaving at 9.30am (or earlier) so that you don’t feel rushed.
Santa Barbara is a beautiful city – and there’s lots to do, including its famous zoo – but we didn’t stop there as wanted to get some miles under our belts before we stopped again.
As it was our last day with the car, we wrapped the kids up in the back, slapped on some sun-screen and got the top down on the convertible straight away!
Santa Barbara is the first point where you feel you’re really back in the modern world again! Photo by Jw4nvc/Wikimedia
Route One out of Santa Barbara is also HighwayĀ 101 which, by this point, we’d learned meant it was a normal three-lane road and not the road that was winding its way through Big Sur a few days ago!
The Pacific returns into view within half an hour. Here you get aĀ widescreen ocean view, with no mountains or sharp corners to get in the way.
Once you pass Oxnard, you can leave the 101 and get back onto the road we all want to be on again! Almost immediately, HighwayĀ One gets straight back to business!
As you hit Point Magu, you get to see the rugged side of Southern California: what it’s lacking in lush vegetationĀ and crashing waves, it makes up with the dusty, cliff-faces, that will be on your left, and the glisteningĀ blue water on your right.
12.45pm – Malibu (11.45am for you)
The beach houses are worth millions and are where many of the biggest stars live. Photo by BriYYZ on Flickr.
You probably know this already, but you won’t see any famous film stars wandering the streets or buying milk in Hollywood or LA because most of them actually live in Malibu.
The small-ish houses – and garages – that you’ll see on your right as you drive through Malibu, are actually worth millions and owned by some very famous people.
The general rule is, the more solid the gate, the more famous the person will be (you’ll see more of these before you hit the busy part of Malibu).
We were hoping to stop for lunch at one of the beaches in Malibu but the kids were still asleep.
By the time we thought we’d wake them up, we saw a sign for a beach called Paradise Cove, which we now know is the placeĀ they filmed Lethal Weapon, American Pie and this Britney Spears video, to name a few.
They wanted $40 to park there, so I did a U’y and we carried on.
In researching this article, I’ve found out that if you spend over $30 in the cafe, you get a rebate and only have to pay $6 for parking.
So, it could could be a pretty cool place for you to stop and haveĀ lunch!
Malibu detours
Paramount Ranch is still used as a film set but not as much as in its’ heyday. It’s free to visit. Photo by edward stojakovic on Flickr. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
If you want to stop without spending any money, it would’ve been best to pull into one of the lay-bys before you get to downtown Malibu.
The side of the road gets busy when there’s access to a beach, so if you spot a space and can pull in safely, go for it! (FYI –Ā The beach scene in Grease – and loads of other movies – wereĀ filmed at Leo Carrillo State Park, whereĀ you should be able toĀ pull this trick).
Want to feel like you’re in a movie and don’t mind a 25min detour? Paramount Ranch is in the hills above Malibu (turn left after Point Dume beach) which is where some of the biggest films of the 1920s were filmed.
Today, you can visit the Old Western Town, which was used in Dr Quinn Medicine Woman but the ranch has recently been used as a location, more recently, in American Sniper, Van Helsing, The X-Files, Scream and…Norbit (somehow, not that I’ve seen it but it does seem strange).
It has free parking and picnic tables, so this could work for you.
The Getty Villa is a great place to stop for a bit of culture (and lunch) in Malibu.
If you want some culture, The Getty Villa is a great place to stop.
You’ve already seen what one rich American tycoon can build – up at Hearst Castle – Ā why not visit the property whichĀ Jean-Paul Getty made,Ā to house his Greek and Roman collections?!
It’s been built in the style of a Roman villa and it’s simply stunning. I found the Roman architecture and historyĀ more interesting and beautiful than most of the antiquities inside it.
We went there a few years ago, so it wasn’t on our itinerary for this trip.
It’s free to visitĀ but parking is $15. I think we got round it in a couple of hours and you can have lunch there, too.
2pm – Los Angeles (1pm for you)
Santa Monica is a great place to stop for lunch or have a wander along the pier.
Ok, you will probably have lunch in Malibu but we didn’t so we’ll keep the itinerary going as it happened for us so it doesn’t get too confusing!
This is definitely the most urban part of the whole drive. It is Los Angeles, after all, so what did you expect?!
