[yco]

Next week i ll be in LA for 10 days and planning to have road trip from San Diego to San Francisco.. had a similar trip in the past but this time i ll have more time..

so the question for you guys, im sure there are some great places to be, to eat, drink or just for enjoying the view on or near the route.. i already checked some places on web but looking for some off-touristic areas as well..
and may help to filter places that i ll be there with there with a friend of mine and she s not my gf and im not planning anything about it..

thanks..

[Dang3r]

We made the same route last year, beginning from SD upwards to Frisco.
First stop after LA and before Malibu was a small spot left of the street, theres a place where locals seem to use it for swimming, but beware of the waves there, that day they were quite huge.
Passing Oxnard for lunch in a diner and first night stop at Santa Barbara in AirBNB. Swimming wasn't an option there for us, because of the oil rigs into the channel and the all time present slight oil film onto the water. We ate at Tinkers Burgers, very recommendable. If you like to shop, the city is a nice pick for it. At that time, we'd left the 1 and turned over to Vegas.
Re-entering at Monterey, nice place to be, Laguna Seca raceway and up to Santa Cruz. From there via San Jose to Frisco at our AirBNB stay near the Coit Tower.

[roastbeef]

if you take pch the entire way, thats about a 15-18 hour day if you make a few stops. maybe plan on spending a night in cambria.

[cmyx6go]

It's a breath taking drive. Find Pfeiffer Beach near Big Sur, and drive down to the beach. It is freakin gorgeous! And make sure to get sunset pictures. Have fun.

[UncleWede]

Lunch at Neptune's Net especially on a weekend. Just don't be that guy that bumps the first bike and starts the dominoes

As you approach Pt. Mugu, you will see that iconic rock/stretch of road ALL the domestic car dealers seem to use in their ads.

It's not quite cold, so the tarantulas might still be crossing the road if you detour a bit off north of Santa Barbara and head to Jalama beach.

If you've not seen it, consider the touristy Hearst Castle. Imagine the parties that must have taken place there once upon a time.

[GOLFFRR]

HWY 1 is breathtaking. So many amazing stops on the way as well. IF you end up going def take some pics. I may head up myself in the next couple weeks to Monterey

[Germanauto]

When leaving SD, get off I5N at San Clemente. That's the first town in OC and the start of PCH.

Dana Point has a couple beautiful beaches that are less crowded than other OC beaches.

Laguna Beach, while touristy, is a must see. There's a great place to grab food/drinks right on the beach called "the Deck." Adonis is a great shwarama place just steps away from the beach. There's plenty of other restaurants and bars to explore.

Fashion Island Mall is just a nice spot to hang out at Newport Beach.

I personally have yet to drive PCH from LA to SF, but I have stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Please do yourself a favor and stop by here. It's a famous property with breathtaking views, located just a little south of the Bay Area.

BTW, while you're in SD I'd highly recommend getting brunch at the Grand Del Mar hotel. This is probably one of California's most famous hotels and having brunch aside their grounds is memorable.

[grocerylist]

Hit up the Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur if your a fan of his writing.

[cfm56d7b]

So many things to see ...

Try to visit La Jolla north of San Diego.

Orange County spots of interest.

1. Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel; 180 degree ocean facing lounge with lobster tacos on the menu
2. Laguna Beach of course
3. Crystal Cove park
4. Fashion Island in Newport Beach for lunch

[Maynard]

The coast highway is monumental in its own right. Laguna Seca, and the giant Redwoods would be the other must-see things I'd have on my list, especially if there was a race going on at Laguna Seca (even better would be track time, but no idea how hard that is to get).

[dogbone]

North of Malibu, I recommend Paradise Cove for a beachside lunch. The walls are covered in historic photos of the LA area taken from the air. Some photos go back to the 1920s.

Side note: they used that beach to film one of the American Pie sequels. It was supposed to look like Lake Michigan. They put up a house there right on the beach.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by dogbone

North of Malibu, I recommend Paradise Cove for a beachside lunch. The walls are covered in historic photos of the LA area taken from the air. Some photos go back to the 1920s.

Side note: they used that beach to film one of the American Pie sequels. It was supposed to look like Lake Michigan. They put up a house there right on the beach.

The used the Ritz at Half Moon Bay as well.

[cfm56d7b]

OP, if you need dining recommendations please let me know. Have a safe trip.

[yco]

thanks everyone for their recommendations it really helped..
any advice on car rental part? im planning to go with Enterprise again, any other company for the best value?

[Dang3r]

We had Alamo, but I got company rates, that won't count for you.
Don't miss the bus shuttle to the lot outside of the airport, we had to search the spot a little outside of SD Airport.

[E92 M Sport]

Check out some of the canyon roads off of PCH. even if you’re met with fog and drizzle on 1, the roads and views up there are great. Pavement not the greatest but still awesome overall.