You don’t get great views of the ocean for most of this section but you’re only a couple of minutes away from aĀ beach at every moment.
As you’re choosing to do Route One, this probably isn’t your first trip to California and you’ve probably already “done” LA so I’m not going to go into all of the things you could do in the city, here. I’ll mention a few places on Route One though, just in case though.
Santa Monica is the first place you’ll drive through, after Malibu.
If you’ve only been to Venice Beach on previous trips, it’s definitely worth stopping and – at least – having a walk along the pier, which feels a lot like being on Brighton Pier with all of the rides and attractions! ThatĀ might be because it’s the oldest pleasure pier on the West Coast.
It’s also home to the world’s first solar-powered Ferris Wheel.
Venice Beach promenade is an experience like no other! Look out for Muscle Beach, too! Photo by Sidvic/Wikimedia
Next up is Venice Beach, which is famous for its lively atmosphere and “interesting” mix of people. You’ve probably already been there, as most people go there on their first trip to LA, but if you haven’t, this is home to Muscle Beach and worth a wander around.
Route One moves inland for a while. You’re on normal roads with the rest of LA.
Yes, it’s just like being in any city but it’s a good point to stop and think about how the Pacific Coast Highway has changed over the past three days – the places you’ve been, the buildings and people you’ve seen – it’s quite a ride!
You soon end up at the airport! And not just driving past LAX, you goĀ under the famous bridge which jumbo jets are casually driving across!
After the airport, you’re back on the coastal route and the beach citiesĀ of Hermosa and Redondo. This is where we ended up eating our lunch, in the end!
2.15pm – Lunch and onwards (1.15pm for you)
LA driving is always very slow so make sure you try just go with the flow…of the traffic, otherwise you might crash!
We left it late. Very late to stop off for food. Please don’t report us to children’s services!
The kids woke up near LAX and we knew we had to pull over straight away. We stopped at Hermosa Beach and grabbed a deli sandwich from a supermarket and ate it on the beach. It was nice but not what we’d planned at all!
We got back into the car an hour later (3.15pm) and we were faced with a dilemma. It was Alicia’s birthday and we promised to meet all of her family and friends in San DiegoĀ for a special dinner. We had to be on time or we’d be really late!
We had two options: a) continue along Route One and hope we made it; or b) get onto the motorway and definitely make it back.
Option B was the sensible route, which we took, but it might’ve been a mistake!!
Rush hour was on its way, and there was an accident, so we crawled for an hour on the freeway before hitting San Diego County and finally picking up some speed.
If we’d stayed on Route One, we’d have got to Long Beach half an hour later. We’d then have the beautiful ocean for company, as we made our way through Orange County and on to Dana Point – the official end of Route One – about an hour-and-a-half after that.
4.45pm – Dana Point (4.15pm for you)
Dana Point is the official start of Highway One! Photo by Dr Warner on Flickr.
**If we’ve confused you with timings now, the time for you (above) assumes you had a one hour stopover in Hermosa beach with us, but you gotĀ there an hour earlier at 1.15pm, so you get back driving again at 2.15pm. Ā In reality, you’d have stopped in Malibu but this is the one hour break we needed to put into your itinerary!**
So, Route One officially finishes at Dana Point but the Historic 101 continuesĀ down to San Diego.
If you’re going the full stretch, via the Interstate or coastal road, you HAVE to take the motorway (I-5) for 27 miles (25 minutes) at Dana Point.
We took the Interstate all the way down to San Diego and got there at exactly 6pm (yay, we weren’t late!) but, the route in ourĀ video (uploading soon!) which goes through San Diego County’s beach towns, should work if you left thatĀ hour earlier than us. We go back soon to get the exact timings for you, though!
You’ll see signs for the “Coast Highway” again as you approach Oceanside on the freeway. If you stay on the motorway, you’re about 45 minutes from Downtown San Diego but on the 101 it’ll take you twice that.
Oceanside
Oceanside will be your first port of call. It has the longest wooden pier (over water) on the West Coast, which has great sea views – and a lovelyĀ Ruby’s Diner at the end of it! Just make sure you plan enough time to walk the pier – it’s a half-a-mile round trip!
Just up from the pier is the famous house from Top Gun. You know, the oneĀ that Tom Cruise visits Kelly McGillis and they become silhouettes and move in slow motion to Take my Breath Away! Ā š
It’s the only house at 102 Pacific Street. This is because the block has been bought by a developer and is due to be turned into a hotel.
Fear not, Top Gun fans, they’re going to move the Victorian house to another location while the hotel is built and then place is onto the exact same spot! See it in the original location while you can!
The house has been restored and painted (not sure why they didn’t go for the same colours that were in Top Gun) and there’s a fence around it to stop it from being vandalised. But, you can still get photos and pretend to be Tom Cruise, jumping off his Harley!
Oceanside wouldn’t have been a place to stop in the 1980s but it’s been regenerated over the past decade withĀ a big new cinema, some great restaurants and bars, plus it’s home to the California Surf Museum.
Check out the Craft Beer scene here, too: Stone has an awesome shopĀ with the coolest beer garden I’ve ever been in, and there are also microbreweries at Bagby, Breakwater, the Surfside Tap Room and, of course Oceanside Ale Works, if you want a tour of their brewery.
Carlsbad & Encinitas
You’ll drive under this sign if you take the 101 down to San Diego! Photo by Mike Fairbanks
The beautiful sandy beaches continue into Carlsbad. You might come back here for Legoland or the Outlet Village, which has some great brands…and prices.
Encinitas is a beach town which is so famous for its surfing, that the Beach Boys name-checked Swami’s Beach, in Surfin’ USA!
Away from the rugged and more hidden surf spots is Moonlight Beach which is a family friendly beach with volleyball areas and a park for kids.
There are some great places to eat and drink in along the 101, here.
The shops are as cool as the residents so it could be a great place for an evening meal without even having to leave the road.
La Jolla
Finish your Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip watching the sun set next to the rock pools and wildlife at La Jolla Cove. Photo by Chad McDonald/Flickr
Next, the beach towns go very upmarket. Starting with Solana Beach, you’ll then hit Del Mar, which is home to some of San Diego’s richest residents, plus the city’s famous racetrack.
It has an old, colonial feel and you can quickly tell from the boutique shops that this isn’t a cheap place to live.
When you’re sat next to the ocean, a bit like you were in Big Sur, it means that you’re heading into Torrey Pines State Park – which is, yes, the home of the famous golf course!!!
After you pass the PGA course – and check to see if you recognise anyone playing – you’ll descend into La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya, Brits – I called it La Jolly-er for a while!).
It’s Spanish for ‘The Jewel’ and it really does feel like a gem when you’re there.
This is officially where the signs for the Historic 101 end.
Drive on down to La Jolla Cove where you can watch the sunset with the seals on the rock pools.
It’s a perfectĀ place to finish your epic trip. There are loads of restaurants in La Jolla – they’re not all crazily priced – so you can grab some food and a beer – you deserve it!
6pm – San Diego (6.30pm for you – you’re late for once!)
Ok, you’ve made it to La Jolla, which is an awesome part of San Diego to complete the Pacific Coast Highway. But, if you’ve made it in good time and the sun isn’t going to set for another hour, why not go for the big finish?
The Cabrillo Monument is one of the southern-most parts of California, with views of San Diego and nearby Mexico!
It’s the place where the first Europeans landed on the West Coast of America, back in 1542, so it’s a perfect spot to show that you have conquered California, too!
The view of San Diego from the Cabrillo National monument . A perfect place to finish your route to the very south of California and the USA. Photo by Cszmurlo/Wikimedia
To get there from La Jolla Cove, follow Prospect Street until you can join La Jolla Blvd. This turns into Mission Blvd and you’ll get a taste of Pacific Beach and Mission Beach.
Follow the signs to Ocean Beach and Point Loma. Take Catalina Drive which takes you to the monument. (It’s $10 to get into the National Park site, but the pass works for a week, so you can come back another day to explore properly).
Drink in that San Diego sunset withĀ the 360 degree views that are available from the Cabrillo peninsula.
ROUTE ONE: DONE, IN STYLE!!!!!
Alicia at the Cabrillo National Monument at one of the most Southern tips of San Diego.
Our verdict
We did the Pacific Coast Highway in three days, with two kids and one red convertible. What would we do differently?
Our timings!! We left late every day. Without any children I think we’d have been more to time but if you’re taking little ones, add an extra half an hour to the start time!
We would also probably do it over four days, rather than three.
It did feel a bit rushed at times, and we only visited one tourist attraction (Hearst Castle). It would also mean that we could start Big Sur earlier in the day and not feel as though we rushed through all of those special scenic spots. (Check out our suggested four-day itinerary at the bottom of this page).
It was a trip of a lifetime, and it felt like that.
We travelled across such varied landscapes, climates and places where the weather, the atmosphere and people changed with every hour that we travelled.
Would we do it again? DEFINITELY!
We have lots of family in Northern California, so we will try flying in there and driving down Route One to San Diego again in the next few years.
We’d love to know if you drive the Pacific Coast using our itinerary – or use parts of it – for your road trip.
Add your viewsĀ and suggestions in the comments below. We can’t wait to hear from you and hope it helps!
Three Day Itinerary
We’ve spread our road trip itinerary over three pages, which might not beĀ the handiest way to plan your Route One adventure, so here’s our suggested timings for a three day, and then a four day trip.
Day 1
8am – Golden Gate Bridge Photos
9am – Leave Golden Gate Bridge
11.30am – Santa Cruz (lunch/sightsee for two hours)
1.30pm – Leave Santa Cruz
2.30pm – Monterey (you could have lunch/sight-see here instead)
3.30pm – Big Sur (includes 15 minutes stop at Bixby Bridge)
4.15pm – Pfeiffer Beach (45 min stop)
5pm – Leave Pfeiffer Beach
5.15pm – Nepenthe for dinner (one hour)
6.15pm – Leave Nepenthe
6.30pm – McWay Falls (30mins or later if the sun sets at this time for you)
7pm – Leave McWay Falls
8.20pm – Arrive in San Simeon/Cambria
Day 2
10am – Take your tour of Hearst Castle and have lunch (3 hours)
1pm – Leave Hearst Castle
1.15pm – Elephant Seals (15 mins)
1.30pm – Leave Elephant Seals
2.45pm – San Luis Obispo (Madonna Inn rest-stop, he he!)
3pm – Leave SLO
4.45pm – Solvang (45 min break and Danish pastry)
5.30pm – Leave Solvang
6.15pm – El Capitan Canyon (or another place in Santa Barbara)
Day 3
9.30am – Leave Santa Barbara
11.45am – Malibu (lunch and walkabout for 1h 15mins)
1pm – Leave Malibu
2.15pm – LAX
(Stop for 30mins at Huntingdon Beach or wherever you fancy inĀ Orange County)
4.45pm – Dana Point
6.30pm – San Diego (La Jolla)
7.20pm – San Diego (Cabrillo Monument – adjust timings for sunset)
Four Day Itinerary
Day 1
9am – Golden Gate Bridge Photos
10am – Leave Golden Gate Bridge
12.30am – Santa Cruz (lunch/sightsee for two hours)
2.30pm – Leave Santa Cruz
3.30pm – Monterey (Aquarium or wander around, plus overnight)
Day 2
10am – Leave Monterey
11.30am – Arrive at Big Sur (15mins at Bixby Bridge)
12.15pm Pfeiffer Beach (one hour stop)
1.15pm – Leave Pfeiffer Beach
1.30m – Nepenthe lunch (one hour)
2.30pm – Leave Nepenthe
2.45pm – McWay Falls (45mins)
3.30pm – Leave McWay Falls
5pm – Arrive in San Simeon/Cambria
Day 3
10am – Take your tour of Hearst Castle and have lunch (3 hours)
1pm – Leave Hearst Castle
1.15pm – Elephant Seals (15 mins)
1.30pm – Leave Elephant Seals
2.45pm – San Luis Obispo (Madonna Inn rest-stop)
3pm – Leave SLO
4.45pm – Solvang (45 min break and Danish pastry)
5.30pm – Leave Solvang
6.15pm – El Capitan Canyon (or another place in Santa Barbara)
Day 4
9.30am – Leave Santa Barbara
11.45am – Malibu (lunch and walkabout for 1h 15mins)
1pm – Leave Malibu
2.15pm – LAX
(Stop for 30mins at Huntingdon Beach or wherever you fancy inĀ Orange County)
4.45pm – Dana Point
6.30pm – San Diego (La Jolla)
7.20pm – San Diego (Cabrillo Monument – adjust timings for sunset)
13th July 2019 at 8:16 am
Hi Guys
Fantastic blog and thank you for sharing. We are doing the route Mid August with 3 teenagers so hoping for the best. We go from SF to Santa Cruz and stay Two nights
Then from Santa Cruz to Santa Monica -stopover for Two nights
Santa Monica to El Capitan Canyon – 2 nights
El Capitan Canyon to San Diego where we stop for Three nights. Iām interested in all the stops you made on the way and hopefully I can find Pfeiffer Beach
Thanks Again
Chris
19th September 2019 at 2:03 pm
How did your trip go, Chris?!!!! It looks like a perfect itinerary!!
3rd May 2019 at 1:15 pm
So one question how do I get back to San Francisco to fly home š
19th September 2019 at 2:02 pm
Ha ha!! Make sure you either book your flights into San Francisco and out of San Diego…or you just get to do it all over again!!! š
8th July 2018 at 2:03 pm
Hi Reily, Insightful blog / site ! loved reading every bit ! we are a family of 4, from India, city Mumbai to be precise ; we did the 17 mile drive Pebble Beach , PCH 1 in May 2017 , last year, but didn’t do anything like this ! 1 – we were new, 2 – the highway 1 was closed beyond a point and we has to take detours. Loved your itinerary ! we plan to do this again basis your itinerary this year in November. will it be cold ? is it doable ?, given that back in Mumbai we are not used to cold weather. Regards , Vidya
14th July 2018 at 9:30 am
Hi Vidya, we’re so glad this has helped you plan your trip!! Isn’t it great that the whole Highway will be open this time?!! I think the trip is totally do-able in November. It will be chillier but no snow etc. The road will also be quieter and you should have some brighter colours so you will get an even more memorable trip!! It won’t be Mumbai weather but it also won’t be Nepal!! You’ll be in your car for a lot of it, anyway!! Have a great trip!
13th June 2018 at 5:47 am
We moved to SoCal (Longbeach) from South Africa 8 weeks ago and plan to do the trip with a 2 and 5 year old in August, a week before school starts. I had thought we could do it with only 2 overnight stops but after reading your article, I am changing it to 4 nights going up north and then just one night on our way back. I figure we would have seen quite a lot on our way to San Fran from Longbeach. Thank you so so much for all the info. It has been a huge help, especially because you were traveling with little ones. We will definitely use much of your suggested 4 Day itinerary! Any tips most welcome, where little ones are concerned.
14th July 2018 at 9:25 am
Great to hear Palesa!!! We didn’t think we could do the trip with young ones but they either slept or played!! It’s great news that the whole Highway will be open again by the time you get there! Have an amazing trip!!
3rd March 2018 at 12:56 pm
Hi guys
Great video. We have 2 days to fill after leaving Santa Barbara before we arrive in San Diego. We were planning to visit & stay in the Anza Borrego park but as it will be August some are saying it will be too hot.
Anywhere else you guys would recommend?
Andy
2nd April 2018 at 12:25 pm
Thanks Andy!!! You’re going to have a great time, especially as you’ll have a few days off to enjoy and not have any driving! Anza Borrego might be hot but if it’s something you really want to do – and you bring enough water and do it early enough?! If you’re looking for something to do around Santa Barbara…we’ve only done the pier really. We stayed in Lompoc and there was a cool, working mission called Purisma State Park. If you’re looking for more down south, LA is fun if you’ve never been before…and San Diego might have more than you imagined (not long how long you were planning to stay after though). We made a video about San Diego, if that helps.
Does any of this help? Thanks!!
12th December 2017 at 2:27 pm
I watched loads of California road trip vlogs on Youtube, and while they were all beautifully shot so many had no voiceover and no locations included on screen or in the description box making it hard to use them for planning. Your videos and then these posts are just so helpful, really valuable for itinerary planning. We are visiting in June and doing a LA loop (via Vegas, Yosemite, San Fran and then your route – skipping San Diego as time and $$$ are tight!). Thanks again for taking the time to put together all this content, you can really tell how hard you worked on it all.
16th January 2018 at 11:46 pm
Hi Katherine, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a message – and for your kind words. We’re SO pleased that you found it helpful. We set up this blog post because we couldn’t find the timings when we were trying to plan our first trip. It did take a few months to put together but we’re glad you – and others – are making the most of it!! Have an amazing time in California this June!!! Let us know how you get on!!
24th March 2017 at 4:53 pm
Thank you for providing this very well written and informative trip report. Me and a friend (we are from Sweden) will make Hw1 between SF and LA in mid april in a Mustang convertible (of course) but we will also go north to Leggett to see the redwood forests etc and Point Arena Lighthouse from the end scene in the movie Need for Speed and also spend 2 days in SF and 2 days in LA. We WILL stay at Madonna Inn in “Rock Waterfall Room”. You gave us some useful information about paying the toll for the bridge online and in advance and to be there early – thanks and also the information how to NOT miss the Pfeiffer Beach – thanks again. ItĀ“s so easy that you just miss and pass the attractions and then donĀ“t bother to turn around and try again.
Some questions for you:
What about the trunk in the convertible – will it be smaller when you take the roof down – it has to hide somewhere i.e. if we can fit our bags in the trunk with the roof on, will we still be able to have the same size bags when the roof is down?
What camera have you used for some of the movies ā GoPro Hero or?
What program or tool have you used when making the Youtube film (very professional)
Thanks again for sharing your experiences in such a nice and professional way ( I have read plenty of trip reports and seen several movies – but yours is the BEST and most useful
Good work
PeA from Sweden (nowadays wellknown thanks to mr Trump…)
looking forward to our trip in april
27th March 2017 at 5:04 pm
Hi PeA,
Thanks for getting in touch – so pleased that the article has been helpful! Amazing feedback too, thank you!!!
It sounds as though you have the trip of a lifetime planned!! Your itinerary looks great!!!
More than happy to answer your questions!
– The trunk in the convertible gets smaller when you put the roof down. We were still able to get enough bags (and a travel cot) in there. We also had to put items in the back seat, in between the kids’ seats. I’d be tempted to test the trunk with the roof down and then you know what you’ll DEFINITELY be able to fit inside. From memory, we had big duffel bags rather than hard suitcases.
– We shot the front of car shots on a GoPro. It’s probably an old one now, but any of them would work. The rest of the piece was shot with a DSLR camera. It gives some nice shots, doesn’t it!!
– The editing was done on Apple’s Final Cut Pro but you could use their free iMovie or Adobe Premier Pro, if you have an Adobe account. The free editing software is much easier to use – if you’re just looking to make a fun video for your family and friends, you’ll find it easier as you have to learn the other ones a bit more.
HAVE AN AMAZING TRIP!!! Let us know how it all goes – we’d love to see some photos or video from your epic adventure!
27th March 2017 at 6:12 pm
Thanks a lot for taking your time for these good answers. The trunk – I had hoped it should not get smaller – on some YoutubeĀ“s it looks like the roof goes down in front of the trunk. However we are just 2 persons (2 guys=not THAT much clothes..) and will have semisoft bags and 1 small backpack each. When we park the car at attractions we would like all the bags to be hidden in the trunk, not in the backseat…
GoPro – I have model 3 I think – used it when I travelled by car around Island and have a suction cup and some cords to secure the camera with. I also used it when we last summer made a Road Trip AND a train trip (Rocky Mountaineer in Canada). I have also bought a really good selfie stick with remote control and an adapter for the GoPro as well. You can even control the zoom on the iphone via an app. I will also take photos with a Canon SX 60HS with WiFi – with a very good but compact zoom lens (65 x). The problem is – that I would like to DRIVE the cabrio but also want to take all the nice photos (like you this is a hobby and one part of the trip). I asked my son to help me make some movies from Island, Canada and Hurtigruten (the most beautiful voyage (boat cruise) in the world – on the Norwegian fjords..) but he never had time. Probably I will try with iMovie then.
We will start with 2 days in SF, the go to Muir Woods and maybe to Drive True Park in Leggett, Avenue of The Giants, then Point Arena Lighthouse(Need for Speed), Santa Cruz, , Monterey/Carmel by the Sea, 17 mile drive, Big Sur, stay in āCaveman Water Rockā at Madonna Inn, then Danish Solvang, Santa Barbara and end up and stay 2 days in LA.
Once again ā your trip report and your photos and movies was really made by the heart with both humour and kindness and so professional. Thanks
PS We just have one problem now, āBig Sur road closureā and that the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge is totally down ā we will miss McWay Falls, Big Sur Bakery, Deetjens Inn, Neventhe / CafĆ© Kevah etc- i.e. we will miss the most beautiful part of the Road Tripā¦
27th March 2017 at 8:26 pm
Hi PeA,
I’m excited for you to take the trip!! Let us know how you get on!
I think you might know more than me about what kit to take!! The suction cup worked for me, but I was always on edge with it!! You’ll notice in the video that there weren’t that many shots between landmarks…that was because I was driving. I just relied on the GoPro for those shots and then got the DSLR out for every stop. I’m sure you’ll do really well. It’s just a case of editing it a different way.
If ONLY we could help Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge up and running again for you. Mind you, it does mean you’ll have to go back AGAIN when it does open!!!!
28th March 2017 at 8:52 am
Thanks again for being interested in my road trip…Well, I am not a GoPro pro.. but I have used it on 3 journeys, have a number of film clips but still not managed to edit and make a nice movie of them. At Island in a 4 wheel drive vehicle – I was afraid of mounting the camera outside of the car – on the hood for example – I had it inside and filmed through the windshield – not perfect. On the RM train I secured the GoPro with cords and it worked well. But still – my GoPro movies is far from as good as many I have seen on Youtube.. I must make it better this time (but I also want to drive and want to SEE all beauty with my own eyes – not just through the cameras. One question – in your movie – is it a mix of films from GoPro and smartphone(iPhone..) or is it just GoPro? Is it possible to make a film with two different sources like iPhone and GoPro (or the Canon and GoPro)? I have to decide in advance I think – which camera to use for the filming – the iPhone will not have space enough. Unfortunately I will most likely NOT go back again – there are so many more exciting places to visit – next on my Bucket list is South Africa, Cape Town and 2 days on the Rovos Rail (very exclusive train from Pretoria to Cape Town), and then making both islands at New Zealand in a camper. On the bucket list is also the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express (trains in the Swiss alps).
You will find my photos(no films) at http://globetrottern.se/ and the Canada trip on https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotten/albums/72157670201686576 (there are some really beautiful shots from some of the extremely beautiful lakes and mountains…)
7th February 2017 at 1:56 pm
Thank you for providing this very useful tool and such a specific agenda. And great you included all the personal experiences along the way. Its so important to take in as much as you can with a limited time to see it in. My husband and I have this adventure on our bucket list although we have waited a little late in life to make it, we feel if you can do it with 2 children we can make it ourselves. We will follow you on face book for future adventures. Thank you again!
7th February 2017 at 2:27 pm
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! The feedback makes it all worth it. You’ll have an amazing time – we’re really jealous!! I’m sure you’ve got your hotels and itineraries sorted, but we’d recommend a day or two in San Diego, if you can. We made a video, if that helps? https://youtu.be/7y8B2zhDSEc Have an amazing time!!! Let us know how you get on!!
7th February 2017 at 10:55 am
Great blog. Really useful. Thanks for posting. We are taking 4.5 days to drive from SF to Dana Point in two weeks time. Hoping to explore some of the beaches you mentioned as well as the pit stops.
Not sure how kind the weather will be this month. This will be part of a longer tour but looking forward to seeing some of these places.
7th February 2017 at 2:22 pm
Hi Karl, thanks so much for taking the time to comment. Really glad that our guide might help your trip. You’re going to love it, especially having so much more time to enjoy the sights as you drive south. Let us know how you get on!! Have a fab time!!
8th December 2016 at 6:43 am
Thank you for posting this! We’ve got great advice from you guys. We’re taking the trip next week and hopefully winter will treat us well.
26th December 2016 at 8:40 pm
Our pleasure Phuong. How did your trip go?!!
4th September 2016 at 4:17 pm
A fantastic blog, very insightful! we are heading to San Fran and driving down to San Diego over a couple of weeks at the start of October. This is our first time travelling to the west coast of America (from Ireland) and I have printed your itinerary for useful stops and timings! Thank you for taking the time and effort to help others. Saw this via ‘visit California’ Facebook page! Much appreciated!
4th September 2016 at 4:31 pm
Laura, thanks so much for taking the time to comment. It took about six months to compile, write and edit the videos but I really hope it helps people because we had to guess the timings when we went. I hope you have a FANTASTIC trip. Let us know how it goes!!! Safe travels!!